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Meesho aims to grow merchant base 10 times by 2027 as GST rules relax

With the government relaxing GST rules for online sellers, Softbank-backed Meesho aims to add 1 crore merchants on its platform by 2027, a top official of the company said on Tuesday. Meesho is the first e-commerce company in India to turn profitable at the group level (consolidated profit) and expects the momentum to continue, Meesho CEO Vidit Aatrey claimed. "We have 1.3 million (13 lakh) sellers on our platform. The recent change in policy to allow more sellers without GST is a big boost. We are now planning to add 1 crore more sellers across the country by 2027," Aatrey told PTI. He said that e-commerce is still at a very nascent stage and there are only 1.5-2 million merchants that sell online. "Internet penetration, network reliability, and online payments are increasing and people are buying online in a big way. We will continue with our outreach and do whatever is required to onboard sellers. These are the factors that will drive growth in the merchant base," Meesho ...

Govt losing revenue due to GST, should be neutral with single rate: Debroy

Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister Chairman Bibek Debroy on Tuesday said the government was losing revenue due to the GST, which should be revenue neutral with a single rate. Speaking at an event organised by the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce here, he however said that GST has led to a lot of simplification. "The ideal GST is one that has a single rate, and it was meant to be revenue neutral. According to calculations by the finance ministry when GST was first introduced, the average rate should be at least 17 per cent. But, the existing rate is 11.4 per cent. Because of GST, the government is losing revenue," the eminent economist said. Debroy said the public as well as members of the GST Council want the 28 per cent tax rate to come down, but "no one wants the 0 and 3 per cent tax rates to go up". "That way, we will never have a simplified GST," he said at the 'Special Session on Resilient and Self-Sufficient India'. A "lot of abuse" of GST provisions was taking plac

Govt to launch 'Mera Bill Mera Adhikar' GST reward scheme in 6 states

The government will launch the 'Mera Bill Mera Adhikar' invoice incentive scheme, which offers cash prize from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 crore, from September 1, starting with six states and Union Territories. The scheme, which is aimed at motivating customers to ask for a bill every time they make purchases, will be launched in the states of Assam, Gujarat and Haryana; and the UTs of Puducherry, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said. Invoice incentive scheme allows to earn cash prizes on upload of GST invoices, CBIC tweeted. All invoices issued by Goods and Services Tax (GST) registered suppliers to consumers will be eligible for the 'Mera Bill Mera Adhikar' scheme, under which monthly and quarterly draw of lots will be made and winners will be eligible for cash reward prize beginning from Rs 10,000 to up to Rs 1 crore. The minimum purchase value for the invoice to be considered for lucky draw is Rs 200 and individuals can ...

Punjab CM launches 'mera bill' app to reward GST payment on invoice

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday launched a 'mera bill' app under the 'bill liao inaam pao' (bring a bill, get reward) scheme. The scheme is aimed at enhancing the compliance under the goods and services tax (GST) and thereby the revenue, according to an official release. The scheme is targeted at motivating consumers to get bills from dealers for their purchases made within the state and thereby forcing the dealers to issue the bills for their sales. Mann said the consumers will be encouraged to upload bills of their purchases on the 'mera bill' app to become eligible to participate in a lucky draw, which shall be held at 7th of each month. There will be a maximum 10 prizes per taxation district (29 taxation districts in the state), taking the tally to 290 rewards each month. The reward will be equivalent to five times the taxable value of goods or services declared in the bill with maximum capping of Rs 10,000 for each reward. He said the list of winners will be ..

