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Chandigarh, Jun 29 (PTI) The <keyword id="6354679" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gst" source="Orion">GST</keyword> Council on Wednesday deferred decision on levying a 28 per cent tax on casinos, online gaming, horse racing and lottery pending more consultations with stakeholders, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. A group of ministers headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has been asked to consider submissions of stakeholders again on the valuation mechanism and submit its report by July 15, she told reporters here. The council will meet again in the first week of August to decide on the issue, she said. A two-day meeting of the panel considered a report of the GoM but deferred a decision as Goa and some others wanted to make more submissions. The GoM had recommended that online gaming should be taxed at the full value of the consideration, including the contest entry fee paid by the player on participating in the game. In cases of race courses, it had suggested that GST be levied on the full value of bets pooled in the totalisators and placed with the bookmakers. It also recommended that no distinction should be made on grounds of game of skill or game of chance for the purpose of the levy of GST and should be taxed at the highest rate of 28 per cent. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/zepto-dunzo-among-the-next-122-unicorns-from-india-heres-the-complete-hurun-list/articleshow/92545281.cms">Zepto, Dunzo among the next 122 unicorns from India — here's the complete Hurun list</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rupee-could-slide-to-82-as-a-strong-dollar-is-nullifying-rbi-efforts/articleshow/92543254.cms">Rupee could slide to 82 as a strengthening dollar is nullifying RBI efforts</a>

GST on casinos, lotteries, horse races deferred as Nirmala Sitharaman reconsiders

New Delhi, The government collected Rs 1,51,718 crore gross <keyword id="6354679" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST" source="Orion">GST</keyword> revenue in October, which is the second highest collection ever after April this year, official data revealed on Tuesday. The monthly GST revenues have been more than Rs 1.4 lakh crore for eight months in a row. The Rs 1.5 lakh crore mark has been crossed for the second time since the inception of GST, official sources said. September saw the generation of 8.3 crore e-way bills, which is significantly higher than 7.7 crore e-way bills generated in August. Out of the total GST collection of Rs 1,51,718 crore for October, CGST was Rs 26,039 crore, SGST was Rs 33,396 crore, IGST was Rs 81,778 crore (including Rs 37,297 crore collected on import of goods) and cess was Rs 10,505 crore (including Rs 825 crore collected on import of goods), which is second highest till date, the data stated. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/sensex-opens-above-61000-while-nifty50-climbs-over-18100-mark/articleshow/95220907.cms">Sensex opens above 61,000 while Nifty50 climbs over 18,100 mark</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/jamshed-j-irani-steel-man-of-india-who-advised-governments-and-instituted-a-cricket-trophy/slidelist/95223867.cms">Jamshed J Irani – Steel Man of India who advised governments and instituted a cricket trophy</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rupee-gains-8-paise-to-82-73-against-us-dollar/articleshow/95221397.cms">Rupee gains 8 paise to 82.73 against US dollar</a>

GST collections touch ₹1,51,718 cr in Oct, second highest since April

<keyword id="19896016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Delhi" source="keywords">New Delhi</keyword>: The 54th Meeting of the <keyword id="21275205" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goods-and-Services-Tax-Council" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Goods and Services Tax Council" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Goods and Services Tax Council">Goods and Services Tax Council</keyword> or GST Council, will be held on 9th September 2024 in New Delhi, the GST Council said in a post on social media platform "X" on Tuesday. On June 22, <keyword id="19956758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Minister" source="keywords">Finance Minister</keyword> Nirmala Sitharaman said that the next meeting of the GST Council will take place in mid to late August. The aim of this meeting will be to discuss the pending issues of the last meeting. The council is expected to discuss rate rationalisation and compliance, among others. The GST Council, consisting of the Union Finance Minister and representatives from all States and Union Territories, was established to make decisions on various aspects of GST, including <keyword id="20452955" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tax-rates" source="keywords">tax rates</keyword>, exemptions, and administrative procedures. It played a crucial role in shaping the GST framework in India. The last meeting of the GST Council was held on 22 June 2024 this year. During the meeting, the council recommended relaxation to taxation, Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims and demand notices. The GST Council proposes exemptions for specific services offered by Indian Railways to the general public, as well as for intra-railway transactions. During the 53rd meeting of the council, it proposed an exemption for specific services offered by Indian Railways to the general public, as well as for intra-railway transactions. The sale of platform tickets and services such as retiring rooms, waiting rooms, cloakroom facilities, and battery-operated car services are now exempt from GST. The 53rd council meeting was marked by several key decisions aimed at easing the compliance burden and providing relief to taxpayers. "Today's <keyword id="20115983" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="GST-Council-meeting" source="keywords">GST Council meeting</keyword> has taken a lot of decisions on trade facilitation, easing compliance burden and relief to taxpayers in terms of compliance easing out," the Finance Minister had said. The GST Council recommended waiving interest penalties on demand notices issued under Section 73 of the GST Act for fiscal years 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20. The Council, in its June 22 meeting, approved an extension for availing input tax credit (ITC) on any invoice or debit note. To curb government litigation, the Council has recommended setting monetary thresholds for filing appeals by departments: Rs 20 lakh for the GST appellate tribunal, Rs 1 crore for high courts, and Rs 2 crore for the Supreme Court. In a move to assist small taxpayers, the Council, in its last meeting, extended the deadline for furnishing returns from April 30 to June 30 for the fiscal year 2024-25 and subsequent years. The Council, in its last meeting, recommended the phased rollout of biometric-based Aadhaar authentication for GST registration applicants across India. The Council recommended a uniform GST rate of 12 per cent on all milk cans, regardless of their material (steel, iron, or aluminium), to eliminate disputes. The Finance Minister, during the last GST meeting, reiterated the central government's intent to bring petrol and diesel under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework. She highlighted that the groundwork for this inclusion was laid during the initial implementation of GST and emphasized that the decision now lies with the state governments. The central government has long maintained that incorporating petrol and diesel into GST would streamline tax rates and potentially reduce prices for consumers.

