The GST Council has cut slabs from four to two - 5 per cent and 18 per cent - while keeping a special 40 per cent rate on 'sin goods' and select luxury items under the new GST 2.0 framework
Barring a dozen-odd items, almost all goods and services are being clubbed under two slabs - 5 per cent and 18 per cent
This article visually summarises, in two tables, how not-simple the GST is, which leads to serious but under-recognised problems of arbitrary and coercive implementation
The 56th GST Council meeting on September 3-4 may decide on rate rationalisation, tax cuts on essentials, and compensation measures for states. All you need to know
The long-term success of Goods and Services Tax (GST) lies in moving towards a single nationwide tax rate, and that GST 2.0 must act as the stepping stone by keeping to just two slabs 5 per cent and 18 per cent while capping the peak rate firmly at 18 per cent, not 40 per cent, a report said. "Creating a 40 per cent slab, even for a narrow set of sin or luxury goods, will set a precedent for creeping expansion. Over time, more items will be drawn into this category, undermining the very purpose of simplification," Think Change Forum, a think tank, said in a report on Monday. The report titled 'GST 2.0: Two Slabs Today, One Rate Tomorrow', strongly recommended pegging the peak indirect tax rate, including cesses, to 18 per cent. This will in one stroke remove anomalies such as inverted duty structures, cut down grey and illegal markets, reduce litigation and compliance burdens, and restore credibility to the GST system, it said. It is noted that the high-powered GST Council, chair
Indian Cellular and Electronics Association seeks GST cut on air conditioners and television sets to improve affordability, boost domestic sales and enhance India's competitiveness in global markets
Stocks such as Maruti Suzuki, TVS Motor, Blue Star, Johnson Controls and JK Cement can rally up to 26% as the government plans 2-tier GST reforms ahead of Diwali 2025.
In upcoming sweeping reforms, the GST on automobiles - currently in the highest tax bracket - will be restructured to resolve classification disputes related to engine capacity and vehicle size, ultimately benefiting the common man, according to government sources. Presently, automobiles are taxed at 28 per cent, which is the highest GST slab. A compensation cess, ranging from 1 to 22 per cent, is levied on top of this rate, depending on the type of vehicle. The total tax incidence on cars, depending on engine capacity and length, ranges from 29 per cent for small petrol cars to 50 per cent for SUVs. Electric vehicles are taxed at a 5 per cent rate. Sources said, as per the Centre's proposal for moving the GST system to a two-tier rate structure of 5 and 18 per cent and a 40 per cent slab for a select few items, automobiles will be placed in a slab to put an end to disputes arising due to the classification of cars by engine capacity and length. A lower GST rate will boost demand
Describing the proposed GST tax reforms as Next Gen GST', senior government officials on Saturday said that the two-slab tax regime will eventually pave the way for a single sales/services tax rate, hopefully by 2047. They said the proposed new GST regime, which slashes tax rates and assigns just two slabs of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, will boost the economy and also serve to mitigate tariff threats. The proposed two-slab regime, if approved by the GST Council, will replace the current four slabs in the goods and services tax (GST) regime, doing away with the 12 per cent and 28 per cent slabs. Calling it the "next Gen GST', one government official said "it is a game changer reform. In the pantheon of economic reforms seen in India, it's right up there." The officials spoke on condition of anonymity. They said the new structure would mean that almost all of the common use items will move to the lower tax bracket, leading to price cuts, which in turn would boost consumption. "Lower
IATA Director General Willie Walsh calls on India to provide clarity on tax laws affecting foreign carriers and highlights concerns over airport charges to unlock aviation sector potential
Hotels with room rents under Rs 7,500 in FY25 aren't 'specified premises' unless they opt in voluntarily
The new Income Tax Bill, which will replace the six-decade old Income Tax Act of 1961, will make direct tax laws simple to understand, remove ambiguities and reduce litigations. The law, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament in the Budget session, will go to the Standing Committee on Finance for further scrutiny, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said. Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey has already indicated that the new Bill will not have provisos and explanations or long sentences. It will be tax neutral. Following is an explainer of what the government intends to do and what can the new law hold for taxpayers: Q. Why is a review of the I-T Act needed? A. Income tax law was enacted about 60 years ago in 1961 and since then a lot of changes have taken place in the society, in the way people earn money and companies do business. The 1961 Act was framed at a time when Indian republic was young and faced challenges peculiar to those times. Over the time, as the countr
The Opposition has slammed Budget 2025 as 'all about Bihar elections', calling it biased and neglectful of common people, the middle class, and key states
A finance ministry spokesperson, the GST Council Secretariat and a spokesman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party did not respond to requests for comment on the controversy
Telangana on Friday urged the Centre to simplify the Income Tax slabs and reduce corporate tax rates to enhance ease of doing business. In his speech at the pre-Budget meeting of the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said streamlining IT and GST filing processes is vital as these processes currently consume weeks for mid-sized and large businesses. Expanding the tax base through digital tracking of financial transactions and encouraging voluntary compliance are also key measures, he opined. "Reforms to the Income Tax Act are a welcome step. India's current tax system is complex, leading to compliance burdens for individuals and businesses alike. Telangana urges simplification of tax slabs and reduction of corporate tax rates to enhance ease of doing business," Bhatti said. Telangana supports a realistic fiscal deficit target of 4.5 per cent of GDP to sustain momentum in infrastructure and ...
"Right now, we are just looking to maintain stability (in tax rates), a stable tax regime. Minor changes will always be there... major taxation change like merger of tax rates
India is somewhere in the middle when taxation for the upper-income bracket is considered, but leaving tax rates untouched can translate into a heavier tax burden on the population
CII's President Sanjiv Bajaj pitched for simplification of GST structure, and suggested electricity as well as fuel should be brought under GST as that will help make the industry more competitive.
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
A think tank has requested GST Council to levy a higher tax of 18 per cent on tetra pack, arguing that the product is incorrectly categorised in the 12 per cent slab as a paper-based aseptic packaging