Binance is currently staring at a GST payment of Rs. 772 crore in India. In an official statement shared with Gadgets360, the crypto exchange once again repeated its intentions of striving to comply with Indian laws after this fresh run-in with the country's Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI). Earlier this year, the exchange was temporarily suspended in India for not being a registered entity with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
“We are aware of certain media reports circulating regarding tax notices being issued by Indian GST authorities to global crypto platforms. We would like to clarify that Binance is, and has always been, committed to adhering to relevant domestic legislations applicable to us,” a spokesperson of Binance told Gadgets360.
The DGGI's Ahmedabad zonal unit has issued this GST notice to Binance this week. The exchange faces the hefty GST payment because it reportedly charged its Indian users a platform fee, which collectively amounted to Rs. 4,000 crore, and all funds were transferred to an offshore account linked to a group company.
“We are fully cooperating with the Indian authorities to address any concerns. Binance remains dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of compliance and transparency in the industry,” the company spokesperson added.
Despite previous assurances of compliance with Indian laws, Binance was recently fined $2.25 million for breaching India's anti money laundering regulations. This fine was imposed in June, a month after Binance claimed to have registered with the FIU in May. At that time, the company also promised to cooperate with Indian authorities.
For now, the company has not provided any additional insight into its situation with the DGGI in India.
As per DGGI officials familiar with the matter, the Bengaluru Commissionerate will be acting as the adjudicating authority because that office is designated to deal with cases linked to foreign companies with no physical offices in India.
