GST Council recommends faster refunds and lower penalties for businesses

The Economic Times reports that the GST Council’s 57th meeting recommended easing tax compliance and enforcement. Under the proposed framework, refund-claim acknowledgements would take 10 days instead of 15, and 90% provisional refunds would be issued within three working days. The general penalty would fall from ₹25,000 to ₹10,000. The measures’ impact depends on final amendments and implementation.