GST Council's fitment committee clarity on SUV ground clearance soon

A ground clearance (also known as ride height) of above 170 millimetre (mm) is one of the three key parameters for categorising a UV and attracting a 22 per cent compensation cess

Online money egaming firms face tax outgo of Rs 45,000 crore

On July 11, the GST council stated that no distinction would be made between games of chance and games of skill and that 28 per cent would be imposed on the full face value of bets

Ad revenue income sharing by X liable to GST, if exceeds threshold: Experts

Remuneration received by individuals from X (formerly Twitter), as part of its advertisement revenue sharing plan, will be treated as supply under the GST law and will be subject to 18 per cent tax, experts said. The tax will kick in if the total income from various services, including rental income, interest on bank fixed deposit, and other professional services, rendered by an individual exceeds Rs 20 lakh in a year. In recent times, X (formerly Twitter) has started advertisement revenue sharing for its X Premium subscribers or verified organisations. The account needs to have 15 million organic impressions on the posts in the last three months and have at least 500 followers to be able to be part of this revenue sharing programme. Content creators on X are able to set up Ad Revenue Sharing and Creator Subscriptions independently. Many social media users have in the recent past posted tweets about receiving revenue share from X. Experts said it is not only the revenue share earn

GST registration to be mandatory for gaming operators based overseas

Parliament passes two money Bills to levy 28% tax on online money gaming, casinos, horse racing

Overseas gamers too will have to pay 28% GST on domestic e-gaming platforms

Domestic online gaming companies will be required to deduct 28 per cent GST on bets placed from overseas locations, including by foreign players, as such bets will also be treated as actionable claims. The amendment to this effect has been approved by Parliament in the Integrated GST (IGST) Act on Friday. The GST Council had last week cleared changes in Central GST (IGST) and IGST laws to levy 28 per cent tax on full face value of bets in online gaming, casinos, and horse race clubs. The amendment in IGST Act gives powers to the Government to notify such goods, so that in case of import of such goods IGST can be levied and collected as regular inter-State supply under provisions of IGST Act. Tax experts said this amendment is aimed at plugging the loophole with regard to the collection of IGST from bets coming from overseas locations. Currently, in case of import of intangible goods such as actionable claims involved in or by way of online money gaming, which do not physically cro

LS passes amendments to GST bills to levy 28% tax on bets in online gaming

Lok Sabha on Friday approved amendments to the Central and Integrated GST laws to levy 28 per cent tax on the full face value of bets in online gaming, casinos and horse race clubs. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced bills in the House on Friday, the last day of monsoon session of Parliament, amid opposition protests over suspension of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. The Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, were passed by the Lok Sabha by a voice vote, without a debate. States will now get the amendments passed in the state GST laws in their respective assemblies. The amendments pertain to insertion of a provision in the Schedule III of the CGST Act, 2017, to provide clarity on the taxation of supplies in casinos, horse racing and online gaming. The amendment in IGST Act relates to inserting a provision to impose GST liability on online money gaming provided by offshore entitie

Govt should propose tax rate cut on fertilisers to GST Council: Parl panel

A Parliamentary panel has recommended that the government should propose to the GST Council to reduce tax rates on fertilisers from the current 5 per cent. In its report laid in Parliament on Wednesday, Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers said the committee have been informed that fertilisers were placed under the 12 per cent GST bracket. However, on demand of various states, GST on fertilisers was reduced to 5 per cent. "The issue to further reduce GST on fertilisers was placed before the GST council in its 45th and 47th meetings held in September 2021 and June 2022, respectively. The GST council, however, did not recommend any change in the rates of fertilisers or other organic farm inputs. "The committee strongly recommend that the issue to further reduce GST on fertilisers may be placed before the GST Council at the earliest in the best interest of the farmers of our country," it added. The panel noted that fertilisers are levied GST at 5 per cent and its raw ...

Cabinet clears changes to laws to levy 28% GST on online gaming, casinos

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved changes to GST laws to levy a 28 per cent tax on the full face value of bets in online gaming, casinos and horse race clubs, sources said. The amendments to the Central GST (CGST) and Integrated GST (IGST) acts, which were approved by the GST Council last week, are likely to be introduced in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, which will end on August 11. The GST Council in its 51st meeting on August 2 recommended amendments to the Schedule III of the CGST Act, 2017, to provide clarity on the taxation of supplies in casinos, horse racing and online gaming. The Council also recommended inserting a provision in the IGST Act, 2017, to impose GST liability on online money gaming provided by offshore entities. Such entities would be required to get GST registration in India. The amendments will also provide for blocking access to online gaming platforms located overseas in case of failure to comply with registration and tax payment ...

