Caution for all GST practitioners

GST practitioners khatre me:

In a recent case, a GST practitioner was held guilty for fraud. Let us have a look at the entire case.

5 tips to make your GST practice safe:

1. Always verify the documents. Get them signed in front of you or send staff to verify the person. If it is not possible to make a physical visit, at least make a skype call to ensure that the client exists. In some cases, documents of a deceased person were used by some fraudsters to take registration. Again the professionals involved had to suffer as initially he was held liable. 
2. Always file returns and other documents with properly authenticated information. Unless the client sends you an email from an authorized email ID. Never file an email on the basis of a whats app of the email conversation.
3. Don’t use your personal email id and number for registration of client. In a recent case, professional was held guilty for fraud as he used his email and contact number for a client. He received all the communication on behalf of a client. The taxes were not paid from 2018 and that account was proved to be a fraudulent account. He never forwarded the communication from department to the client. It was held that he was making a fraud using the client’s account. There was another registration for that person. He was doing a normal business in that account.
4. Take authority from the client to use his DSC. You may be held for misusing DSC also. A written authority that you are eligible to file his compliances using DSC. Never use that DSC for any other purpose.
5. Even if you have used your contact details for registration, forward all emails to the relevant client. Never make a reply without proper authentication.