CHENNAI: In a move aimed at making tax administration more transparent and taxpayer-friendly, the Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes and Registration Department will introduce virtual personal hearings in GST-related cases from July 9 (Thursday).

Commercial Taxes and Registration Minister D Logesh Tamilselvan announced the initiative on Wednesday after reviewing the performance of all Joint Commissioners up to June 2026.

He said Tamil Nadu has 338 assessment circles and around 12.40 lakh GST-registered taxpayers. Based on scrutiny of GST returns, notices and opportunities for personal hearings have so far been issued in nearly 58,000 cases.

To make the hearing process more convenient, particularly for taxpayers living in remote areas or those unable to appear in person, the department has issued guidelines for conducting personal hearings through virtual mode. The facility will be introduced in all 15 GST appellate offices across the State from Thursday.

The minister also announced a system-based random allocation of GST refund applications to assessing officers to enhance transparency and eliminate delays in processing claims.

During the previous financial year, the department processed GST refunds worth around Rs 5,000 crore. The new mechanism is expected to expedite export-related refunds and claims arising from the inverted duty structure.