A GST notice sent to a pani puri seller in Tamil Nadu has gone viral on social media, leaving many amused and some even considering a career change.
The notice, which relates to an online payment of Rs 40 lakh received by the seller during the year 2023-2024, has sparked a lot of discussion, especially on Reddit.
Dated December 17, 2024, the summons was issued under Section 70 of the Tamil Nadu Goods and Services Tax Act and the Central GST Act, directing the seller to appear in person and provide the required documents.
“Based on the reports received from RazorPay and Phonepe, you have received UPI payments for the supply of goods/services abroad, and the payments received for the years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 are here -below,” the summons read, showing Rs 40 lakh received in 2023-24.
The notice also highlights that supply of goods or services without obtaining GST registration, after crossing the threshold, is considered an offence.
However, Business Today could not independently verify the authenticity of the viral notification.
This announcement sparked various reactions from social media users.
“₹40L is the amount he received and this may or may not be his income. You must deduct the cost of ingredients, labor costs, fixed expenses, etc. Maybe he makes just enough to get by,” one X user commented.
Dr Dheeraj K, professor of psychiatry, pointed out that the amount mentioned in the notice exceeded the salary of many professors in medical colleges, who are taxed based on income.
“The guy from Pani Puri can add GST to his bills and pay the government. However, it will lose out to competition whose bill will be lower. The action of the tax authorities would push people to carry out cash transactions!!! “, he commented.
Another Reddit user advised: “He better register for GST.” »
One user humorously referred to GST as the “Golgappe Sevpuri tax”.
Some users supported the idea, with one saying: “This should be done to all business owners who don’t pay taxes and earn too much.” We, the taxpayers, have to pay more taxes because of them. »
On the other hand, some users questioned the validity of the review. “Yes, it’s possible to earn that much selling panipuri. But it looks legitimately fake, easily photoshopped,” one user said.
