Namaskar

I hope you find this Email in the best of your health.

Yes, you read the subject line right! There is something you can learn from the Taliban and the situation in Afghanistan about GST.

The world and our lives are very uncertain, and it is especially true in the world of business. Prevention is the biggest solution to most of the uncertainties that we know of in business.

What happened in Afghanistan tells us that the world can change overnight. People had to flee Afghanistan, leaving everything they had built in their lifetimes behind.

This situation is nowhere directly linked to the world of Business, but many instances can teach us a lot about GST and Business. Here are a few examples for you:

1. Hundreds of factors are at play at every single point of time that impact your Business in one way or the other.

Similarly, in the Taliban situation, the Doha meeting of the Taliban with the Americans and others is something that the whole world had missed earlier. The Doha meeting and other events played a significant role in what eventually happened in Afghanistan.

Lack of visualization can cost you a lot in your Business. Similarly, in GST, the Govt. takes a lot of decisions on a regular basis.

A lot of decisions are taken in the GST Council Meetings, after which notifications, circulars are issued, and the Department also conducts Press Releases.

For example, the Govt. announced the introduction of faceless assessment in IT and Customs. This incident is an indication that the same might also happen in GST. It is hence important to perform extensive compliance starting today in order to avoid problems in the future. A responsible tax professional can help you prevent all such issues and help you get foresight in your Business.

2. It is important to access everything from different angles and be prepared for the worst. The Americans assumed that a bad incident "may" happen, and we would be able to manage it if it happens. They were confident, yet they couldn't manage, and the Kabul situation occurred quickly.

Similarly, in GST, business owners tend to think that a bad situation might take place, but we'll manage it somehow. This extends to cases where businessmen know about the mismatches on the portal, yet they do not take preventive steps. They eventually receive a notice from the Department along with a significant demand, and there is no solution in sight at that very moment.

3. No matter how powerful, financially sound, or technologically advanced you are, you should never underestimate anyone. If you are dependent on someone else for some or the other thing, you should never underestimate the other party.

In the case of Afghanistan, Americans underestimated the power of the Taliban. Surprisingly, the Taliban took control of more or less the whole of Afghanistan except Panjshir in just 30 days.

Similarly, in GST, it is common for businessmen to underestimate the technological advancement and power of the Department. The Govt. is powered by the most advanced technologies, and it is very easy for the Department to catch your mistakes! They had already initiated GSTAM Audit, DGRAM etc.

4. I would also like to talk about OPERATION DEVI SHAKTI, in which soldiers evacuated Hindus and Sikhs of Afghanistan along with many other Indians and Afghans with the help of the Indian Government.

Similarly, in GST, a competent tax professional can help you in situations where you have lost hope and are ready to bear huge losses for particular GST mistakes. However, it is important to choose the right professional who has meaningful experience in the GST and taxation world.

We need to change the mindset of "Hamare Saath Aisa Nahi Hoga."

Numerous business owners do not comply with all the GST rules just because of this mindset. This is where we need to bring in a change.

What should we do?

You should have an idea and control of everything going on in your business. You must have direct control over every GST activity and ensure that compliance is done in every step of the business process.

If you do not have the time or knowledge to implement and take care of every step of GST, you should take the help of a professional who would help you manage everything.

We are living in a world dominated by technology; hence, you must use technology to monitor and manage every process of your business, which will help you prevent almost all of the problems that you might face.

One preventive step taken today will help you save lakhs of rupees in fines and loads of tensions in the coming future!

Thanks & Regards

DOST Vikash Dhanania