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Union Finance Minister Nirmala <keyword id="19916494" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sitharaman" source="keywords">Sitharaman</keyword> on Friday urged officers of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (<keyword id="19908147" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CBIC" source="keywords">CBIC</keyword>) to proactively address <keyword id="20283921" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="doubts" source="keywords">doubts</keyword> and concerns raised by the public and business community regarding taxes before they escalate into grievances. Speaking at the inauguration of the new <keyword id="22890667" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST-Bhawan" source="keywords">GST Bhawan</keyword> in Udaipur, Rajasthan, Sitharaman emphasized the importance of a preventive approach in handling tax-related issues. She highlighted that government officials should prioritize solving problems at the stage where they are mere doubts, rather than allowing them to develop into full-blown grievances. "Before addressing a grievance, if we spend time through outreach to clear the doubts and suspicions in their minds, those doubts won't escalate into grievances" said Finance Minister Sitharaman. Sitharaman also highlighted the significance of effective information sharing in this process. She suggested that by engaging in sector-wise outreach and addressing any doubts that arise, officials could prevent potential issues from turning into grievances. "I request that before grievances arise, we should definitely carry out outreach sector by sector. If there are any doubts in their minds after this and some changes need to be made accordingly, we can make those changes as well. So, more than anything else, we need to focus on information sharing" added Sithraman. The Finance Minister's remarks emphasized a shift towards a more communicative and responsive approach in tax administration, aiming to foster better relationships between the government and the business community while minimizing conflicts and misunderstandings. Union Minister Sitharaman is on a two-day visit to Udaipur, On Thursday the minister chaired a meeting to review the performance of nine Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) of the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The minister asked Regional rural banks (RRBs) to ensure easy credit to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). She asked the RRBs to become more customer-friendly and leverage their local connections to further improve performance. "All RRBs have devised customised MSME products aligning with cluster activities. However, they need to regularly review their credit portfolio in that segment", she said. She also highlighted that Sponsor Banks and RRBs must recognise the challenges that lie ahead, especially maintaining asset quality, expanding digital services, and ensuring robust corporate governance are the areas that require continued focus. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/2024-tvs-jupiter-vs-honda-activa-6g-which-110cc-scooter-should-you-buy/slidelist/112730069.cms">2024 TVS Jupiter vs Honda Activa 6G – which 110cc scooter should you buy?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/how-to/how-to-add-music-to-instagram-profile/articleshow/112732934.cms">You can now add music to your Instagram profile – here's how</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/audi-q8-facelift-launched-in-india-with-a-1-17-crore-price-tag/slidelist/112707701.cms">Audi Q8 facelift launched in India with a ₹1.17 crore price tag</a>

