GST Council may consider raising lowest slab to 8%, rationalise tax slabs

The GST Council in next meet may look at raising the lowest tax slab to 8%, from 5%, and prune the exemption list in the GST regime

The GST Council in its next meeting may look at raising the lowest tax slab to 8 per cent, from 5 per cent, and prune the exemption list in the Goods and Services Tax regime as it looks to increase revenues and do away with states' dependence on Centre for compensation, sources said on Sunday.
 

A panel of state finance ministers is likely to submit its report by this month end to the Council suggesting various steps to raise revenue, including hiking the lowest slab and rationalising the slab. Currently, GST is a four-tier structure attracting a tax rate of