Traders again cite filing problems with GSTN

NEW DELHI: Taxpayers once again complained of their inability to file returns due to a problem with the GST Network (GSTN) server, accusing the agency of not being adequately prepared — an accusation that the company managing the IT backbone rejected.
“45+ lakhs GSTR-3B, 17 lakhs GSTR-1 and 13+ crores invoices filed. GST System is working fine,” GSTN tweeted Friday evening.Charges were being traded on a day when Unique Identification Authority of India CEO AB Pandey was appointed interim chairman of GSTN. Revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia had been holding additional charge of GSTN after the agency’s first chairman Navin Kumar’s term ended last month. Industry blamed the collapse of GSTN’s “hired” servers for its problems on Friday, alleging that they could not handle the large volume of traffic.
While acknowledging that a server was affected for a while, sources said it was fixed quickly and traffic was never heavy. Both sides blamed each other for lack of preparedness amid calls from the industry, led by the Big Four audit firms, that the filing deadline be relaxed for a few months.
“The government is getting its taxes, so there can be some respite for the taxpayers and the time can be used to fix the glitches,” said a consultant with a leading audit firm. Sources in the government accused tax consultants and companies of not filing their returns on time and being unprepared. “GST opened the filing window on July 24. But everyone waited until August 31 to file. There are starting problems, which even Apple and Microsoft faces with new products and fixes them while sales go on,” said an officer.