📈14K appeals, no GST appellate body in sight. An untold saga for taxpayers. 💼 📅 Ahead of the much-awaited formation of the GST Appellate Tribunals, the number of pending appeals from taxpayers over central GST levies has spiked sharply 📈 to over 14,000

📝 by the end of the first quarter of 2023-24, 20% higher than such pending cases as on March 31 this year. 💥 🗂Responding to a query from A Ganeshamurthi, DMK's Lok Sabha MP, Minister of State for Finance stated the plan is to establish State benches in phased manner🔄

📊As of June 30 there were over 14K pending appeals...a 20% increase from the number of cases as on March 31, 2023🚀

The GST Council 🏛 had cleared the way for setting up of GST Tribunals across the nation at its meeting on July 11, 2023. The government plans to make the first set of tribunals operational between Nov 2023 - Jan 2024📆

There are a few reasons for the surge in the number of pending appeals. First, GST audits and investigations are happening in full flow, which is leading to more tax assessments and demands.

Second, the High Courts in several cases have ruled that the appeals before the tribunal can be filed within three months of formation of the tribunal. This has encouraged taxpayers to file appeals with the GSTAT, rather than going through the writ jurisdiction route.