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VCES 2013: Extended Banking Hours & E-Payment Deadline on Dec 31

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/420 · issued 30 Dec 2013 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI directs agency banks to keep designated branches open until 6 PM on Dec 31, 2013, extend e-payment deadline to midnight, and accept VCES tax dues even if the assessee code is missing from NSDL database.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

An agency-banking (government business) officer in Indore, Mr. Kumar, works late on December 31 to ensure that all VCES tax dues are accepted before the midnight deadline. He manually handles challans for missing assessee codes, increasing his back-office workload, but ensures that taxpayers can meet the deadline without system glitches.

What changed

RBI, at the request of the Department of Financial Services, issued urgent instructions for agency banks handling CBEC business. Banks must extend branch hours to 6 PM on Dec 31, 2013, push the e-payment deadline to midnight, and accept VCES dues with a copy of ST-2 certificate even if the assessee code is not in NSDL records. NSDL clarified that banks should accept the GAR-7 challan and provide an acknowledgement, then update and transmit data on the next working day.

What it means for you

This is a one-day operational relaxation to help taxpayers meet the VCES deadline without system glitches. Banks must manually handle challans for missing assessee codes, increasing back-office workload. Non-compliance could lead to taxpayer complaints and regulatory scrutiny.

What you must do

Who it affects

Agency banks authorized to handle CBEC business, Designated branch staff handling tax payments, Taxpayers under Service Tax Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme, 2013

❓ Common questions

What if the assessee code is not available in NSDL or bank site?

Bank officials must still accept the GAR-7 challan and provide an acknowledgement on a photocopy as proof of receipt. On the next working day, after updating the assessee code in the bank master, the challan should be digitized and data transmitted to NSDL.

Are these instructions only for December 31, 2013?

Yes, the extended banking hours (until 6 PM) and e-payment deadline (midnight) apply only on December 31, 2013. The acceptance of VCES dues without assessee code in NSDL database is also limited to that date.

Who requested RBI to issue these instructions?

The Department of Financial Services, Government of India, requested RBI to facilitate payment of tax under the Service Tax Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme, 2013.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/420 DGBA.GAD.No.H - 3800/42.07.001/2013-14 December 30, 2013 All Agency Banks (authorised to handle CBEC business) Dear Sir/ Madam, Extension of banking hours in the designated branches, e-payment deadline and acceptance of payment of VCES dues The Department of Financial Services, GOI has requested us to facilitate payment of tax under Service Tax Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme, 2013. In this connection, we request that following action may be taken by the designated branches of agency banks. (i) Extension of banking hours in the designated branches upto 6.00 P.M. on 31.12.2013; (ii) Extension of the e payment deadline till midnight on 31.12.2013; and (iii) On 31.12.2013, banks to accept payment of VCES dues, against a copy of the ST 2 registration certificate, even if their registration number does not figure in the database of banks I NSDL. It may be noted that as regards, the point No. (iii) above, NSDL has written to Agency Banks, inter-alia, clarifying that If the Assessee Code is not available in NSDL website (neither in bank site), the bank official should still accept the said GAR-7 Challan and acknowledgement given on the photo copy of GAR-7 Challan as proof of having received the said amount. On the next working day, after ensuring that the assessee code is updated in the bank master, the bank may digitize the challan and transmit the data to NSDL. You are, therefore, requested to take necessary action in this regard. This may be treated as URGENT . Yours faithfully (K. Ganesha) Deputy General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/420 · issued 30 Dec 2013. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Who does what — compliance checklist
🏦 Branch Manager
  • Ensure designated branches remain open until 6 PM on Dec 31, 2013.
📜 Compliance
  • Extend e-payment deadline to midnight on Dec 31, 2013.
  • Accept VCES dues with a copy of ST-2 certificate even if assessee code is missing from NSDL database.
  • Provide acknowledgement on GAR-7 challan copy and digitize/transmit data to NSDL on the next working day.
  • Treat this circular as urgent and communicate to all relevant staff immediately.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Branch Manager at a bank this circular applies to (Agency banks authorized to handle CBEC business, Designated branch staff handling tax payments, Taxpayers under Service Tax Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme, 2013), your first concrete step on “VCES 2013: Extended Banking Hours & E-Payment Deadline on Dec 31” is: “Ensure designated branches remain open until 6 PM on Dec 31, 2013.” (RBI issued this 30 Dec 2013).

  1. Circular: RBI/2013-14/420 -- VCES 2013: Extended Banking Hours & E-Payment Deadline on Dec 31
  2. Issued: 30 Dec 2013
  3. Action required: Ensure designated branches remain open until 6 PM on Dec 31, 2013.
  4. Action required: Extend e-payment deadline to midnight on Dec 31, 2013.
  5. Action required: Accept VCES dues with a copy of ST-2 certificate even if assessee code is missing from NSDL database.
  6. Action required: Provide acknowledgement on GAR-7 challan copy and digitize/transmit data to NSDL on the next working day.
  7. Action required: Treat this circular as urgent and communicate to all relevant staff immediately.
  8. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  9. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  10. Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.

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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=8658&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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