After the protests by tax bar unions across the state over slow process involved in the compulsory electronic filing of Value Added Tax (VAT), the Commercial Tax Department issued a circular on Tuesday extending the tax return filing date as February 28 for traders who have to quarterly or monthly returns since September 2010. Incidentally, it was in October 2010, when the compulsory e-filing for VAT began in the state.

According to the circular issued by Commercial Tax Commissioner Guruprasad Mohapatra on Tuesday, all the traders who have not been able to file their e-returns for quarterly and monthly VAT from September 2010, can file returns up to February 28.

On the other hand, for those filing their quarterly and monthly returns since December 2010, the same could be done for 30 days from the last date of filing their returns. During this period, according to the department officials, no fine would be charged in both the cases.

The vice-president of All Gujarat Tax Bar Association, Bhaskar Patel, while welcoming the announcement, said the deadline should have been extended till March 3.

The issue is of slow servers. The fault is not of the traders but of the system which is very slow, he said.

What could not be accomplished in last four months, will it be possible for the commercial tax department to do in 15 days? asked Patel.

With these concerns, representative of the tax bar associations would be meeting the officials from the Commercial Tax Department on Thursday in Gandhinagar.

The tax bar associations of the state, comprising tax auditors were protesting against the e-filing of VAT, which according to them has caused loss to traders of the state as servers for compulsory e-filing have been slow.

Commercial Tax department officials have, however, said it is comparatively a new system and will take time to perfect depending on the feedback from the traders.