The Kerala GST department has issued instructions regarding the functioning of the centralized refund processing unit, effective March 15, 2025.
The State Tax Commissioner has provisionally formed a Centralised Refund Processing Formation (CRPF) at the Headquarters to facilitate the centralized verification and disposal of statewide refund applications. This pilot initiative, authorized by order SGST/1234/2025-PLC dated 07-03-2025, will begin processing all refund applications received across the state from March 15, 2025.
To ensure easier operations of the Centralised Refund Processing Formation and timely disposal of the refund applications, the instructions are issued.
The officers who are assigned with the additional duty of CRPF will report to attend the additional duty at CRPF dated 15th March 2025 itself.
CRPF will process all the state-wide refund applications received from 15th March 2025 onwards. The obtained applications till 14th March 2025 will continue to be processed and finalized within the stipulated limited by the Divisional Deputy Commissioners of the Tax Paver Services verticals themselves as currently being done.
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The back office refund role assigned to the Divisional Deputy Commissioner of TPS verticals will continue till the disposal of all pending refund applications lying with them after March 14, 2025.
The new applications furnished via the taxpayers after March 14 2025 may get assigned to these officers since the Divisional Deputy Commissioners persist with the role of refund in the back-end office system. The Divisional Deputy Commissioner of TPS verticals to manage the same will reassign these applications to the officers in CRPF.
No new applications after March 14 2025 would stay idle with the Divisional Deputy Commissioner of TPS verticals.
The Joint Commissioners of Taxpayer Services Districts will track the process daily to ensure that all refund applications obtained from the data are transferred to the CRPF.
They ensure that all the pending refund applications lying with the Divisional Deputy Commissioner of TPS verticals are disposed of within the stipulated time limit.
All the personal hearings as part of the centralized processing of refund applications at CRPF afterwards shall be conducted virtually, complying with the instructions allocated in this respect vide Circular No. 07/2025 dated 14-03.2025.
The personal hearing date and time as well as the virtual hearing with meeting ID and password will be notified to the taxpayers or his authorized representative (AR) via the official email.
An intimation via SMS or phone may be provided to the taxpayer/AR to ensure his presence. Concerning the personal hearing with the taxpayer the intimation will be validated via a reply email from the taxpayer/AR.
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The officer for every personal hearing will prepare a hearing note which will be duly authenticated via the taxpayer via email.
All communications to the taxpayers from CRPF shall be made via the email ID (crpf.sgst@kerala.gov.in) made for this objective.