54th GST Council meeting to take place on September 9 in New Delhi

<keyword id="6354679" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gst" source="Orion">GST</keyword> collection in July stood at Rs 1,48,995 crore, second highest since introduction of GST. The collection for July is 28 per cent higher than the GST revenues recorded in the same month last year of Rs 1,16,393 crore. "Of the tolal GST collection, Central GST is Rs 25,751 crore, State GST is Rs 32,807 crore, Integrated GST is Rs 79,518 crore and cess is Rs 10,920 crore," the <keyword id="47209" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="finance-ministry" source="Orion">Finance Ministry</keyword> said in a statement. For five months in a row, the monthly GST revenues have been more than Rs 1.4 lakh crore "During the month, revenues from import of goods was 48% higher and the revenues from domestic transaction (including import of services) are 22% higher than the revenues from these sources during the same month last year," the ministry said. The government has settled Rs 32,365 crore to Central GST and Rs 26,774 crore to State GST from Integrated GST. The total <keyword id="45663" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="revenue" source="Orion">revenue</keyword> of Centre and the states in July after regular settlement is Rs 58,116 crore for CGST and Rs 59,581 crore for the <keyword id="6373967" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sgst" source="Orion">SGST</keyword>. "The growth in GST revenue till July 2022 over the same period last year is 35% and displays a very high buoyancy. This is a clear impact of various measures taken by the <keyword id="14607471" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="council-in-the-past" source="Orion">Council in the past</keyword> to ensure better compliance. Better reporting coupled with economic recovery has been having positive impact on the GST revenues on a consistent basis. During the month of June 2022, 7.45 crore e-way bills were generated, which was marginally higher than 7.36 crore in May 2022," the statement added. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/5g-spectrum-auctions-fetch-1-5-lakh-crore-more-than-half-of-it-comes-from-reliance-jio/articleshow/93274946.cms">5G spectrum auctions fetch ₹1.5 lakh crore – more than half of it comes from Reliance Jio</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/123456-if-this-is-your-password-you-couldve-password-fatigue-its-a-serious-problem-/articleshow/93274584.cms">123456: If this is your password, you could’ve password fatigue. It’s a serious problem.</a>

GST collections in July, at Rs 1.48 lakh crore, is the second highest ever

Following uproar in the Parliament over <keyword id="6354679" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gst" source="Orion">GST</keyword> on <keyword id="72247" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Food-items" source="Orion">food items</keyword>, <keyword id="309842" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="union-finance" source="Orion">Union Finance</keyword> Minister <keyword id="129243" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="Orion">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on Tuesday defended the imposition of 5 per cent GST on food articles such as cereals, rice, flour and curd, which are pre-packaged and labelled, saying that it was a unanimous decision of the <keyword id="6355040" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="gst-council" source="Orion">GST Council</keyword> last month in which even non-BJP ruled states were present. The <keyword id="25455" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="finance" source="Orion">Finance</keyword> Minister released a list of items that will not attract any GST, when sold loose, and not pre-packed or pre-labeled. In a series of tweets, she said: "Recently, the GST Council in its 47th meeting recommended to reconsider the approach for imposition of GST on specified food items like pulses, cereals, flour, etc. There have been a lot of misconceptions about this that have been spread. Here is a thread to lay the facts." "Is this the first time such food articles are being taxed? No. States were collecting significant revenue from foodgrain in the pre-GST regime. Punjab alone collected more Rs 2,000 cr on food grain by way of purchase tax. UP collected Rs 700 cr," she said. "Taking this into account, when GST was rolled out, a GST rate of 5% was made applicable on BRANDED cereals, pulses, flour. Later this was amended to tax only such items which were sold under REGISTERED brand or brand on which enforceable right was not foregone by supplier," the FM said. "However, soon rampant misuse of this provision was observed by reputed manufacturers &amp; brand owners and gradually GST revenue from these items fell significantly. This was RESENTED by suppliers and industry associations who were paying taxes on branded goods. They wrote to the Govt to impose GST uniformly on all packaged commodities to stop such misuse. This rampant evasion in tax was also observed by States." "The Fitment Committee - consisting of officers from Rajasthan, West Bengal, <keyword id="20154" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tamil-nadu" source="Orion">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Gujarat - had also examined this issue over SEVERAL meetings and made its recommendations for changing the modalities to curb misuse. "It is in this context that the GST Council in its 47th meeting took the decision. With effect from July 18, 2022, only the modalities of imposition of GST on these goods was changed with no change in coverage of GST except 2-3 items," said the minister. "It has been prescribed that GST on these goods shall apply when supplied in 'pre-packaged and labelled' commodities attracting the provisions of Legal Metrology Act." "For example, items like pulses, cereals like rice, wheat, and flour, etc, earlier attracted GST @ 5% when branded and packed in unit container. From 18.7.2022, these items would attract GST when 'pre-packaged and labeled'," <keyword id="679937" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sitharaman" source="Orion">Sitharaman</keyword> tweeted. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ather-450x-gen-3-new-electric-scooter-debuted-today/articleshow/92985192.cms">Ather’s Ravneet Phokela on the company’s new scooter, affordability, EV safety and more</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/two-months-four-airlines-and-14-air-safety-incidents-dgca-says-safety-paramount/articleshow/92983985.cms">Two months, four airlines and 14 air safety incidents — DGCA says 'safety paramount'</a>

