CBEC proposes e-way bill for goods over Rs.50k under GST

The Dollar Business Bureau 

As per the draft rules issued by the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), the consignment of goods of more than Rs.50,000 under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be required to do prior online registration and to secure an 'e-way bill' that can be inspected by the tax officials anytime during the goods transit in order to check tax evasion.

The CBEC issued draft rules on electronic way bill in which it is mandatory that the registered entities should adhere to the given format, on the GSTN website with regard to goods valued above Rs.50,000, that would be transported within the state or outside. 

The e-way bills will be generated by GSTN within 1 to 15 days validity, depending on the distance to be covered by the goods in transit. A 100 km transit, a single day validity is seen and 15 days validity for over 1,000 km. 

“Upon generation of the e-way bill on the common portal, a unique e-way bill number (EBN) shall be made available to the supplier, the recipient and the transporter on the common portal,” as mentioned in the draft norms. 

It will be required that the person in-charge of transportation has to carry the bill of supply or invoice or delivery challan, and the e-way bill number or a copy of e-way bill, with him or mapped to a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) embedded on to the transportation. 

The rules also provide authority to the tax commissioner or any other officer assigned by him on his behalf to check any conveyance and verify the e-way bill for all intra-state and inter-state movement of goods. 

As per the draft rules, the physical verification can only be carried out on any specific information on the tax evasion. 

The tax commissioner or the officer in charge has to file a summary report of each inspection within one day and a final report within 3 days after inspection.

“Where a vehicle has been intercepted and detained for a period exceeding 30 minutes, the transporter may upload the said information in (prescribed form) on the common (GSTN) portal,” the rules prescribed.