Compliances reduced and end-to-end automation introduced by Central Board of Indirect taxes

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) has reduced the compliances required under the Customs Rules, 2017 (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty-IGCR) and has introduced an end to end automation of the procedure, the Ministry of Finance said in a press release.

The ministry informed on the compliances that the portal has been made live now on www.icegate.gov.in, and the importers who desire to avail exemptions linked to the Custom Rules, 2017 can register on the portal going forward.

The Ministry further added that the given rules bring forth procedural safeguards to ensure that the goods that are imported at a concessional rate of duty, subject to an end-use constrain, are used specifically for the purpose that is specified in the exemption notification.

After receiving feedback from the Industry, the compliances have been eased and the procedures have been simplified and have been made completely paperless and contactless with the help of end-to-end automation, the release read.

The changes made in compliances are as follows:

1. All the proclamation for claiming such exemptions can be presented through the notified common portal, that is, www.icegate.gov.in.
2. The various forms that are meant for electronically submission of the details have also been standardized and notified.
3. The transaction-based permissions and intimations which formed a part of the previous procedures have now been removed.
4. For the effective monitoring of the use of goods for the intended purposes, instead of a quarterly return, now a monthly statement has been introduced. This monthly statement also needs to be submitted by the importer electronically on the notified Common Portal.
5. In view of the demand of trade, a particular solution has been brought which clarifies the procedure for allowing imported goods for inter-unit transfer.
6. To further simplify the process, an option of voluntary payment through the Common Portal, will be enabled very soon and the same has been specified in the Rules too.
7. Additionally, the importers have been given the option to follow the previous procedure till the 13th of March 2022, so as to facilitate the transition in a smooth and seamless manner.