Food items when sold loose won't attract any GST, says Nirmala Sitharaman

<keyword id="6359833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Goods-and-Services-Tax">Goods and Services Tax</keyword> (GST) is the biggest tax reform introduced in India since independence, and is certainly a game changer. However, the process undertaken by the government to implement GST was no less than a game changer itself. 
 
Several aspects had to be taken care of, and the most important part of the whole process was to stay focused on the bigger picture, not bowing down to the political and administrative negotiations that came with it. 
 
It was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/topic/Narendra-Modi">PM Narendra Modi </a>who was the leader of the process, along with finance minister <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword>, who served as the bridge between him and the stakeholders. 
 
How often does it happen that the key members of the leading party of world’s biggest democracy meet up with the opposition leaders and that too a month after losing elections in a key state. However, it was the commitment that BJP had for GST that made him, along with Jaitley and parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu had a meeting with former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, a month after BJP lost Bihar elections. 
 
The PM, sources say, said that India needed GST and then the FM took over, explaining to the opposition why their positions, like capping tax rate at 18% in the GST statute, had to be reconsidered. He added that while a poor GST was not an option, their other demands will be duly considered. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/removal-of-cesses-for-gst-would-cost-government-rs-65000-crore/articleshow/57793686.cms">Removal of cesses for GST would cost government Rs 65,000 crore</a> 
 Ever since then, the <keyword id="117924" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="GST-Rollout">GST rollout</keyword> became a big puzzle with several tangled knots, which could be and was solved keeping in mind one thing, that GST was too big a reform to fail. The idea was to unite the country in a fundamental way, and before a deadline but only after clearing every doubt that anyone had. 
 
As per officials that <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/how-modi-government-managed-to-solve-the-gst-puzzle/articleshow/57980627.cms">ET </a>contacted, Modi referred to GST as more than a tax reform at Cabinet meetings, exemplifying India's "unity in diversity," asking his team to prioritise GST. The FM, very smartly negotiated the terms so that political rivalries didn’t hinder the implementation process. 
 
In total, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/gst-council-clears-almost-allrules-except-for-remaining-four/articleshow/57959857.cms">GST council </a>had 12 meetings; however, from the second meeting itself, there were signs of political bitterness raising its head, which is why the government decided to seek consensus and encourage everyone to offer solutions. 
 
While taking care of the taxation, the government had to get into intense detailing with the tax administration, which is when it demonstrated that it had no intention of cornering states. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/markets/economy/gst-to-keep-an-eye-on-your-perks-outside-ctc/articleshow/57889157.cms">GST to keep an eye on your perks outside CTC</a> 
 
In the whole process, the leading party is said to have never shied away from reaching out to rivals, just so the GST could be passed without fail. It involved reaching out to CPM's Sitaram Yechury, SP's Ram Gopal Yadav, TMC's Derek O'Brien, BJD's Dilip Turkey, NCP's Praful Patel, and several other point-persons from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/politics/delay-in-implementing-gst-during-nda-government-led-to-rs-12-lakh-crore-loss-says-congress-party/articleshow/57892537.cms">Congress party</a>. 
 
The PM had a message for his team working on GST, which was to work at top speed without compromising with the quality. The team included hundreds of officials spread in small groups, solving difficult questions of both producing and consuming states and working for a period of more than eight months, including holidays and weekends. 
 
"It took us several months and many informal discussions to reach a consensus on how the final draft should look like," said a top official. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/no-gst-for-education-and-healthcare-this-year/articleshow/57972964.cms">No GST for education and health care this year</a> 
 
The work of these teams should be credited for the fact that the GST framework is ready three months before the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/markets/economy/eyeing-july-1-rollout-arun-jaitley-introduces-four-bills-on-gst-in-parliament/articleshow/57851897.cms">July 1 deadline</a>. 
 
