Gst Council Meet

GST Council to soon take decision on rates, number of slabs: FM Sitharaman

The GST Council will soon take a decision on having fewer and lower rates as the review work is almost complete, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday. Currently, Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a four-tier tax structure with slabs at 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent. Luxury and demerit goods are taxed at the highest bracket of 28 per cent, while packed food and essential items are in the lowest 5 per cent slab. The Council, chaired by Sitharaman and comprising her state counterparts, has set up a group of ministers (GoM) to suggest changes in GST rates as well as reduce slabs. "To be fair to the GST and the ministers who are all in the council, the work on rationalizing and simplifying GST rates has already commenced. In fact, it had commenced nearly three years ago," she said at the India Today-Business Today Post Budget Round Table. Sitharaman said later the scope was widened and now the work is almost complete. Mentioning that she told ministers in the Council to have a

GST on old used cars only when sale price higher than depreciated value

A registered person will have to pay GST on sale of old and used vehicle only if the seller has earned a margin, which is the selling price is higher than the depreciation adjusted cost price of the vehicle, sources said. The GST Council in its meeting last week decided to prescribe a single rate of 18 per cent on sale of all old and used vehicles including EVs, earlier leviable at different rates. If an individual sells old and used car to another individual, GST would not be applicable. Sources said where the registered person has claimed depreciation under Section 32 of the Income Tax Act 1961, GST is payable only on the value representing the margin of the supplier, that is the difference between consideration received for the supply of such goods and the depreciated value of such goods on the date of supply. "Where such margin is negative, no GST is payable," a source said. For example, if a registered person is selling an old and used vehicle to any person at Rs 10 lakh, whe

Separate rate for caramelised popcorn draws criticism from economists

"This is a national tragedy, violating the spirit of the Good & Simple Tax the GST was meant to be," says former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian

GoM on rate rationalisation defers report submission to GST Council

The GoM on GST rate rationalisation on Saturday deferred submission of its report, which suggested rate rationalisation in 148 items, to the GST Council, the panel's convenor and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary said. "Will submit the Group of Ministers (GoM) report on rate rationalisation in next meeting of the Council," Chaudhary told reporters here. The GoM had earlier this month arrived at a broad consensus to rejig tax rates on about 148 items, including levying a higher 35 per cent tax on sin goods, like aerated beverages and tobacco products, as compared to 28 per cent at present. It was widely expected that the GoM would submit its report to the GST Council meeting on Saturday. Currently, GST is a four-tier tax structure with slabs at 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent. Luxury and demerit goods are taxed at highest bracket of 28 per cent, while packed food and essential items are at the lowest 5 per cent slab. The GoM had also decided to propose rationalising tax rates

GST Council postpones decision on slashing tax on life, health insurance

The 55th GST Council meeting which is expected to decide on reducing tax rate on health and life insurance, besides considering rate rejigs on 148 items began here on Saturday. The GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minster Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising her state counterparts, is also expected to deliberate on bringing Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) in Goods and Services Tax fold. One of the major items on the agenda of the Council is to decide the GST rate on health and life insurance. A Group of Ministers (GoM) set up by the Council under Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, in its meeting in November had agreed on exempting insurance premiums paid for term life insurance policies from GST. Also premium paid by senior citizens towards health insurance cover has been proposed to be exempted from the tax. Besides, GST on premiums paid by individuals, other than senior citizens, for health insurance with coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh is proposed to be exempted. However,

GST Council may provide exporter status to intermediaries for tax relief

At present intermediary services are charged at 18 per cent under the Central GST Act

GST Council to meet in Jaisalmer on December 21; may discuss insurance levy

The GST Council will meet on December 21 in Jaisalmer, in which the much-awaited decision on exemption or lower GST rate on health and life insurance is likely to be taken. The council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising her state counterparts, may also take up some rate rationalisation exercise and reduce tax rates on a host of common man items from 12 per cent to 5 per cent slab as per the recommendations of a panel of state ministers. "The 55th meeting of the GST Council will be held on 21 December 2024 at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan," the GST Council said in a post on X. The council, in its previous meeting on September 9, had tasked the GoM to finalise the report on GST levy on insurance by October-end. Following that, the group of ministers (GoM) on health and life insurance GST last month met and broadly agreed on exempting insurance premiums paid for term life insurance policies, and senior citizens' health insurance from GST. Also, GST on premium

Sitharaman to meet state FMs for pre-Budget, GST Council meet on Dec 21-22

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to meet her state counterparts on December 21-22 for pre-budget consultations and meeting of the GST Council, an official said. The meeting assumes significance as states finance ministers would present their recommendations for 2025-26 Budget to be unveiled on February 1, 2025. The 55th GST Council meeting would be held during one of these two days in which the much awaited decision on exemption or lower GST rate on health and life insurance would be taken. The Council may also take up some rationalisation exercise and reduce tax rates on a host of common items from 12 per cent to 5 per cent as per the recommendations of a panel of state ministers. The two-day meeting is slated to take place in Rajasthan, either in Jaisalmer or Jodhpur, the official added. Last month, the group of ministers (GoM) on health and life insurance GST broadly agreed on exempting insurance premiums paid for term life insurance policies, and senior ...

