VAT is a system of indirect taxation, which has been introduced in lieu of sales tax. It is the tax paid by the producers, manufacturers, retailers or any other dealer who add value to the goods and that is ultimately passed on to the consumer. VAT has been introduced to ensure a fair and uniform system of taxation. It is an efficient, transparent, revenue-neutral, globally acceptable and easy to administer taxation system. It benefits the common man (consumer), businessman and the Government.
Further, VAT enhances competitiveness by removing the cascading effect of taxes on goods and makes the levy of tax simple and self-regulatory, ensuring flexibility to generate large revenues.
The cascading effect is brought about by the existing structure of taxation where inputs are taxed before a commodity is produced and the output is taxed after it is produced. This causes an unfair double-taxation. However, in VAT, a set-off is given for input tax (tax paid on purchases). This results in the overall tax burden being rationalized and a fall in prices of goods.
VAT makes the tax structure simple, hassle-free, export-oriented and how the integration of VAT with Tally will help you in the smooth functioning of your business and eliminate the complications that might otherwise arise in VAT.
The essence of VAT is in providing set-off for input tax and this is applied through the concept of input credit/rebate. This input credit in relation to any period means setting off the amount of input tax by a registered dealer against the amount of his output tax. The Value Added Tax (VAT) is based on the value addition to the goods, and the related VAT liability of the dealer is calculated by deducting the input credit from the tax collected on sales during the payment period. This concept is explained with an example, in the Computation of VAT section .
VAT works in two different ways:
2. If the input tax paid is more than the output tax collected,
o You can receive refunds for Input Credit on exports within a period of three months
This is a tax paid on purchases This is a tax charged on sales The amount of Input tax that is permitted to be set off against Output tax. |