GST’s IT backbone ready; Infosys to develop and run the project

The entity tasked with providing the information technology infrastructure for the goods and services tax expects to be ready for the rollout ofGST from April 1, 2017, should the Centre and states pass legislation to bring about the biggest indirect tax reform in the country.

Testing of the software should start by October and a beta launch of the GST portal is planned for February, Prakash Kumar, the CEO of Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN), a not-for-profit entity owned by the Centre, states and non-government financial institutions, said.

“It will be tested by a chosen group of tax professionals, officers and businesses,” said Kumar, a former executive of Microsoft .