Centre, states will pay GST Network costs

Revenue model of Rs 55 a month per assessee, with govts to split bill; will get Rs 550 cr this year

Filing a tax return on the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) portal by an entity will cost Rs 55 a month but the state will bear this burden. The user charge for all eight million taxpayers will be borne by the Union and the state governments, to keep revenue flowing for GSTN, the company charged with providing the information technology (IT) backbone for the reform, without burdening the assessees.

GST is set to be rolled out from Friday and will absorb a slew of indirect taxes — including service tax, central excise, value added tax, central sales tax and