GST Council may let intelligence agencies access taxpayer data via NATGRID

The GST Council is set to consider a proposal allowing central intelligence agencies and state police to access specified GST taxpayer data through NATGRID via APIs. Five data categories could be shared: registration details, e-way bills, inward and outward supplies, PAN-based branch mapping and e-commerce sales.

• NATGRID receives around 45,000 data requests a month
• Five data categories: registration, e-way bills, supplies, PAN branch mapping, e-commerce
• Tax records are classified as highly sensitive data
• NATGRID is outside the ambit of the RTI Act