Sitharaman urges tax officials to prevent doubts from escalating into grievances

The <keyword id="20449324" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Bill" source="keywords">Finance Bill</keyword> 2024 was passed by <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Lok Sabha" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Lok Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> on Wednesday evening, with a few amendments moved by the government. Replying to the debate, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman said the approach of the government has been to bring greater simplification of <keyword id="19987671" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tax" source="keywords">tax</keyword> laws and procedures and enable growth and employment in the country. She responded to points made by members. The Finance Minister clarified that in real estate, the roll over provisions have not been withdrawn and are applicable. She said if the capital gain in a property transaction is invested in buying another one or two properties up to a maximum value of Rs 10 crore, no capital gain tax is required to be paid on such profits. <keyword id="20619608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="capital-gains" source="keywords">Capital gains</keyword> can also still be invested in bonds which are notified under Section 54 of the Income Tax Act up to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh annually and save on taxes. To give relief on budget proposals, Sitharaman also moved an amendment in the Finance Bill on the changes in the capital gains tax on <keyword id="20412285" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="property-transactions" source="keywords">property transactions</keyword>. The amendment implies that taxpayers can avail either a lower tax of 12.5% without indexation or a rate of 20% with indexation, if the property is acquired prior to July 23, 2024, the day union budget was presented in the Lok Sabha. Sitharaman clarified that taxpayers can compute taxes under both provisions and choose to pay tax under the scheme where lower tax is applied. Effectively, July 23, 2024, is now set as the cut-off date for the calculation of the capital gains versus the earlier cut-off of 2001. Sitharaman said she has proposed these amendments as some members have raised hypothetical calculation to prove that under new provisions taxpayers will have to pay higher taxes. The new tax proposals on capital gains tax was brought in to bring in parity among different asset classes like equities, mutual funds and real estate. In the Finance Bill introduced on July 23, the Finance Minister had proposed a flat long term capital gains tax of 12.5% with no <keyword id="943856" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="indexation-benefit" source="Orion">indexation benefit</keyword>s, prior to it property transactions used to be taxed at 20% with indexation benefit. The minister also clarified that the grandfathering proposal will be allowed only for individual and Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) taxpayers and not for companies and Non Resident Individuals. They have to pay flat 12.5% LTCG tax without indexation. The proposed amendment will apply not only on real estate transactions, but also on unlisted equity transactions, which are done before July 23, 2024. All such transactions will be taxed at 10% long term capital gains instead of FY24-25 budget provision of 12.5% tax. With the opposition members demanding removal of <keyword id="19951327" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST" source="keywords">GST</keyword> on health insurance, Sitharaman said tax was there on medical insurance even before GST was introduced. "There was already a Service Tax on medical insurance, before the GST was introduced. This is not a new tax, it was already there in all the states. Those protesting here, did they discuss regarding the removal of this tax in their states? Did they write to the Finance Ministers of their respective states about it and asked them to raise it in the GST Council where states have 2/3rd part? No, but they are protesting here. This is their double standards, this is their drama," she said. "Wrongful protests have happened recently, and comments have been passed on the basis of a news report which suggested that the 'Centre has pocketed Rs. 24,529 crores of health insurance premiums alone'. This is incorrect and highly misleading. The GST rate of 18% on health insurance comprises of 9% CGST and 9% SGST. Thus, of the total collections of Rs 24,529 crores from health insurance in the last 3 years, Half of it, Rs. 12,264 crores, went straight to the states as SGST. It doesn't even come to the Centre," she added. The minister said that apart from this, roughly 41%of the Centre's share of GST collection on health insurance is devolved back to the states again, as part of Tax Devolution as per the Finance Commission's formula. Sitharaman said the new income tax regime is simpler and offers lower income tax rates for individuals. "It gives flexibility to the taxpayer to see where he wants to put his money in the absence of exemptions which is available in the old income tax regime. The old regime has not been dissolved and is still an alternative to the new tax regime. It still offers benefits of various deductions such as interest on home loan, etc. Individuals without business income can choose between regimes once and can revert back too. Hence, a choice has been provided to assesse," she said. For the previous Assessment Year 2023-24 till December 31, 2023, about 3.8% of taxpayers opted for the new tax regime, which equates to 30.93 lakh individuals, from a total of 7.98 crore ITRs filed in the categories of ITR-1 to ITR-4, she said. "However, for the Assessment Year 2024-25 until July 31, 2024, there was a dramatic increase in adoption of the new regime, with approximately 72.8% of taxpayers choosing the new tax regime. This represents about 5.25 crore individuals, out of a total of 7.22 crore ITRs filed in the same category." Sitharaman said this shows a substantial shift in taxpayer preference towards the new tax regime, over the span of just one year. "Taxpayers opting for the new regime does not mean savings and investments are not happening in the economy by the middle-class. Due to growth in fintech, better awareness, and ease of investment due to UPI, e-KYC, progressive regulations, investments in mutual funds have increased tremendously. On an average, 17.88 lakh new folios have been added every month in the last 5 years since June 2019. The number of unique mutual fund investors has grown from under 1 crore in 2014 to about 4 crore today," she added. The Finance (No.2) Bill, 2024 was passed after amendments moved by opposition were negatived. Sitharaman said the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been to establish a simple, efficient and fair technology-driven taxation regime in the country. "So, simplification and ease of compliance for the taxpayer has been the primary objective. In the last 10 years, and this year, in the third term of PM Modi, the approach to taxation has been to simplify it, reduce the burden on taxpayer and make sure it is transparent and equitable," she said. "This year also, our approach has been that we bring in greater simplification of tax laws and procedures, and that we enable growth and employment in this country," she added. Sitharaman presented the Union Budget in Parliament on July 23. This is the first full budget of the NDA government led by PM Modi. The BJP-led alliance won a third successive term earlier this year. The Lok Sabha took up discussion on the Finance Bill after the Appropriation Bill for the central government's expenditure for 2024-25 was passed by the House on Monday. The Finance Bill will now be discussed by Rajya Sabha. The passage of bill will complete the budget process.

Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill, provision on LTCG tax on property transactions amended

Gross Goods and Services Tax (<keyword id="19951327" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gst" source="keywords">GST</keyword>) collections surged to a <keyword id="19953076" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="record-high" source="keywords">record high</keyword> of Rs 2.10 lakh crore in the month of April. The GST collection has also registered a 12.4 per cent year-on-year growth. According to a statement by the <keyword id="19908390" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Finance" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ministry of Finance" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Ministry of Finance">Ministry of Finance</keyword>, the growth was propelled by a robust uptick in both <keyword id="20791652" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="domestic-transactions" source="keywords">domestic transactions</keyword>, which rose by 13.4 per cent, and <keyword id="19933566" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="imports" source="keywords">imports</keyword>, witnessing an 8.3 per cent spike. After accounting for refunds, the net GST revenue for April 2024 stood at Rs 1.92 lakh crore, showcasing an impressive 17.1 per cent growth compared to the corresponding period last year. The breakdown of April 2024 collections reveals positive performance across various components. Central Goods and Services Tax (<keyword id="20793046" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CGST" source="keywords">CGST</keyword>) recorded collections of Rs 43,846 crore, while State Goods and Services Tax (<keyword id="20025648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SGST" source="keywords">SGST</keyword>) collections amounted to Rs 53,538 crore. Integrated Goods and Services Tax (<keyword id="20025649" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IGST" source="keywords">IGST</keyword>) collections totaled Rs 99,623 crore, including Rs 37,826 crore collected on imported goods. Additionally, cess collections reached Rs 13,260 crore, which included Rs 1,008 crore collected on imported goods. Furthermore, the inter-governmental settlement process saw the central government disbursing Rs 50,307 crore to CGST and Rs 41,600 crore to SGST from the IGST collected. This resulted in total revenue of Rs 94,153 crore for CGST and Rs 95,138 crore for SGST for April 2024 after regular settlement. During the financial year 2023-24 the total gross GST collection recorded at Rs 20.18 lakh crore, exceeding Rs 20 lakh crore with a 11.7 per cent increase compared to the previous fiscal year. The average monthly collection for this fiscal year, that ended in March 2024 stood at Rs 1.68 lakh crore, surpassing the previous year's average of Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The surge in recent GST collections reflects a positive trajectory for India's economy, underscoring robust domestic consumption and buoyant import activity. The figures bode well for the country's fiscal health and economic recovery efforts, signaling resilience amidst global uncertainties. The Goods and Services Tax was introduced in the country with effect from July 1, 2017, and states were assured compensation for loss of any revenue arising on account of the implementation of GST as per the provisions of the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017 for a period of five years. (ANI)

GST revenue collection for April 2024 highest ever at Rs 2.1 lakh crore

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

Union Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="Orion">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on Saturday morning chaired a <keyword id="20255269" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pre-budget-meeting" source="keywords">pre-budget meeting</keyword> with Finance Ministers of all States and Union Territories. The Pre-Budget Meeting is organised by the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs with Finance Ministers of all the States and Union Territories (with Legislature) to take suggestions for the upcoming <keyword id="20387181" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget-2024-25" source="keywords">Union Budget 2024-25</keyword>. Ministers of State along with other stakeholders are participating in the meeting and visuals showed Uttar Pradesh finance minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, and finance minister of Rajasthan Diya Kumari at the Bharat Mandapam venue before the meeting commenced this morning. The Union Finance Ministry had begun consultations on the budget a few days ago with different stakeholders of economy. Sitharaman has met economists, finance and capital market experts and industry bodies. Sitharaman chaired the first pre-budget consultations with leading economists on June 19. The meeting was attended by Union minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, the finance secretary, secretaries of the departments of economic affairs, revenue, financial services and corporate affairs and the chief economic adviser. Meanwhile, Sitharaman will also chair the 53rd <keyword id="19922145" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goods-and-Services-Tax" source="keywords">Goods and Services Tax</keyword> (GST) Council Meeting scheduled in the second half of the day. This is the first meeting of the <keyword id="19994390" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="GST-Council" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="GST Council" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="GST Council">GST council</keyword> after the formation of the new government. State finance ministers will also be present at the 53rd meeting of the Goods and Services Tax Council. As is the norm, the GST Council gets together to discuss issues pertaining to the GST regime, such as tax rates, modifications to policies, and administrative challenges. The Council is a key player in shaping India's indirect tax system, making sure that it facilitates company and citizen tax relief while also being in line with the country's economic objectives. The information on the agenda of Council meeting is not yet in public domain. However, the decisions and recommendations arising from the 53rd GST Council meeting will be closely watched by various stakeholders, including businesses, policymakers, and the general public, as they have the potential to influence taxation, trade, and overall dynamics. Goods and Services Tax was introduced in the country with effect from July 1, 2017, and states were assured compensation for loss of any revenue arising on account of the implementation of GST as per the provisions of the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017 for five years. Meanwhile, preparation has commenced for the Union budget 2024-25, the first for the third term of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led <keyword id="22141478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Democratic-Alliance-government" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="National Democratic Alliance government" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="National Democratic Alliance government">National Democratic Alliance government</keyword>.

