Bhubaneswar: What is a street vendor’s monthly/annual turnover? What if it is Rs 40 lakh annually? Recently, a GST notice issued to a panipuri vendor is circulating on social media, in which it is highlighted that he received a staggering amount of Rs 40 lakh through digital payment mode.
As per reports, the panipuri vendor in Tamil Nadu got the notice from the GST department on the basis of the records of Phonepe, GooglePay and Razorpay.
The notice is issued under the provisions of Section 70 of the Tamil Nadu Goods and Service Tax Act 2017, and the Central Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017. The Office of the State Tax Officer has summoned the vendor to appear in person and to produce documents.
The notice read, “Based on the reports received from RazorPay and Phonepe, you have received UPI payments for the outward supply of goods/services, and the payments received for the years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 are Rs.40,11,019 in total.” (sic)
While the authenticity of the notice couldn’t be verified, this incident has caught the public’s attention. It has triggered a discussion around the tax obligations of small businesses and the implications of receiving such a high amount of money through online platforms.
Meanwhile, netizens have flooded the comments section with their varying opinions. One user wrote, “Ab toh sir lagta hai humei bhi part time job krna hoga.” (sic)
Another wrote, “I believe more than 50% people would be paying in cash as the payments are not hefty which are merely 50-100 bucks. I believe he must be earning not less than 60 LPA.” (sic)
“Most of the Doctors I have visited in the last six months refuse to accept payment online, in fact the receptionist at the time of booking appts clearly mentions, consultation charges in cash. Of course they issue receipt only on demand,” wrote a third user. (sic)
Meanwhile, another user wrote, “Finally purpose of UPI came in the picture.” (sic)