Around 77,000 VAT (value added tax) dealers or payers in Bihar are yet to migrate to Goods and Services Tax (GST), the deadline for which is June 15.

Bihar has 2.28 lakh entities that have VAT registration with the commercial taxes department and the GST Act says they have to compulsorily register with the GST network. Of the existing entities, 1.37 lakh have migrated to GST so far, while 8,000 are such whose permanent account number (PAN) is not updated in the database.

These facts were revealed on Tuesday when commercial taxes and energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav announced the work done on the GST in the state so far.

Bijendra threw light on the implementation of the new "one nation-one tax" regime that will begin from July 1 to subsume state taxes like VAT, sales tax, luxury tax, entry tax, entertainment tax, advertisement tax, state surcharges and cesses, taxes on lotteries, betting and gambling; and central taxes like excise, additional duties of customs, service tax, surcharges and cesses. According to Bihar laws, small businesses with an annual turnover of Rs 20 lakh per annum or less will not have to compulsorily register for the GST.

"It's the biggest tax reform after Independence," Bijendra said. "The previous tax laws were framed by the British, whose motive was to promote factory-made products of their country in India." The minister added that the GST rates for 99 per cent of items had been finalised. Most rules are also ready and everything is expected to be completed by June 18 when the GST council, chaired by the Union finance minister, meets.

The GST is meant to check double-taxation and tax evasion, and bring transparency in the system. It's a "destination-based consumption tax", hence consumer states such as Bihar are expected to benefit from the new regime.

"How much will Bihar benefit can only be known after a year of GST implementation. However, economists and tax experts say that consumer states like Bihar will benefit," Bijendra said.

Principal secretary Sujata Chaturvedi said the commercial taxes department had organised orientation workshops for around 25,000 people in Bihar. "Union revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia will hold a town hall meeting on June 17 to interact with people concerned and interested in the GST," Chaturvedi said.

Central excise commissioner (Patna) Ranjeet Kumar and deputy commissioner Udayan Mishra were among those present at the event.