The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in its drive to check fraudulent availment of IGST refunds, has extensively used data analytics and matched data with income tax, GST and customs to identify risky exporters. Ongoing investigations have thrown up at least 9-star export houses as ‘non-traceable’ at their premises declared on record. All these star export houses have availed IGST refunds, which is now being questioned by the tax officers.

Sources in the Finance Ministry said the CBIC has referred the matter to Directorate General of Foreign Trade seeking a more robust accreditation process and taking further necessary actions as per law.

There are instances where an exporter with over 50 crore rupees of exports of readymade garments has taken a refund of 3.90 crores while the entity’s total GST payment in cash was a mere 1,650 rupees.

The present ongoing exercise by CGST field formations has revealed serious issues in compliance behaviour in some cases. In two cases, the premises were also found sealed and seized by the banks as the exporters had been declared as Non Performing Assets.