NIten Shah and Shailesh Sharma: "Our products need to be covered under HSN"

Niten Shah of Vyoma Graphics

What has been the impact of GST on your customers? How are your customers coping with multiple GST slabs, the tracking of invoices and movement of goods across state borders?
There is no impact of GST on our customers since they claim input credit. Initially, though there was confusion but now things have streamlined for the better.

Do you believe it’s in our best interest that all our (printing and packaging industry) the tangible products are covered under HSN (Goods) so that there is a greater chance of coming under the manufacturing sector and acquiring industry status?
Yes. We need industry status and our products need to be covered under HSN. It is kind of illogical when we supply tangible products and the same is classified as Services.

The Ministry of Finance issued a Notification No 31/2017-Central Tax (Rate) dated 13 October 2017, which formalised the decisions regarding the GST rates at the 22nd Council meeting on 6 October 2017. Is there clarity, finally? Please name one thing on your wish list for the government?
True. Finally, there is full clarity and end of confusion. I wish the government allows us three months’ time to pay GST. This will result in improving our cash flow.

Shailesh Sharma of Inndus

Shailesh Sharma of Inndus

What has been the impact of GST on your customers? How are your customers coping with multiple GST slabs, tracking of invoices and movement of goods across state borders?

Since most of our customers are corporate, there has been less impact of GST as they were prepared to take on the new tax structure. The effect was felt in the month of June 2017, as there was reduction in order to keep the inventory as low as possible.

The customer is finding hard to classify their requirements as per HSN code example products like wobblers, tent card, safety card, etc, can be put under different HSN codes with different GST rate and there is always a grey area in whatever stand you take. About tracking of invoices and movement of goods across the state borders we have not faced any challenge.

Do you believe it’s in our best interest that all our (printing and packaging industry) the tangible products are covered under HSN (Goods) so that there is a greater chance of coming under the manufacturing sector and acquiring industry status?

I believe any printer who supplies end product, which includes paper and post-press is supplying goods, which is classified in Chapter 48 and 49. Printers who just print on the paper supplied by customer are offering services.

The Ministry of Finance issued a Notification No 31/2017-Central Tax (Rate) dated 13 October 2017, which formalised the decisions regarding the GST rates at the 22nd Council meeting on 6 October 2017. Is there clarity, finally? Please name one thing on your wish list for the government.

The main requirement for us is to have one GST rate, and of course simplification of tax filing.