Add'l cess to be subsumed in GST within one year: Tax official

Government will subsume all the additional levies like Krishi Kalyan and Infrastructure cess in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), within one year of its implementation, a senior tax official said on Saturday.

"Cesses have been imposed with specific purposes. The government needs revenue. Once the Goods and Services Tax comes to play, hopefully by April 2017, all these taxes will be subsumed," said Ram Tirath Member (Budget), Central Board of Excise and Customs.

He was addressing a CII organised Finance Ministry- Industry interface.

In Budget 2016-17 presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last month, the government has imposed two new cesses -- one related to farm and another for infrastructure.

With effective June, the government has proposed to impose a Krishi Kalyan cess of 0.5 percent on all taxable services.

The funds generated would be used to improve agriculture situation and welfare of farmers.

Citing pollution and traffic situation in the country, the finance minister also proposed to levy an infrastructure cess of 1 percent on small petrol, LPG, CNG cars, 2.5 percent on diesel cars of certain capacity and 4 percent on other higher engine capacity vehicles and SUVs.

In the previous budget, government had levied Swachh Bharat cess of 0.5 percent on all taxable services.

Besides, the tax official said the government has tried to address all tax areas in the Budget. He also hoped that excess litigation in indirect tax matters would be cut down by 50 percent in an year's period.

"All of the areas (of taxes), we have addressed them.

Whatever we could think of, whatever inputs we have got, we have done. And I am very much sure that within one year litigation in excess in indirect tax matter should be down by 50 percent, he said.

Tirath also said the government has simplified and rationalised many tax processes in the Budget.