(Image source GST Taxation)

Here’s how difficult the GST process was for the Modi government

The <keyword id="19994390" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="GST-Council" source="keywords">GST Council</keyword> on Monday is expected to deliberate on a host of issues, including <keyword id="20118944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="taxation" source="keywords">taxation</keyword> of insurance premiums, GoM's suggestions on rate rationalisation, and a status report on <keyword id="19939772" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-gaming" source="keywords">online gaming</keyword>, sources said. Sources said the fitment committee, comprising Centre and state tax officials, will present a report on GST levied on life, health and reinsurance premiums and the revenue implications. The GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising state ministers, will decide on whether to reduce the tax burden on <keyword id="19894985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-insurance" source="keywords">health insurance</keyword> from the current 18% or exempt certain categories of individuals, like senior citizens. The deliberations will also happen with regard to the goods and services tax (GST) cut on <keyword id="23083492" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="life-insurance-premium" source="keywords">life insurance premium</keyword>. In 2023-24, the Centre and states collected Rs 8,262.94 crore through GST on health <keyword id="22612491" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurance-premium" source="keywords">insurance premium</keyword>, while Rs 1,484.36 crore was collected on account of GST on health reinsurance premium. The issue of taxation on insurance premium figured in Parliament discussions with opposition members demanding that health and life insurance premiums be exempt from GST. Even Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari wrote to Sitharaman on the issue. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her reply to discussion on the Finance Bill had said 75% of the GST collected goes to states and opposition members should ask their state finance ministers to bring the proposal at the GST Council. West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya had raised the issue in the meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on rate rationalisation last month and the matter was referred to the fitment committee for further data analysis. The GoM had opined against any tinkering of four-tier GST slab of 5, 12, 18, and 28 % for the time being. The panel, however, had asked the fitment committee to look into any scope for rationalisation of rates of goods and services. With regard to online gaming, Centre and state tax officers will present a "status report" before the GST Council. The report would include <keyword id="20053837" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST-revenue" source="keywords">GST revenue</keyword> collection from the online gaming sector before and after October 1, 2023. From October 1, 2023, entry-level bets placed on online gaming platforms and casinos were subject to 28% GST. Prior to that, many online gaming companies were not paying 28% GST, arguing that there were differential tax rates for games of skill and games of chance. The GST Council in its meeting in August 2023 had clarified that online gaming platforms were required to pay 28% tax and subsequently, Central GST law was amended to make the taxation provision clear. Offshore gaming platforms were also mandated to register with GST authorities and pay taxes, failing which the government would block those sites. The council had then decided that the taxation on online gaming sector would be reviewed after six months of its implementation. Sources said the Council would deliberate on the status of taxation on the sector, and any change in tax rates is unlikely. Besides, the Council is likely to be apprised about the ongoing drive against fake registration, the success of the drive and action taken against such entities. The total amount of suspected GST evasion would also be presented before the Council. The drive, from August 16, 2024, to October 15, 2024, is aimed at detecting suspicious/fake GSTINs and to conduct requisite verification and further remedial action to weed out these fake billers. In the first drive between May 16, 2023 to July 15, 2023, against fake registration, 21,791 entities (11,392 pertaining to state tax jurisdiction and 10,399 pertaining to CBIC jurisdiction) having GST registration were discovered to be non-existent. An amount of Rs 24,010 crore (state - Rs 8,805 crore + centre - Rs 15,205 crore) of suspected tax evasion was detected during the special drive. Also, the Council would approve notifications, including that of the amnesty scheme, announced in the last council meeting. The council in June meeting took a host of taxpayer-friendly measures, including waiver of interest and penalty for demand notices issued in the first three years of GST -- 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 -- if the full tax demanded is paid by March 31, 2025. To reduce litigation, a monetary limit for tax officers, to file appeals before the GST Appellate Tribunal, the High Court and the Supreme Court was fixed at Rs 20 lakh, Rs 1 crore and Rs 2 crore, respectively, by the Council. It also recommended a reduction of the quantum of pre-deposit required to be paid by taxpayers for filing of appeals under goods and services tax (GST).

GST Council to deliberate on taxation of insurance premium, report on online gaming tomorrow

