Ever since the evolution of the
ideology to integrate the entire indirect taxes into a single tax network, GST
has been making the news and with the President’s assent, the effect of the
same has manifolded multiply that it is hitting the daily newspaper headlines
and Prime time slots in Television. Touted to be the India’s biggest tax reform
post independence, this Act captures all the necessary elements of an action hero
even before its implementation.
Well. Getting into this write
up, we are normally accustomed to various debates over the GST happening all
over televisions, newspapers and other media forums, but for a change, what
will happen if the characters in the statute itself debate with each other
claiming themselves to be a hero.
Yes. This write up is just an
attempt into the same, de-coding each of the characters from their own point of
view.
1. GOODS called as “The
Gigantic G”
2. SERVICES called as “The
Superlative S” and
3. TAX called as “The
Terrifying T”
Starting with the “Gigantic G” as the name goes by:
We, GOODS are the tangible elements
upon which the entire tax is levied and our importance can be understood just
by the priority given to us, as we precede others in the name of the Statute
itself. We find ourselves in all the types of movable property except money and
securities. We even include actionable claim, grass, crops and everything that
are attached to the land.
We are the ones that are
manufactured in big industries, traded everywhere right from the big malls to
the Kirana shops and we enjoy the physical presence and people love to pay just
for using us. We contribute to the Government’s Ghazaana in different forms of
taxes and we even get advertised in all the television channels and you cannot
even find one place without our existence. Hence, we are the heroes of all,
says the Gigantic G.
As the Gigantic G finishes off, now its turn for the “The
Superlative S”:
You, GOODS may include all the
types of movable property but still you are just an inclusive definition
whereas we contain everything else except those falling under you. Thus, we
constitute majority of the transactions for the tax base as compared to
you. And you may be tangible, but even
the biggest corporates would like to develop their intangibles and we are very
happy that we are falling under the same category. You can get money from those
who are buying you but we’ll tax the money itself on its conversion into any
other mode. You get crushed through those big heavy machines and get stalled in
the shop racks whereas we are the opted ones for millions of young graduates
and business tycoons to venture into. You are incomplete and have no value
without us and thus we form an integral part of your existence. Needless to
mention, our importance can be noted just with the pattern of marks in the
exams as the Single Finance Act taxing service constitutes for 50% and all the
other Acts taxing you, GOODS constitute the rest and hence we are the heroes of
all, goes the Superlative S.
After listening to the furious hit backs between the Gigantic G and
the Superlative S, “The Terrifying T” takes the centre stage now.
I feel pity on both of you for
your opinions on each other, as none of you are complete without me, which can
be understood if you simply go by the name of the Statute itself. Iam the base
because of which both of you are defined and without me you’ll not even find a
mention of your name in the statue. Iam the “terrifying terminator” in the eyes
of the people and they just fear on listening to my name and the “thirsty
trading a/c” of the Government which wants me to grow bigger and bigger. Even
if you both cease to exist, I will still be trending in the form of direct
taxes and Iam sure that there will many more ways devised out to introduce me
in the un-explored areas. And hence, Iam the un-disputed real hero of all, ends
the Terrifying T.
As all the three finished their
speech proving points in favour of each of them, now it’s time for the judgement.
A movie without an action hero is in-complete and so does the characters in
this article. Compared to all of the three, the views presented by the
Terrifying T are more practical and hence warrants superiority over others.
But Wait… We forgot the fourth
character.
Yes. It is none other than the Act in the GST
Act, “The Action hero A”. Even though tax is the fulcrum of the entire
discussion, it should be sanctioned by an Act laid in accordance with our
Constitution and the power to levy the terrifying T by the Government cannot be
subsumed without the mere presence of the Action hero.
We humans tend to easily forget
whatever we come across and this article is no exception to that. The
introduction part itself states that the Act is the hero but it is those
characters in this article, which didn’t notice that and went on debating. And
Iam lucky enough because if they have noticed that, then this article would not be available here before you.
Having said all, a movie is not complete without an action
hero and you don’t become a villain for me after reading this.
Thank you. J
