The Finance Ministry has extended the last date for filing annual GST return forms by three months until March 31, 2019.

The annual returns form in which businesses registered under the GST have to provide consolidated details of sales, purchases and input tax credit (ITC) benefits accrued to them during 2017-18 fiscal was notified in September. The last date for filing was set at December 31, 2018.

In a statement, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said, "the competent authority has decided to extend the due date for filing Form GSTR-9, GSTR-9A and GSTR-9C till March 31, 2019. The requisite Forms shall be made available on the GST common portal shortly .

GSTR-9 is the annual return form for normal taxpayers, GSTR-9A is composition taxpayers, while GSTR-9C is a reconciliation statement Trade and industry players have been seeking an extension of the deadline for filing the annual returns.

EY Tax Partner Abhishek Jain said industry players have been struggling to collate the information required to be disclosed in GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C.

PwC Partner and Leader (Indirect Tax) Pratik Jain said, "Industry, as well as consultants, were struggling with December 31 deadline, given the volume of work involved including preparing a virtual P&L at a State level".