India's biggest tax reform, the <keyword id="6359833" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="goods-and-services-tax" source="Orion">Goods and Services Tax</keyword> (<keyword id="6354679" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gst" source="Orion">GST</keyword>), completes its half-a-decade journey on June 30, with many hits and some misses, and also brought about a paradigm shift in use of technology to bring about tax compliance and making over Rs 1 lakh crore revenue collection every month 'a new normal'. A nationwide Goods and Services Tax (GST), which subsumed 17 local levies like excise duty, <keyword id="6355686" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="service-tax" source="Orion">service tax</keyword> and <keyword id="6370857" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vat" source="Orion">VAT</keyword> and 13 cesses, was rolled out at the stroke of midnight on July 1, 2017. Under GST, a four-rate structure that exempts or imposes a low rate of tax of 5 per cent on essential items and top rate of 28 per cent on cars is levied. The other slabs of tax are 12 and 18 per cent. In the pre-GST era, the total of VAT, excise, CST and their cascading effect led to 31 per cent as tax payable, on an average, for a consumer. Besides, there is a special 3 per cent rate for gold, jewellery and precious stones and 1.5 per cent on cut and polished diamonds. Besides, a cess is levied on the highest tax slab of 28 per cent on luxury, sin and demerit goods. The collection from the cess goes to a separate corpus — Compensation fund — which is used to make up for revenue loss suffered by the state due to GST rollout. GST also represents an unprecedented exercise in fiscal federalism as the Centre and states come together in the GST Council to thrash out modalities for smooth functioning of the relatively new tax regime. The Council has met 47 times so far and have taken measures which made Rs 1 lakh crore <keyword id="4943720" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gst-collection" source="Orion">GST collection</keyword> per month 'a new normal' and on course to take the figure to Rs 1.4 lakh crore every month. As the government releases the June GST collection numbers on July 1, it is widely expected that the collections will follow the past four months' trend and be around Rs 1.4 lakh crore. The collections had touched a record Rs 1.68 lakh crore in April 2022, it had for the first time crossed Rs 1 lakh crore mark in collections in April, 2018. On the 5th anniversary of GST, <keyword id="4336899" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Board-of-Indirect-Taxes-and-Customs" source="Orion">Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs</keyword> (CBIC) tweeted "GST subsumed multiple levies and cesses, reduced compliance burden, removed regional imbalances and inter-state barriers, and significantly increased the transparency and overall Revenue collection". Over the past years the Government has been proactively issuing circulars and clarifications to clear doubts regarding taxation under GST and ensure ease of doing business. More recently, the GST Council, in its 47th meeting in Chandigarh, has decided to ease compliance for small taxpayers who supply through the e-commerce platform. Such suppliers, who make only intra-state supplies, need not seek GST registration if their annual turnover is less than Rs 40 lakh in case of goods and Rs 20 lakh in case of supplies. To help tax officers in administration, GST Network, which provides the technological backbone for the indirect tax regime, has been using artificial intelligence and machine learning to dish out newer data and plug revenue leakages. Tax experts, however, seek a simpler structure for Goods and Services Tax, a structure which would ensure seamless flow of input tax credit through the entire supply chain without losses. BDO India Partner and Leader - Indirect Tax Gunjan Prabhakaran said “over the past five years, the GST law has evolved and mitigated several issues faced by the taxpayers through timely clarifications and amendments. "However, the GST Council and the Government should quickly address few other hardships faced by taxpayers in relation to unwarranted and excessive issuance of show cause notices (for reconciliations of financial numbers, grant of registration, etc) and introduce a robust, technology driven single assessment process, which would achieve the twin objective of ease of doing business and remove the cascading effect of taxes". AMRG &amp; Associates Senior Partner Rajat Mohan said in the last five years, GST law has matured at a fast pace. First, the focus was on compliance and technology; sooner than later, it moved gears, and taxpayers were posed to self-regulate the annual filings. "Now it seems the law has entered the next phase whereby litigation needs to be reduced by either replacing ambiguous tax laws or clarifying the practical application of technical issues. Businesses expect the government to resolve all sectoral issues like would BPO/KPO qualify as an intermediary, tax credit for capital expenditure on building, levy of GST on Extra Neutral alcohol (ENA) etc," Mohan said. While the GST administration has moved forward with alacrity, it is still a long way to go to achieve the full potential of GST and make it a true 'good and simple tax'. With petrol, diesel, ATF outside GST, a large part of the economy is still not covered by the indirect tax regime. Inclusion of petroleum products under the GST net, could reduce cost for companies, tax experts say. With emerging technology, there is emergence of newer asset classes like the virtual digital assets (VDA) or cryptocurrency. There is a need for clarity on whether they would be classified as supply of 'goods' or 'services' and what would be the tax rate on them. Tax rate rationalisation is something which would happen sooner or later. Current inflationary concerns may have derailed the plans to tweak rates and GST slabs, but it would eventually be a reality as both the Centre and states need revenues and lesser slabs would mean a simplified tax regime. Besides, the decision makers in the Council too have to work out a solution as state governments, from July 1, 2022, stare at a stoppage of compensation for revenue loss due to GST implementation. When GST was rolled out on July 1, 2017, states were promised a compensation, from the cess fund, for five years if their GST collection falls short of the 14 per cent compounded revenue growth. Most states have sought an extension to the compensation mechanism and a final decision is likely to be taken at the next GST Council meeting in Madurai in the first week of August. Abhishek Jain, Partner Indirect Tax, KPMG in India, said going forward, the Government can consider setting up of Central authority to resolve conflicting AAR judgements across states and consider doing away with anti-profiteering provisions freeing businesses to set prices. "Further, bringing petroleum and electricity under GST ambit will help prevent cascading and ensure further uniformity. Lastly, some checks can also be incorporated on system generated GST notices, so as to avoid any unnecessary harassment of taxpayers," Jain said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/startups-like-unacademy-vedantu-blue-stone-caratlane-go-physical-from-digital-as-pandemic-boom-ends/articleshow/92564319.cms">Startups go physical from digital as pandemic boom ends</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/indian-credit-card-users-spend-40x-more-than-debit-card-users-online/articleshow/92543305.cms">Indian credit card users spend 40x more than debit card users online</a>