Union Finance Minister Sitharaman chairs pre-budget meeting with finance ministers of states, UTs; GST Council to meet later today

New Delhi, 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 &amp; 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 paying 18 per cent on platform fee/commission are disputing the 28 per cent levy on actionable claims in the form of betting and gambling before various legal fora. "It is anticipated that the levy of 28 per cent on full face value, as recommended in the 50th <keyword id="6355040" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="gst-council" source="Orion">GST Council</keyword> meeting, will result in increase of revenue from current levels," Sitharaman added.

28% GST on face value in casinos, online gaming, horse racing will increase revenue collection: FM

The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (<keyword id="354719" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="fada" source="Orion">FADA</keyword>), the leading body of automobile retail in India, on Thursday submitted a critical representation to the Goods and Services Tax (<keyword id="6354679" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gst" source="Orion">GST</keyword>) Council, urging an immediate reduction in the GST rate on two-wheelers from the current 28 per cent to 18 per cent. This timely and decisive intervention is aimed at making two-wheelers more affordable, reviving demand and reinvigorating an industry that has seen a significant slump in sales over the past few years, according to a statement from FADA. FADA President Manish Raj Singhania affirmed, "The two-wheeler industry is at a critical juncture, grappling with unprecedented challenges such as rising inflation, stringent emission norms, and the post-COVID-19 effects in Bharat of India." He said this is the opportune moment for the GST Council to reduce the GST rate on two-wheelers, making them more accessible for the common man, thereby providing the much-needed boost to the industry, generating employment opportunities and fostering India's overall economic growth. FADA's compelling appeal has been forwarded to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, chair of the GST Council, all GST Council members; the Ministry of Heavy Industries, which supervises the automobile sector and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. This action underscores the urgency and significance of the issue, it added. FADA said over the past few years, the prices of various two-wheelers have risen significantly, impacting their affordability for consumers across India. This surge in prices can be attributed to multiple factors, including the rising cost of raw materials, stricter emission norms and higher taxes and levies, FADA said, adding that for instance, the price of the popular -- Honda Activa -- has escalated from Rs 52,000 in 2016 to Rs 88,000 in 2023. Similarly, the Bajaj Pulsar has witnessed a substantial increase from Rs 72,000 in 2016 to Rs 1,50,000 in 2023. The Hero Splendor and <keyword id="1871753" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tvs-jupiter" source="Orion">TVS Jupiter</keyword> have also experienced considerable price hikes over the same period, with their prices soaring from Rs 46,000 to Rs 74,801 and Rs 49,000 to Rs 88,498, respectively. The continuous rise in two-wheeler prices has consequently led to a decline in sales, emphasising the pressing need for intervention and GST rate reduction to restore the industry's growth trajectory, according to the statement. In 2016, two-wheelers accounted for 78 per cent of the total automobile sales in India. However, due to continuous price increases since 2020, this contribution has fallen to 72 per cent in FY23, underlining the impact of the steep price hike. FADA believes that a reduction in the GST rate will address several critical issues facing the industry, including rural distress, the transition from BS-4 to BS-6 emission norms and the sharp increase in two-wheeler prices. Lowering the GST rate will enhance the competitiveness of two-wheelers compared to other transportation modes, thereby increasing sales and revenue for the industry. The association also said two-wheelers play a pivotal role in providing affordable mobility to a large segment of India's population, especially in rural areas where public transportation is sparse. FADA also asserted that two-wheelers, being essential for millions, should not be categorised as sin goods or luxury items for GST taxation purposes. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-app-store-prevented-over-2-billion-in-fraudulent-transactions-last-year-banned-282-million-user-accounts/articleshow/100322718.cms">Apple App Store prevented over $2 billion in fraudulent transactions last year, banned 282 million user accounts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/electric-scooters-and-bikes-may-get-costlier-as-government-looks-to-revamp-the-fame-ii-scheme/articleshow/100321089.cms">Electric two wheelers may get costlier as government looks to revamp the FAME-II scheme</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/how-to-find-phone-numbers-registered-in-your-name-and-block-those-that-arent-yours/articleshow/100297548.cms">How to find phone numbers registered in your name and block those that aren’t yours</a>

