Ecommerce sites have enabled the traditionally non-trading communities to enter into commerce. This line of work was once limited within castes and communities but not anyone. Money has become the mai baap of society leaving reformist movements jobless.

The new taxation laws imposed on ecommerce sites are a way by which big retail establishments are trying to contain an emerging workforce which is traditionally a pariah here. When the new govt came into power(modi sarkar), I thought that he would recognize this paradigm shift and offer his support. After all, graduates who once used to labour under a corporation now become entrepreneur and dream of "startups" is a good thing right?

Anyway, my paanwalla has informed me that almost all other ecommerce sites have started sending these "taxation requisite" circulars to the sellers on their platform as well. More than one ecommerce site sending similar requisite requests is not a coincidence. It simply means that sarkar has finally bowed down to big retail establishments and asked ecom administrators to comply with the new conditions. The irony is that 90% of these physical commerce estalishments in mumbai engaged in heavy trading do not have VAT/CST and those who have it do as formality and will hardly run 1/4th of their trade through bills. I asked my supplier in mumbai for a tax invoice(aka supplier invoice) and he just laughed (Tu naya hai kya?)

I think most of you will be running to a closest taxation lawyer within the next 6-12 months.