RBI/2013-14/420
DGBA.GAD.No.H - 3800/42.07.001/2013-14

December 30, 2013

All Agency Banks (authorised to handle CBEC business)

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Extension of banking hours in the designated branches, e-payment deadline and acceptance of payment of VCES dues

The Department of Financial Services, GOI has requested us to facilitate payment of tax under Service Tax Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme, 2013. In this connection, we request that following action may be taken by the designated branches of agency banks.

(i) Extension of banking hours in the designated branches upto 6.00 P.M. on 31.12.2013;
(ii) Extension of the e payment deadline till midnight on 31.12.2013; and
(iii) On 31.12.2013, banks to accept payment of VCES dues, against a copy of the ST 2 registration certificate, even if their registration number does not figure in the database of banks I NSDL.

It may be noted that as regards, the point No. (iii) above, NSDL has written to Agency Banks, inter-alia, clarifying that If the Assessee Code is not available in NSDL website (neither in bank site), the bank official should still accept the said GAR-7 Challan and acknowledgement given on the photo copy of GAR-7 Challan as proof of having received the said amount. On the next working day, after ensuring that the assessee code is updated in the bank master, the bank may digitize the challan and transmit the data to NSDL.

You are, therefore, requested to take necessary action in this regard.

This may be treated as URGENT.

Yours faithfully

(K. Ganesha)
Deputy General Manager

VCES payment acceptance: banks to extend hours and e payment deadline and accept ST 2 backed payments. Designated agency bank branches were instructed to extend banking hours and e payment timelines to facilitate VCES payments, and to accept payment of VCES dues against a copy of the ST 2 registration certificate even if the assessee code was not in the bank/NSDL database; banks should accept GAR 7 challans, acknowledge on the photocopy as proof, and digitize and transmit the challan to NSDL after updating the bank master on the next working day.