Vivek Kumar, a seasoned officer of the 1988 batch of the Uttar Pradesh State Tax Services, has been appointed as the Technical Member (State) of the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) for the Bench located in Uttar Pradesh.

Kumar, who retired as Member of the Commercial Tax Tribunal (VAT Tribunal) on 30 June 2024, brings with him over three decades of rich experience in tax administration, law drafting, policy implementation, and training.

An alumnus of Allahabad University with an M.Sc. in Mathematics (1984), Kumar began his career in the Uttar Pradesh Finance and Accounts Services after clearing the 1985 State Services Examination. He served as Treasury Officer and Accounts Officer in Lucknow and Allahabad before being selected as Assistant Commissioner Sales Tax in 1988. Over the years, he held key positions including Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Joint Commissioner in various districts such as Meerut, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Mainpuri, Muzaffar Nagar, and Saharanpur.

Kumar played a pivotal role during the implementation of VAT in Uttar Pradesh in 2007-08 as a member of the Law Drafting Committee and as a Master Trainer. While serving as Staff Officer to the Commissioner Commercial Tax, he spearheaded the state-wide online automation system for VAT with the support of NIC.

Appointed as Additional Commissioner GST in 2014, Kumar actively contributed to shaping GST policy at the national level. He participated in meetings of the Empowered Committee, Model Law Drafting Committee, Law Committee, and Fitment Committee. Between 2016 and 2019, he attended all 33 GST Council meetings and was nominated as a source trainer in 2017, delivering lectures on “Collection and Levy of Tax” for master trainers across states. He has also conducted over 100 GST outreach programs.

Following his promotion in 2020, Kumar served for nearly four years as Member of the Commercial Tax Tribunal, where he adjudicated complex VAT matters. His appointment to GSTAT marks another chapter in a distinguished career dedicated to advancing tax reforms and improving revenue administration.

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