GST had its hits and misses but made ₹1.3 lakh crore monthly tax, the new normal

The <keyword id="19994390" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST-Council" source="keywords">GST Council</keyword> on Saturday decided to tweak <keyword id="20452955" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tax-rates" source="keywords">tax rates</keyword> on items, including accommodation services for students and solar cookers, and took a host of taxpayer-friendly measures including waiver of interest and penalty for demand notices issued in the first three years of <keyword id="6354679" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="GST" source="Orion">GST</keyword> rollout. Briefing reporters after the 53rd <keyword id="3680839" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST-Council-meeting" source="Orion">GST Council meeting</keyword>, Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="Orion">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> said the Council has recommended to roll-out the biometric-based <keyword id="20433416" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aadhaar-authentication" source="keywords">Aadhaar authentication</keyword> of registration applicants on pan-India basis in a phased manner. This will help check fraudulent registration done to avail input tax credit and evade taxes. To reduce litigation, the Council decided to fix a monetary limit for tax officers to file appeals before the GST Appellate Tribunal, the High Court and the Supreme Court at Rs 20 lakh, Rs 1 crore and Rs 2 crore, respectively. It also recommended reduction of the quantum of pre-deposit required to be paid by taxpayers for filing of appeals under Goods and Services Tax (GST). The maximum amount of pre-deposit for filing appeal with the appellate authority has been reduced from Rs 25 crore CGST and SGST each to Rs 20 crores CGST and SGST each. This will help ease cash flow and working capital blockage for the taxpayers. "The 53rd GST Council meeting has taken a number of decisions on trade facilitation, easing compliance burden and giving relief to taxpayers in terms of easing compliance," Sitharaman said. The Minister said the next meeting of the GST Council will be held in August in which the Group of Ministers (GoM) on GST rate rationalisation under Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sumant Chaudhary, will give a presentation on the status of the work and aspects covered by the panel and work pending before the panel. "What was decided in the Council is, when we meet in the next GST Council meeting we will start a discussion on rate rationalisation... There will be a presentation by the GoM irrespective of whether the report is draft... and then Council will start the discussion on rate rationalisation in the next meeting in August," Sitharaman said. The GST Council on Saturday recommended to exempt Accommodation Services of up to Rs 20,000 per person per month from GST. This is subject to the condition that these services are supplied for a minimum continuous period of 90 days. "It's primarily meant for students," Sitharaman said. In a taxpayer friendly move, the Council has decided to waive interest and penalties for demand notices issued under Section 73 of the CGST Act (for cases not involving fraud, suppression or wilful misstatement) for the fiscal years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, if the full tax demanded is paid by March 31, 2025. GST, which subsumed 17 local taxes and cesses, was rolled out on July 1, 2017. With its introduction, prices of various products and services used by masses have moderated. As per the CBIC data, mobile phones and many household items including TV, refrigerator, washing machine and AC have become cheaper post GST. It has reduced burden on household income and improved affordability. The Council also decided to refer the standing committee's recommendation to exempt GST on fertiliser and cut rates on raw materials to the GoM on rate rationalisation. Currently, GST is levied at 5 per cent on fertilisers, while its raw materials like sulphuric acid and ammonia face 18 per cent tax. Also the Tax Collected at Source (TCS) rate for e-commerce suppliers has been cut from present 1 per cent to 0.5 per cent, which will ease the financial burden on the suppliers making supplies through E-commerce platform. Besides, services provided by Indian Railways to the general public, namely, sale of platform tickets, facility of retiring rooms/waiting rooms, cloak room services and battery-operated car services as well as intra-railway transactions would be exempt from GST. GST Council has prescribed a uniform rate of 12 per cent on all milk cans meaning steel, iron, aluminum which are irrespective of the use. The Council also recommended a uniform GST rate of 12 per cent on all carton boxes and cases of both corrugated and non-corrugated paper or paper board, which in particular, help the apple growers of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu &amp; Kashmir. All types of Sprinklers, including fire water sprinklers, will attract 12 per cent GST. Solar Cookers, whether it has a single or dual energy source, too will attract a 12 per cent tax. The Council also decided that GST anti-profiteering provisions will have a sunset date of April 1, 2025. Current cases and investigations with regard to profiteering complaints will be handled by the Principal bench of GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT), instead of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). Also, the time limit to avail input tax credit w.r.t. any invoice or debit note through any GSTR 3B return filed up to November 30, 2021 for FY 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, has been fixed at November 30, 2021. Sitharaman said less than two per cent of the total 58.62 lakh taxpayers under Central GST administration has been sent tax notices and the intention of the government is to make GST assessees life easier by reducing compliance requirements. "I want to reassure the assessees that our intent is to make GST assessees life easier, we are working towards less and less compliance. On behalf of the CGST, notices are not being sent left, right and centre. Only 1.96 per cent of all active tax assessees have been sent notices from Central GST," Sitharaman said.