Automobile dealers' association seeks GST cut on 2-wheelers from 28% to 18%

The Goods and Services Tax (<keyword id="6354679" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gst" source="Orion">GST</keyword>) Council held its 47th meeting last week and announced a slew of changes. It decided to bring more food items and services under its ambit, which might further strain already burdened <keyword id="1913721" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="family-budgets" source="Orion">family budgets</keyword>. <div type="image" title="GST changes might further strain already burdened family budgets" msid="92733185" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;GST changes might further strain already burdened family budgets&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> What is GST? The Goods and Services Tax is a uniform indirect tax that replaced almost all central taxes. It came into effect in July 2017 and <a href="https://www.adityabirlacapital.com/abc-of-money/taxes-replaced-by-gst">subsumed </a>more than 13 central and state-level taxes. Why the revisions in GST? GST rates were being revised to rationalise tax on certain goods and services to correct an inverted duty structure, said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Revised GST brings more food items under the tax slab Sitharaman chaired the meeting that included representatives of all states and UTs. A raft of decisions were taken at the meeting, including the withdrawal of the tax exemption on pre-packed and labelled retail items. Food items such as curd, lassi, puffed rice, buttermilk, meat (except frozen), fish, paneer, honey, dried leguminous vegetables, dried makhana, wheat and other cereals, wheat or meslin flour, jaggery, all goods and organic manure and coir pith compost will now attract a 5% tax from July 18. One of the reasons why unlabelled commodities were brought under the tax bracket was because some companies were seen to be misusing the provision of exempting unlabelled food items. The council also announced an 18% GST on fees charged by banks for the issue of cheques (loose or in book form). Maps and charts including atlases will attract a 12% levy. The council <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/gst-council-defers-tax-on-casinos-lottery/articleshow/92546658.cms">deferred </a>a decision on levying a 28% tax on casinos, online gaming, horse racing and lottery, pending more consultations with stakeholders. <div type="image" title="Revised GST brings more food items under the tax slab" msid="92733491" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Revised GST brings more food items under the tax slab&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Adding to the family bills The new 5% tax on pre-packaged and unpacked essential food items like rice, wheat is expected to add to inflationary concerns, leading to price hikes. Non-ICU hospital rooms costing ₹5,000 a day will now attract 5% GST. Hotel rooms costing under ₹1,000 a day will be brought under the 12% tax slab. Kitchenware knives, blades, spoons, forks and ladles have also been moved to the 18% tax slab, up from 12% earlier. What will be cheaper? There are a few commodities and services that will get cheaper after the recent GST revision. Tax rates on transport of goods and passengers via ropeways; and orthopaedic appliances like splints and artificial body parts have been reduced to 5%. Here a short video- <div type="image" title="Simply put: How will the GST council’s tax changes affect family budgets?" msid="92734429" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Simply put: How will the GST council&amp;#8217;s tax changes affect family budgets?&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

SIMPLY PUT: How will the GST council’s tax changes affect family budgets?

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

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

The <keyword id="6357307" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="central-government" source="Orion">central government</keyword> has released an amount worth Rs 17,000 crore to states and <keyword id="6357801" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="union" source="Orion">Union</keyword> territories towards the balance GST compensation for the period April to June 2022. The total amount of compensation released to the States/UTs so far, including thus Rs 17,000 crore, during the year 2022-23 is Rs 1,15,662 crore, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on Friday. "This is despite the fact that total Cess collection till October 2022 is only Rs.72,147 crore and the balance of Rs. 43,515 crores is being released by the Centre from its own resources. With this release, the Centre has released, in advance, the entire amount of Cess estimated to be collected this year till March-end available for payment of compensation to States," the statement added. This decision was taken to assist the States in managing their resources and ensuring that their programmes especially the expenditure on capital is carried out successfully during the financial year. "Even in May this year, the Central Government had released Rs. 86,912 crores as provisional GST compensation to States for the period Feb-May'2022 despite the fact that there was only about Rs. 25,000 crores in the GST Compensation Fund, by making arrangement of funds of around Rs. 62,000 crores from its own resources," the statement said. Goods and Services Tax was introduced in the country with effect from July 1, 2017, and states were assured compensation for loss of any revenue arising on account of the implementation of GST as per the provisions of the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017 for a period of five years. For providing compensation to States, Cess is levied on certain goods and the amount of Cess collected is being credited to Compensation Fund. Compensation to States is being paid out of the Compensation Fund with effect from July 1, 2017. In other news, Union Finance Minister <keyword id="2640262" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharman" source="Orion">Nirmala Sitharman</keyword> has chaired a pre-Budget meeting with the finance ministers of all States and Union Territories today for taking their inputs and suggestions for the upcoming Budget for 2023-24. Besides Sitharaman and state/UT finance ministers, Union MoS for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and <keyword id="1073554" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bhagwat-karad" source="Orion">Bhagwat Karad</keyword>, secretaries from various arms of the Union finance ministry, Chief Economic Advisor Anantha Nageswaran, among others attended the meeting. The Budget for 2023-24 is likely to be tabled on February 1. Notably, it will be the last full Budget for Modi 2.0 government before the <keyword id="6355187" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="Orion">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections to be held in April-May of 2024. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/india-uae-in-talks-for-rupee-dirham-denominated-bilateral-trade/articleshow/95766169.cms">India, UAE in talks for rupee-dirham denominated bilateral trade</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/forex-kitty-grows-for-2nd-consecutive-week-rises-2-54-bn-to-547-25-bn/articleshow/95767390.cms">Forex kitty grows for 2nd consecutive week; rises $2.54 bn to $547.25 bn</a>

