PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Ramnagar
The Tax department detected an alleged tax evasion of Rs 2.5 crore during a search operation at a resort in Bhalon village near Ramnagar. The resort management deposited Rs 1 crore initially and assured officials that the remaining balance would be paid shortly.
The action was initiated on the directions of the GST commissioner, Uttarakhand. The deputy commissioner at the State Tax department, Vinay Prakash Ojha said that the joint commissioner (Enforcement and Special Investigation/Preventive), State Tax, Haldwani, had constituted three teams to investigate the matter. The resort’s business activities and declarations in its tax returns had been under continuous scrutiny for several months, he added.
Based on the findings of this monitoring exercise, a team from the Special Investigation Branch (SIB) conducted a search at the premises and examined the resort’s accounts and business records. The investigation revealed a suspected revenue loss due to tax evasion amounting to about Rs 2.5 crore.
Ojha further said that the resort had not been paying the applicable state tax in Uttarakhand since 2025. “Following the departmental action, the management deposited Rs 1 crore, with the balance expected to be paid shortly,” he added.
The department is also examining billing practices adopted by certain resorts and service providers operating in Uttarakhand. It is learnt from officials that while some establishments provide services to tourists and others within the state, they issue invoices in the name of their head offices located in other states.
“Such practices, if found inconsistent with applicable tax provisions, can result in a loss of State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) revenue to Uttarakhand and affect the State’s share of tax collection. The department’s investigation wing is keeping a close watch on these transactions,” Ojha informed, adding that the department has been continuously monitoring the business activities of resorts operating in Ramnagar, Nainital and adjoining tourist destinations to ensure that tax revenue generated from business activities within Uttarakhand is appropriately accounted for in the State.