ICICI Lombard gets Rs 273 crore tax-demand notice from DG GST Intelligence

ICICI Lombard General Insurance has received a Rs 273.44 crore-tax demand notice from the Directorate General of GST Intelligence with regard to settled motor insurance claims. According to a regulatory filing, ICICI Lombard, on August 8, received a show cause notice, dated July 26, alleging a tax demand of Rs 273,44,50,284 under the GST Act along with interest and penalty. "The matter largely relates to an industry-wide issue on applicability of GST on salvage adjusted and ineligible input tax credit, on motor claims settled. The company has deposited Rs 104,13,18,970 under protest, without accepting any liability in this regard," it said. Further, ICICI Lombard said the company would be filing its response to the show cause notice. Shares of ICICI Lombard General Insurance closed 1.70 per cent lower at Rs 1,391.60 apiece on the BSE on Wednesday.

28% GST on casinos, online gaming, racing to up revenue collection: FM

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the 28 per cent GST on full face value of supplies in casinos, race courses and online gaming will result in higher revenues. The online gaming segment grew by 28 per cent in 2021 to reach USD 1.9 billion, as per NITI Aayog estimates referred in the Draft National Policy for Growth of Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comic & Extended Reality sector in India prepared by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman said casinos are currently paying 28 per cent GST on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR). Online gaming industry supplying actionable claims and some horse race clubs are currently paying GST at the rate of 18 per cent on platform fees/commission ranging from 5 to 20 per cent of the full face value, while some horse race clubs are paying 28 per cent on the full face value. Sitharaman said online gaming companies supplying actionable claims and some horse race clubs ..

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28% GST on online gaming may not impact taxation on e-sports, video games

Rules in the works for demarcation between the two forms of online gaming

Punjab's GST collection rises 16.5%, excise revenue up 21% in FY24

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday said the state has registered an increase of 16.5 per cent and 20.87 per cent in revenue from Goods and Services Tax (GST) and excise, respectively during the first four months of the financial year 2023-24. The state's GST collection stood at Rs 6,810.76 crore, and the mop-up from excise was Rs 3,033.78 crore during the April-July period of the current fiscal. Besides, it collected Rs 2,348.55 crore from Value Added Tax (VAT), Rs 76.91 crore from CST (central sales tax) and Rs 52.71 crore from Punjab State Development Tax (PSDT) during the first four months of this financial year, Cheema said in a statement issued here. He said the total revenue of Rs 11,037.17 crore was collected from these sources till the end of July 2022. In the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, the state had received a revenue of Rs 5,846.31 crore from GST, Rs 2,772.08 crore from excise, Rs 2,286.32 crore from VAT, Rs 80.84 crore from CST and Rs

14,277 GST appeals pending against disputed tax demands by authorities

As many as 14,227 appeals against disputed tax demands raised by Central GST authorities are pending as of June 2023, Parliament was informed on Monday. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the 49th meeting of the GST Council had approved the setting up of GST Appellate Tribunals across the country. "It has been planned to establish the State benches in a phased manner based on the request of states," the Minister said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. He also gave details of the number of GST appeals against demands by Central GST authorities pending at various levels. During 2023-24 (up to June 2023), 14,227 appeals were pending. The number was gone up from 11,899 pending appeals as of March 2023. Setting up of GST Appellate Tribunal benches in states would help in faster dispute resolution. Currently, taxpayers aggrieved with the ruling of tax authorities are required to move the respective High Courts. The resolution process takes longer time as High Courts a

TMS Ep492: Laptop import curb, Data Protection Bill, markets, GST in gaming

How will be laptop import curbs affect India? What are the gaps in the Data Protection Bill? Is the Street too euphoric on laptop import curbs? How will 28% GST in online gaming work? Answers here

Weekend Bites: Import licences, taxing games, and the Ambani way

In which we munch over the week's platter of news and views