This is so true, I started a digital business in 2014 and grew it until 2016. Then I had some personal emergency and slowed down for a bit. Then GST came, and I literally had to "beg" my existing chartered accountant "with folded hands" to take care of my GST filings - even after I would pay him anything he wanted. They were so overloaded with constant changes, bad portal, etc that my small work was "negligible".
Over a period of 5-6 years, I brushed up with so much corruption that it sickens me to the core. I tried approaching the ACB(anti-corruption-bureau), and faced even more harassment. I believe their job is to protect corrupt officers who pay dues to their higher ups. And the supreme leaders are changing rules that are empowering such corrupt officers. If we talk about it to public - we are termed anti-nationals.
I grew up with "real goons and mafia" when I was a kid, but even those guys had better ethics relative to what most govt officers exhibit today.
In India, I used to have mild panic attacks when my mobile rang. I had sleepless nights and my work suffered so much.
I left India with my business just recently and came to UAE (because it was the shortest path). The freedom from stress was so good that I slept like a baby for a few days. (And I am an Hindu for the record). The only worry I have here is higher cost of living which leaves less savings, but I make enough. I have so much invested in India that I want to sell off, but I do not want to go back even for a moment. I have extended family back there, but I don't want to see them.
There are a few things I've realised over the past 20 years, and more so in the past 8 years. I may be wrong - but this is what I think, based on my own experiences:
1. GST is a HUGE RISK to any business in India. There are some businesses that actually benefit from GST - but they deal with "arbitrary ruling risk". Then there are other bureaucratic departments. India's GST was not successful in doing "one-nation-one-tax", but it became successful in bringing multiple levels of corruption and goonism together.
2. All taxation and govt departments are departments of white-collar greedy goons. No matter what people say about part of the system being corrupt. They are all corrupt goons because they work in unison.
3. Corruption in India is not like "some bad fish in water", but it is like a "glass of highly toxic liquid that has contaminated the container". Even if you put in multiple glasses of "clean water", the system stays "toxic" - you basically need to replace the container completely. And that really requires a big breaking change - which people of India will not support.
4. Indian govt officers (even the clerks) think of private Indian citizens as "slaves" and use divide-and-counquer policies. If we think India is a democracy, think again. The supreme "elected" leaders cannot do a lot, because they need them.