Generation and quoting of Document Identification Number (DIN) on any communication issued by the officers of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to tax payers and other concerned persons - GST - 128/47/2019

Circular No. 128/47/2019-GST No. GST/INV/DIN/01/19-20 Ministry of Finance Department of Revenue Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs GST-Investigation Wing Room No.01, 10th Floor, Tower-2, 124, Jeevan Bharti Building, Connaught Circus, New Delhi- 110001. Dated the 23 rd December, 2019 To All Principal Chief Commissioner(s)/ Chief Commissioner(s)/ Principal Director General(s)/ Director General(s)/ All Principal Commissioner(s)/ Commissioner(s) / Principal Additional Director General(s)/ Additional Director General(s)/ Joint Secretaries/Commissioners, CBIC. Madam/Sir, Subject: Generation and quoting of Document Identification Number (DIN) on any communication issued by the officers of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to tax payers and other concerned persons - reg. Attention is invited to Board's Circular No. 122/41/2019- GST dated 05 th November, 2019 that was issued to implement the decision for Generation and Quoting of Document Identification Number (DIN) on specified documents. This was done with a view to leverage technology for greater accountability and transparency in communications with the trade/ taxpayers/ other concerned persons. 2. Vide the aforementioned Circular, the Board had specified that the DIN monitoring system would be used for incorporating a DIN on search authorisations, summons, arrest memos, inspection notices etc. to begin with. Further, a facility was provided to enable the recipient of these documents/communications to easily verify their genuineness by confirming the DIN on-line at cbic.gov.in. In continuation of the same, the Board has now directed that electronic generation and quoting of Document Identification Number (DIN) shall be done in respect of all communications (including e-mails) sent to tax payers and other concerned persons by any office of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) across the country. Instructions contained in this Para would come into effect from 24.12.2019. 3. Accordingly, the online digital platform/facility already available on the DDM's online portal cbicddm.gov.in for electronic generation of DIN has been suitably enhanced to enable electronic generation of DIN in respect of all forms of communication (including e-mails) sent to tax payers and other concerned persons. On the one hand electronic generation of DIN's would create a digital directory for maintaining a proper audit trail of communications sent to tax payers and other concerned persons and on the other hand, it would provide the recipient of such communication a digital facility to ascertain the genuineness of the communication. 4. In this context, the Board also felt it necessary to harmonize and standardize the formats of search authorisations, summons, arrest memos, inspection notices etc. issued by the GST/Central Excise/Service Tax formations across the country. Accordingly, the Board had constituted a committee of officers to examine and suggest modifications in the formats of these documents. The committee has submitted its recommendations. The standardized documents have since been uploaded by DDM and are ready to be used. When downloaded and printed, these standardized documents would bear a prepopulated DIN thereon . Accordingly, the Board directs that all field formations shall use the standardized authorisation for search, summons, inspection notice, arrest memo and provisional release order (the formats are attached). These formats shall be used by all the formations w.e.f. 01.01.2020. 5. The Board once again directs that any specified communication which does not bear the electronically generated DIN and is not covered by the exceptions mentioned in paragraph 3 of Circular No. 122/41/2019-GST dated 05.11.2019 , shall be treated as invalid and shall be deemed to have never been issued. 6. The Chief Commissioner(s)/Director General(s) are requested to circulate these instructions to all the formations under their charge for strict compliance. Difficulties faced, if any, in implementation of these instructions may be immediately brought to the notice of the Board. Hindi version to follow. Encl: As above (Neeraj Prasad) Commissioner (GST-Inv.), CBIC Tel. No.: 011-21400623 Email id: [email protected]