The Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India is one of the significant tax reforms since independence. GST is a consumption-based tax, collected on the added value at each stage of the supply chain. The Central Goods and Services Act became operational from 1st July 2017 after the initial teething troubles. The government has been making efforts ever since trying to make the process relatively easy for everyone, but despite that, the implementation has been grappling with several issues and challenges. One of the many problems includes delayed, or no processing of the refund claims. If you have filed the claim using the Form GST RFD01A and the same has not been processed by the tax authorities, you can raise a grievance to escalate it with the tax administration for quick redressal.
Complaint online
One of the easiest and quick ways to register a complaint on a GST refund is to go online. The official GST website accommodates the grievance redressal in just a few easy steps. All you need to do is open the browser and access the grievance redressal portal.
Steps to register a complaint
Visit the link here to access the grievance portal. Under the concern/issue, type in GST RFD-01 A, and choose the complaint category. Select the relevant FAQ from the FAQ section. You can check a box as per your requirement, and if you do not find the appropriate solution, go ahead by clicking on “no, I want to complain. Provide the details under the ticket-detail section and attach relevant screenshots. Enter the ARN (Application Reference Number) of your refund application. The system will generate a ticket against the number. Enter the captcha and submit the ticket.
Chatbot support
Earlier you could have reached the tax authorities for GST related complaints via an authorized email Id, which has been discontinued for now. There is another interactive solution for the customers who wish to complain about delayed refunds. The portal has introduced a chatbot by the name of Gita. You can interact with the chatbot by visiting the GST self-care page. Click on link here, and on the bottom right corner of the page, you will find Gita ready to assist. Click on its icon, and Gita will guide you with all sorts of GST related complaints in a structured way. Just click on your desired option, and Gita will help you with the rest.
Complaint with the helpdesk
If you can’t complain online, you can make a call to the GST helpdesk. The government has dedicated a GST helpdesk number to enable the customers with quick assistance with queries, including the registration of complaints. Just dial 1800-103-4786, and a customer service representative will guide you in a language of your preference. The Helpdesk facilitates services in 12 major languages, including Hindi, English, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, etc. The number is toll-free, which means there will be no charge. You can reach the helpdesk for all 365 days, from 9 am to 9 pm.
