The state excise and taxation department has issued a notification, stating the filing of the monthly return of VAT-16, with effect from September 1, can be done online.

The step has brought much satisfaction to the industrialists, chartered accountants, lawyers and other stakeholders, who earlier had to hand over the forms physically. The main aim of the initiative is to increase transparency in the working of the department.

Jatinder Khurana, president, taxation young lawyers association, “Now the department has issued the public notice that the VAT -6 monthly return can be filled online from September 1. This means that return related to August and onward is to be filled online.”

The notification states that filing of the monthly return in form of VAT-16 has been made online, “So dealers will not have to visit our offices to submit VAT- 16 form and instead, they can fill the form online,” states the notification.

Khurana also said that the return form for VAT-16 is changed many times on the website of the department, which causes inconvenience as the format with lawyers has also to be changed again.