Chandigarh, July 26: A team headed by RK Chaudhary, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, has begun a probe to find out whether or not Hotel JW Marriott is depositing GST on the fruit platter and other chargeable items. The inquiry was initiated on the direction of Mandip Singh Brar, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Chandigarh.
Brar ordered the inquiry yesterday after actor Rahul Bose posted a video on Twitter expressing shock over being charged Rs 442.50 for two bananas at the hotel. Bose had posted the video on Sunday. While sharing the video, he said, “You have to see this to believe it. Who said fruit wasn’t harmful to your existence? He also posted the bill of the two bananas. In the bill, the hotel has charged 18 per cent GST on the fruit platter. While the cost of the food was mentioned as Rs 375, the hotel charged 18 per cent extra as the GST.
Chaudhary said two officers — ETO RL Chug and Arun Kumar — were sent to find out whether the hotel was paying tax on fruit platter or not regularly. He said the teams collected documents related to the sale in the hotel during the past two months. The bills will be scrutinised to find out whether the hotel had deposited the charged GST on fruit platter with the department or not.
It will also be probed whether or not the hotel was depositing the GST on other chargeable items. Chaudhary said they would also find out whether the hotel had charged the GST on fresh fruits. He said while the hotel was authorised to charge the tax on the fruit platter, it could no charge tax on fresh fruit.
Actor was charged Rs 442 for 2 bananas
The inquiry was ordered on the direction of Mandip Singh Brar, DC-cum-Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Chandigarh, after actor Rahul Bose posted a video on Twitter expressing shock over being charged Rs 442.50 for two bananas at the hotel.
