Enhancing Supplier Verification: Understanding the Know Your Supplier (KYS) Facility
The Know Your Supplier (KYS) facility, introduced during the 39th GST Council meeting, allows registered taxpayers to access vital information about their existing and prospective business partners. Inspired by the KYC model, this initiative aims to help recipients assess supplier compliance and reduce non-adherence within the Goods and Services Tax framework. Users can log into the GST portal to retrieve details like GSTR-1 filing regularity, though the official launch date is still pending.
The 39th GST Council meeting introduced a new 'Know Your Supplier' (KYS) feature, designed to assist recipients of goods and services under Goods and Services Tax (GST) regulations. This facility allows registered individuals to access essential information about their current or prospective suppliers. This initiative aims to help recipients make informed business decisions by providing transparency on supplier compliance.
What is the Know Your Supplier (KYS) Facility?
This new KYS function enables every registered person to obtain basic information about their suppliers, both those with whom they currently conduct business and those they propose to engage with in the future.
How Did the Know Your Supplier Facility Emerge?
The government initially planned a compliance rating system for suppliers based on factors like invoice uploading accuracy, regularity in return filing, and adherence to other legal requirements. However, establishing such a rating system would necessitate a dedicated mechanism.
Instead, authorities opted to provide recipient businesses with direct access to supplier information. This approach empowers recipients to make informed assessments of suppliers before continuing or commencing business relationships. The Union Finance Minister, after the 39th GST Council meeting, explained that this initiative draws inspiration from the 'Know Your Customer' (KYC) framework. KYC is a process where banks gather identification proofs to confirm customer existence and legitimacy.
How to Avail the Know Your Supplier Facility?
This facility may become accessible to taxpayers only after logging into the GST portal. It is designed to provide information about both existing and proposed suppliers. A user might be able to enter a supplier's GSTIN from their records to fetch further details, such as the regularity of GSTR-1 filing. However, as of March 16, 2020, further specifics regarding its functionality were pending official notification. Taxpayers will gain access to authorized information submitted by suppliers during their initial GST registration or subsequent amendments to it.
When Will the Know Your Supplier Facility Launch?
The KYS facility is scheduled for an upcoming launch. As of March 16, 2020, the Council had not yet notified the exact launch date.
What Are the Uses of the Know Your Supplier Facility?
- This facility is expected to serve as an information exchange module between recipients and suppliers.
- It aims to contribute to reducing non-compliance among suppliers.
- Once operational, taxpayers can acquire fundamental data about their existing business partners.
- Furthermore, taxpayers will be able to review a new supplier's history regarding compliance with the law before entering into a business relationship.