Taxmen catch Bengaluru restaurants using multiple QR codes to evade GST

Karnataka GST officials on Monday conducted a series of searches in Hoskote on the outskirts of Bengaluru and detected several cases of GST evasion by some restaurants by suppressing their actual turnover. These restaurants were found to have used multiple QR codes to hide their actual turnover.

A team of about 50 officials from the Commercial Taxes department’s vigilance and enforcement (south zone) wings raided the business premises of restaurants and residences of their owners after conducting multiple surveys.

These restaurants used different UPI accounts to accept money from customers and constantly changed the UPI accounts so that the tax authorities didn't get to know the actual turnover, Commercial Taxes commissioner C Shikha said in a statement.


Eateries involved were not issuing tax invoices/ bills of sale for supply of food items and had not maintained proper books of accounts. In one case, 30 numbers of QR codes were found, the commissioner added.

The officials, during their search at one of the residences of a hotelier, detected Rs 1.47 crore in cash and immediately informed the income tax department. The IT officials have initiated separate proceedings.