GST Council tweaks tax rates; Waives interest, penalty on tax dues for first 3 years of rollout

Amid the confusion over <keyword id="6354679" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST">GST</keyword> among the masses, a survey by short news app Way2online has made a few startling revelations. The report concludes that less than half the population of India; 45% to be precise, is aware of the new tax system. The remaining 55% is unaware of what GST is. The report also highlights that a majority, with 58%, believes that GST is not good news to them. Adding to the insights, <keyword id="2594175" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Raju-Vanapala">Raju Vanapala</keyword>, CEO and Founder, Way2Online says, “Post the survey, we could easily conclude that there is a lot of uncertainty that smothers GST. While 59% of the urban audiences are aware of the bill; a whopping 80% assumes that there will be spike in prices or have no idea about its implications. Here's a table on how other states responded on their understanding and familiarity on GST:
	
	
	
	<div type="image" title="table" msid="59458764" hostid="261"></div>









 One of the key findings of the survey states that Telugu speaking states viz. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, relatively show higher awareness on GST with over 64%. Despite such favourable numbers, the report also highlights that a majority, with 58%, believes that GST is not good news to them. Adding to the insights, Raju Vanapala, CEO and Founder, Way2Online says, “Post the survey, we could easily conclude that there is a lot of uncertainty that smothers GST. While 59% of the urban audiences are aware of the bill; a whopping 80% assumes that there will be spike in prices or have no idea about its implications. The conclusion of the survey underlines the severe need to address the questions of a common man, as more than half of India’s population is unaware of the ‘Good &amp; Simple Tax’, which supposedly ‘Pro Poor’. As a direct survey, Way2online sent a few questions related to GST to its app users, and following are the responses they received from different age groups: 
	
	
	
	<div type="image" title="table2" msid="59458814" hostid="261"></div>







 On the whole, ‘Is India ready for GST?’ is the biggest question of the hour that needs to be addressed, as 55% of our total population is not aware of the tax regime that made its debut just a few days back. 60% of the population either assumes that GST is ‘Not Beneficial’ or ‘Has No Idea’. Lastly, 76% believes that there will be a surge in prices or have no idea about how GST will affect the <keyword id="35256" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="commodity-prices">commodity prices</keyword>. Even though GST aims to bring one Consolidated Indirect Tax to cover multiple Indirect Taxes and thereby lives up to the tag line ‘One India, One Tax’, the survey highlights a severe need to address the questions of the common man, as it shows that more than half of India’s population is unaware of the ‘Good &amp; Simple Tax’ which is supposedly ‘Pro Poor’. (Way2online currently has 13 million installs, 4.2 million monthly active users out of which a whopping 3,60,000 lakh users from across the country took the survey on GST between 26th to 30th June.)

Is India ready for GST? This survey finds out 55% population doesn't even know what it is

Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> hailed the seven-year journey of <keyword id="19922145" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goods-and-Services-Tax" source="keywords">Goods and Services Tax</keyword> (<keyword id="19951327" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="GST" source="keywords">GST</keyword>). Quoting a newspaper report, PM tweeted on the social media platform "X" that GST has improved the lives of 140 crore <keyword id="19916609" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indians" source="keywords">Indians</keyword>. "For us, reforms are a means to improve the lives of 140 crore Indians. After the introduction of GST, goods for household use have become much cheaper." The PM also highlighted that after the implementation of GST, the <keyword id="20044873" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="savings" source="keywords">savings</keyword> of the poor and the common man have increased as the GST has reduced <keyword id="20018720" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="taxes" source="keywords">taxes</keyword> on various <keyword id="20447338" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="household-items" source="keywords">household items</keyword> like flour, curd, detergent, etc. He said, "This has resulted in significant savings for the poor and common man. We are committed to continuing this journey of reforms to transform people's lives". The Goods and Services Tax will complete its seven years on July 1, it was implemented in 2017. After its implementation, the tax has reduced on several products and services used by the common man. As per the Central Board of Indirect Tax and Customs, post GST various daily household items have become cheaper. It includes items like flour, television, detergent, hair oil, soap etc. The GST has amalgamated a large number of central and state taxes into a single tax. It also mitigated the ill effects of cascading or double taxation in a major way and paved the way for a common national market. From the consumers' point of view, the biggest advantage is in terms of reduction in the overall tax burden on goods. The Introduction of GST has also made Indian products more competitive in the domestic and international markets owing to the full neutralisation of input taxes across the value chain of production. On June 22, <keyword id="19956758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Minister" source="keywords">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> announced that the next meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is tentatively scheduled for mid-to-late August. The GST Council proposed exemptions for specific services offered by <keyword id="19909154" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Railways" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Railways" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Indian Railways">Indian Railways</keyword> to the general public, as well as for intra-railway transactions. The GST Council recommended waiving interest penalties on demand notices issued under Section 73 of the GST Act for fiscal years 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20. This section pertains to cases not involving fraud, suppression, or misstatement. Taxpayers who pay the full tax amount demanded in the notice by March 31, 2025, will benefit from this waiver.The Council approved an extension for availing input tax credit (ITC) on any invoice or debit note.