Centre releases ₹17,000 cr as GST compensation to States/UTs

Road safety body <keyword id="164836" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="international-road-federation" source="Orion">International Road Federation</keyword> (<keyword id="6359592" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="irf" source="Orion">IRF</keyword>) wrote a letter to Union Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="Orion">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword>, demanding the removal of GST on life-saving device helmets for the safety of the two-wheeler riders in the forthcoming Union Budget 2023-24. "India accounts for about 11 per cent of road accident deaths worldwide and the economic loss is about $15.71-38.81 billion to the Indian Economy as per the latest <keyword id="10238204" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bosch-report" source="Orion">Bosch Report</keyword>. The two-wheeler riders, being the most vulnerable, constitute almost 31.4 per cent of road accidental deaths primarily due to head injuries. One of the most effective measures to reduce two-wheeler accident injuries and fatalities is the use of standard helmets," said K.K. <keyword id="121197" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="kapila" source="Orion">Kapila</keyword>, President Emeritus of, the International Road Federation (IRF) said in his letter. "The helmet usage in our country has been found to be low. It has been noticed that most of the two-wheeler riders fall into economically weaker and lower-income groups and prefer to purchase helmets which are cheaper and inferior in quality. Many of these helmets are not capable to save a rider's life, in case of an accident," Kapila stated. He said that currently, the applicable rate of GST on helmets, which is a life-saving devices, is 18 per cent. "I, as a proponent of Road Safety, strongly recommend that there should be no GST on helmets. This will help in making the standard helmets more affordable for the masses and will discourage them from buying helmets of substandard quality. This in turn will assist, not only in reducing road accident fatalities of two-wheeler riders but will also help in reducing the whooping GDP loss due to road accidents to our economy," Kapila added. As per Section 129 of the Central Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 wearing of helmets is mandatory for two-wheeler riders. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/iit-kanpur-to-collaborate-with-canadas-university-of-alberta-for-a-joint-degree-programme/articleshow/97125239.cms">IIT Kanpur to collaborate with Canada's University of Alberta for a joint degree programme</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/adani-enterprises-20000-crore-fpo-price-band-open-date-and-other-key-facts/slidelist/97129042.cms">Adani Enterprises ₹20,000 crore FPO: Price band, open date and other key facts to know</a>

You Searched For "gst effects" and got 13 results

Sitharaman urges tax officials to prevent doubts from escalating into grievances

ANI

Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill, provision on LTCG tax on property transactions amended

ANI

GST revenue collection for April 2024 highest ever at Rs 2.1 lakh crore

ANI

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

ANI

Union Finance Minister Sitharaman chairs pre-budget meeting with finance ministers of states, UTs; GST Council to meet later today

ANI

28% GST on face value in casinos, online gaming, horse racing will increase revenue collection: FM

PTI

Automobile dealers' association seeks GST cut on 2-wheelers from 28% to 18%

ANI

SIMPLY PUT: How will the GST council’s tax changes affect family budgets?

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

PTI

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

IANS

Centre releases ₹17,000 cr as GST compensation to States/UTs

ANI

Waive GST on helmets, road safety body urges FM ahead of the Union Budget

IANS

GST effect – Xiaomi, Samsung, Apple hike phone prices in India

Rounak Jain

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