India Inc demands faster GST refunds, uniform audits as tax regime hits 9-year mark: Deloitte

Deloitte's GST@9 survey of 1,096 business leaders shows 99% positive/neutral sentiment, but 87% seek interpretational clarity, 61% want audit uniformity and 36% flag refund delays — working-capital pain points for retailers as taxpayer base swells from 66.5 lakh to 1.65 crore.

— Source publishedTue, 23 Jun, 2026, 19:36 IST·First seen Tue, 23 Jun, 2026, 20:29 IST·Source NDTV Profit

What happened

GST Council · Deloitte's GST@9 survey of 1,096 business leaders shows 99% positive/neutral sentiment but flags delayed refunds, audit inconsistencies and

Key facts

  • 99% positive/neutral sentiment
  • 1,096 respondents
  • 87% seek interpretational clarity
  • 61% want audit uniformity
  • 36% want faster refunds
  • taxpayer base 66.5 lakh to 1.65 crore

Why this matters

With the taxpayer base expanding 2.5x to 1.65 crore, expect consolidation opportunities among smaller retailers struggling with GST interpretational complexity and refund-cycle cash crunches.