Seven years of GST has lowered taxes and improved lives of 140 crore Indians: PM

<keyword id="4943720" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST-collection" source="Orion">GST collection</keyword> in May rose 12% to Rs 1.57 lakh crore, the finance ministry said on Thursday. The gross <keyword id="2484610" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="good-services-tax" source="Orion">Good &amp; Services Tax</keyword> (GST) revenue collected in the month of May, 2023 is Rs 1,57,090 crore of which Central GST is Rs 28,411 crore, State GST is Rs 35,828 crore, Integrated GST is Rs 81,363 crore (including Rs 41,772 crore collected on import of goods) and cess is Rs 11,489 crore (including Rs 1,057 crore collected on import of goods). "The revenues for the month of May 2023 are 12 per cent higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year," the ministry said in a statement. During the month, revenue from import of goods was 12 per cent higher and the revenues from domestic transactions (including import of services) are 11 per cent higher than the revenues from these sources during the same month last year. <keyword id="6359833" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="goods-and-services-tax" source="Orion">Goods and Services Tax</keyword> (GST) collection in May last year was about Rs 1.41 lakh crore. Last month, GST collection was at a record high of Rs 1.87 lakh crore. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/tvs-motor-hikes-prices-of-ev-scooter-by-17000-22000/articleshow/100677697.cms">TVS Motor hikes prices of EV scooter by ₹17,000 - ₹22,000</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-to-shut-3rd-party-notes-lists-integration-on-assistant-app/articleshow/100678872.cms">Google to shut 3rd-party Notes, Lists integration on Assistant app</a>

GST collection rises 12% to ₹1.57 lakh crore in May

<keyword id="19906778" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys" source="keywords">Infosys</keyword> says that the Karnataka State authorities are withdrawing the pre-show cause <keyword id="19951327" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST" source="keywords">GST</keyword> notice issued to Infosys with a tax demand of Rs 32,403 crore, the company informed the exchange in a filing on Friday, "The Company has received a communication from Karnataka State authorities, withdrawing the pre-show cause notice and has directed the Company to submit a further response to DGGI central authority on this matter," said Infosys Earlier on Wednesday the Karnataka State GST authorities issued a pre-show cause notice to Infosys for payment of GST of Rs. 32,403 crores for the period July 2017 to March 2022 towards the expenses incurred by overseas branch offices of <keyword id="19916185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys-Limited" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Infosys Limited" meta.hostid="345" meta.entityid="Infosys Limited">Infosys Limited</keyword>. The Company responded to the pre-show cause notice and stated that the Company believes that as per regulations, GST is not applicable to these expenses. "Additionally, as per a recent Circular (circular number 210/4/2024 dated June 26, 2024) issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs on the recommendations of the <keyword id="19994390" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gst-council" source="keywords">GST Council</keyword>, services provided by the overseas branches to Indian entity are not subject to GST," said the company. The clarification from Infosys came post news articles published on Wednesday for non-payment of GST towards expenses incurred by the overseas branches of the Company. Infosys said GST payments are eligible for credit or refund against the Infosys says that the Karnataka State authorities are withdrawing the pre-show cause GST notice issued to Infosys with a tax demand of Rs 32,403 crore, the company informed the exchange in a filing on Friday, "Infosys has paid all its GST dues and is fully in compliance with the central and state regulations on this matter," the statement said. (ANI) SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/ola-electric-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112185870.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/ola-electric-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112185870.cms" target="_blank">Ola Electric IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/nothing-phone-2a-plus-with-dimensity-7350-pro-chipset-launched-in-india-starting-at-29999/articleshow/112164963.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/nothing-phone-2a-plus-with-dimensity-7350-pro-chipset-launched-in-india-starting-at-29999/articleshow/112164963.cms" target="_blank">Nothing Phone (2a) Plus with Dimensity 7350 Pro chipset launched in India starting at ₹29,999</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-shipments-decline-by-2-in-q2-2024-xiaomi-retakes-the-throne/articleshow/112162312.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-shipments-decline-by-2-in-q2-2024-xiaomi-retakes-the-throne/articleshow/112162312.cms" target="_blank">Indian smartphone shipments decline by 2% in Q2 2024, Xiaomi retakes the throne</a>

You Searched For "GST" and got 13 results

GST on casinos, lotteries, horse races deferred as Nirmala Sitharaman reconsiders

PTI

GST collections touch ₹1,51,718 cr in Oct, second highest since April

IANS

54th GST Council meeting to take place on September 9 in New Delhi

ANI

GST collections in July, at Rs 1.48 lakh crore, is the second highest ever

IANS

Food items when sold loose won't attract any GST, says Nirmala Sitharaman

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Here’s how difficult the GST process was for the Modi government

BI India Bureau

GST Council to deliberate on taxation of insurance premium, report on online gaming tomorrow

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GST had its hits and misses but made ₹1.3 lakh crore monthly tax, the new normal

PTI

GST Council tweaks tax rates; Waives interest, penalty on tax dues for first 3 years of rollout

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Is India ready for GST? This survey finds out 55% population doesn't even know what it is

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Seven years of GST has lowered taxes and improved lives of 140 crore Indians: PM

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GST collection rises 12% to ₹1.57 lakh crore in May

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Infosys says Karnataka govt withdrawing pre-show cause notice on GST notice

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