(Last Updated On: August 6, 2016)

Administrative Structure of GST

Key Points :-

There are 9 classes of officers as per CGST Act, with 17 officers and a general class, whereas SGST Act contains 6 classes of officers, with a general class.
As per Model GST Law , Board i.e the Central Board of Excise and Customs constituted under the Central Boards of Revenue Act, 1963 has the power to appoint officers of CGST (Note: State laws may have similar provision)
The Commissioner of SGST under SGST law will have jurisdiction over the whole of the appropriate State.All other officers shall have jurisdiction over the whole of the State or over such areas as the Commissioner may, by notification, specify.
The powers of the First Appellate Authority have been restricted to those specified under Section 79 of the CGST law.(Note: State laws may have similar provision)

As per the Model GST Law , Following is the proposed Administrative Structure of GST

Central Goods and Services Tax Act (CGST)

Classes of officers under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act

There shall be the following classes of officers under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, namely;

(a) Principal Chief Commissioners of CGST or Principal Directors General of CGST,

(b) Chief Commissioners of CGST or Directors General of CGST,

(d) Commissioners of CGST or Additional Directors General of CGST,

(e) First Appellate Authority,

(f) Additional Commissioners of CGST or Additional Directors of CGST,

(g) Joint Commissioners of CGST or Joint Directors of CGST,

(h) Deputy Commissioners of CGST or Deputy Directors of CGST,

(i) Assistant Commissioners of CGST or Assistant Directors of CGST, and

(j) such other class of officers as may be appointed for the purposes of this Act.

State Goods and Services Tax Act (SGST)

Classes of officers under the State Goods and Services Tax Act

There shall be the following classes of officers and persons under the State Goods and Services Tax Act namely.

a) Commissioner of SGST,

b) Special Commissioners of SGST,

c) Additional Commissioners of SGST,

d) Joint Commissioners of SGST,

e) Deputy Commissioners of SGST,

f) Assistant Commissioners of SGST, and

g) such other class of officers and persons as may be appointed for the purposes of this Act. [List is indicative]

Jurisdiction

The Commissioner shall have jurisdiction over the whole of the State of (….). All other officers shall have jurisdiction over the whole of the State or over such areas as the Commissioner may, by notification, specify.

Appointment of officers under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act [ section 5 of Model GST Law]

(1) The Board may appoint such persons as it may think fit to be officers under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act.

(2) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (1), the Board may authorize a Principal Chief Commissioner/Chief Commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax or a Principal Commissioner/Commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax or an Additional/Joint or Deputy/Assistant Commissioner of Central Goods and Service Tax to appoint officers of Central Goods and Services Tax below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax.

(Note: State laws may have similar provision)

Powers of officers under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act [ section 6 of Model GST Law]

(1) Subject to such conditions and limitations as the Board may impose, an officer of the Central Goods and Services Tax may exercise the powers and discharge the duties conferred or imposed on him under this Act.

(2) An officer of Central Goods and Services Tax may exercise the powers and discharge the duties conferred or imposed under this Act on any other officer of Central Goods and Services Tax who is subordinate to him.

(3) The Board/Commissioner may, subject to such conditions and limitations as may be specified in this behalf by him, delegate its powers to any other officer subordinate to him.

(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, a First Appellate Authority shall not exercise the powers and discharge the duties conferred or imposed on an officer of Central Goods and Services Tax other than those specified in section 79 of this Act.

(Note: State laws may have similar provision)

Appeals to First Appellate Authority [ Section 79 of CGST Law ]

(1) Any person aggrieved by any decision or order passed against him under this Act by an adjudicating authority, may appeal to the prescribed First Appellate Authority.

(2) The Commissioner of GST may, of his own motion, call for and examine the record of any proceeding in which an adjudicating authority has passed any decision or order under this Act, for the purpose of satisfying himself as to the legality or propriety of the said decision or order and may, by order, direct any GST Officer subordinate to him to apply to the First Appellate Authority for the determination of such points arising out of the said decision or order as may be specified by the Commissioner of GST in his order.

(3) Where, in pursuance of an order under sub-section (2), the authorized officer makes an application to the First Appellate Authority, such application shall be dealt with by the First Appellate Authority as if it were an appeal made against the decision or order of the adjudicating authority and the provisions of this Act relating to appeals shall, so far as may be, apply to such application.

(4) Every appeal under this section shall be filed within three months from the date on which the decision or order sought to be appealed against is communicated to the Commissioner of GST, or, as the case may be, the person preferring the appeal:

Provided that the First Appellate Authority may, if he is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from presenting the appeal within the aforesaid period of three months, allow it to be presented within a further period of one month.

(5) Every appeal under this section shall be in the prescribed form and shall be verified in the prescribed manner.

(6) No appeal shall be filed under sub-section (1) unless the appellant has deposited a sum equal to ten percent of the amount in dispute arising from the said order, in relation to which the appeal has been filed

Explanation.- For the purposes of this sub-section, the expression “amount in dispute” shall include –

i. amount determined under section 46 or 47 or 48 or 51;

ii. amount payable under rule——-of the GST Credit Rules 201…; and

iii. amount of fee levied or penalty imposed.

(7) The First Appellate Authority shall give an opportunity to the appellant of being heard, if he so desires.

(8) The First Appellate Authority may, if sufficient cause is shown at any stage of hearing of an appeal, grant time, from time to time, to the parties or any of them and adjourn the hearing of the appeal for reasons to be recorded in writing:

Provided that no such adjournment shall be granted more than three times to a party during hearing of the appeal.

(9) The First Appellate Authority may, at the hearing of an appeal, allow an appellant to go into any ground of appeal not specified in the grounds of appeal, if he is satisfied that the omission of that ground from the grounds of appeal was not wilful or unreasonable.

(10) The First Appellate Authority shall, after making such further inquiry as may be necessary, pass such order, as he thinks just and proper, confirming, modifying or annulling the decision or order appealed against:

Provided that an order enhancing any fee or penalty or fine in lieu of confiscation or confiscating goods of greater value or reducing the amount of refund or input tax credit shall not be passed unless the appellant has been given a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against the proposed order:

Provided further that where the First Appellate Authority is of the opinion that any tax has not been paid or short-paid or erroneously refunded, or where input tax credit has been wrongly availed or utilized, no order requiring the appellant to pay such tax or input tax credit shall be passed unless the appellant is given notice to show cause against the proposed order and the order is passed within the time limit specified under section 51.

(11) The order of the First Appellate Authority disposing of the appeal shall be in writing and shall state the points for determination, the decision thereon and the reasons for the decision.

(12) The First Appellate Authority shall, where it is possible to do so, hear and decide every appeal within a period of one year from the date on which it is filed:

Provided that where the issuance of order is stayed by an order of a Court or Tribunal, the period of such stay shall be excluded in computing the period of one year.

(13) On disposal of the appeal, the First Appellate Authority shall communicate the order passed by him to the appellant and to the adjudicating authority.

(14) A copy of the order passed by the First Appellate Authority shall also be sent to the jurisdictional Commissioner of CGST or the authority designated by him in this behalf and the jurisdictional Commissioner of SGST or the authority designated by him in this behalf.

(15) Every order passed under this section shall, subject to the provisions of section 83, 87 or 88, be final.