GST Council may waive 18% tax on senior citizens' insurance plans in Dec

The GST Council is scheduled to meet in Rajasthan on December 21 and 22 to discuss potential tax relief on select insurance plans

GST Council forms GoM on compensation cess; report expected by Dec 31

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has set up a 10-member GoM, chaired by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, to decide on the taxation of luxury, sin and demerit goods once the compensation cess ends in March 2026. The Group of Ministers (GoM), which includes members from Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, will submit its report to the Council by December 31. In the GST regime, compensation cess at varied rates is levied on luxury, sin and demerit goods over and above the 28 per cent tax. The proceeds from the cess, which was originally planned for five years after GST roll-out or till June 2022, were used to compensate states for revenue loss incurred by them post the introduction of GST. In 2022, the Council decided to extend the levy till March 2026 to repay the interest and the principle amount of the Rs 2.69 lakh crore worth loan taken in the 2021 and 2022 fiscal years to make good state

Consensus eludes GoM on GST rate rationalisation, over 100 items discussed

The outcome of the rate rationalisation discussions will be crucial in shaping the agenda for the upcoming 55th GST Council meeting, expected in November

GoM meeting in Goa: No consensus on GST proposals for real estate sector

Meeting favours States that declare tourism as infra to facilitate exemptions

Two-day GST Summit in Goa: GoM to review tax rates for 100+ products

The recommendations from this panel will serve as the foundation for a report to be presented at the 55th GST Council meeting in November

Key decisions ahead for GST Council: Rate cuts, slabs, compensation cess

The challenge will be to rationalise rates and adjust the part which is now collected as cess in a manner that makes the GST system more efficient and helps improve overall tax collection

Cheaper cancer drugs, pricier cars: Here's what 54th GST Council discussed

Key changes were proposed that could affect what consumers pay for certain goods and services. Here's what may get pricier and what might ease your wallet if the proposals are accepted

Bikaji, Gopal Snacks stocks get tastier as GST council cuts rate; up 8%

Gopal Snacks and Bikaji Foods share price rallied after GST Council slashed GST rates from 18 per cent to 12 per cent

54th GST Council meet: GoM to decide future of GST compensation cess

Relief to foreign airlines, secretaries panel on IGST

GST council's nod on exempting research grants victory for nation: Atishi

Delhi Finance Minister Atishi on Monday said the GST Council has decided to exempt research grants from the GST net, and called it a victory for the entire nation. Addressing a digital press conference, Atishi said last month, six educational institutions, including IIT-Delhi and Punjab University were sent showcause notices over research grants. "The AAP has strongly opposed imposition of GST on research grants. Today in the 54 th GST Council meeting, me and Harpal Singh Cheema, Punjab finance minister vehemently opposed it. It is good news that the GST Council has decided to exempt research grants from the GST net. This is a victory for the entire country," she said. Atishi said the AAP had consistently called the decision to impose GST on research grants akin to tax terrorism. The Aam Aadmi Party has continuously opposed GST on research grants. Today, in the GST Council meeting, the Delhi and Punjab governments raised the issue that GST should not be levied on research grants ..

Tax on helicopter services for religious travel down at 5%: Uttarakhand FM

Uttarakhand Finance Minister Prem Chand Agarwal on Monday said the GST Council has decided to cut tax on helicopter services for religious travels to 5 per cent. The 54th meeting of the GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, is currently underway. "Helicopter services for religious purposes like Kedarnath, Badrinath has been reduced to 5 per cent from 18 per cent. There was no clarity on this. After this, there will be clarity," Agarwal told reporters. The Council is slated to deliberate on a host of issues, including lowering of taxes on life and health insurance premiums, as well as levy of GST on payment aggregators for small digital transactions up to Rs 2,000, via debit and credit cards. Agarwal further said the Council has referred the issues of levy of 18 per cent GST on payment aggregators (PAs), like BillDesk and CCAvenue, for small digital transactions up to Rs 2,000, via debit and credit cards to the fitment committee. Currently, payment ...

Online gaming industry eyes relief as stakeholders await GST Council review

GST Council Meet: The gaming industry is hopeful that the meeting will address concerns over issues such as valuation, retrospective tax levies, and the impact of the new tax regime