Unbranded namkeen products to attract 12% GST, not 5%, rules Gujarat AAR

One of the first rulings after the rate-change came into effect from July 18 last year

Unbranded salted snacks, or namkeens and related products, such as potato chips, bhujiya and gathiya, would suffer 12 per cent  goods and services tax (GST), not five per cent, ruled the Gujarat authority for advance rulings (AAR).

One Prjajapati Keval Dineshbhai, who intended to make such snacks, submitted before the AAR that the products are unbranded and hence should be taxed at five per cent.

The GST rate for various products is set on the basis of the harmonised system nomenclature (HSN) code. The applicant said that namkeens fall under the code 210690 and hence would draw the five per