177 items to become cheaper as GST Council decides to trim 28% slab

Only 50 items, mostly demerit, sin and luxury goods, to remain in the highest tax bracket of 28%

 

GST council meeting : In a major relief to consumers and industry, the Goods & Services Tax (GST) Council on Friday decided to lower the rates for 177 items in the highest tax slab of 28 per cent.

In the first half of the meeting taking place in Guwahati, the Council decided to trim the 28% GST slab to just 50 items, as against 227 items currently. High-end items, including automobiles, washing machine, refrigerator, sin goods like paan masala and cigar are among these 50 items. This is the biggest reduction seen since the GST implementation on July 1. 

"We decided to also look into the remaining 62 items and see if there is a scope for reducing rates on those items as well," said a state government official.

The Council decided to go beyond the recommendation of the fitment committee to thin the 28 per cent slab to 62 items and decided to additionally lower the rates for 12 more items.(economy today)

Shaving cream, beauty products, chocolates, chewing gum, marble and granite are among the additional 12 items for reduction to 18 per cent, beyond the fitment committee recommendation.

"We identified 12 more items, which will now be reduced to 18 per cent," said a government official who did not wish to be named.

"All decisions have been taken unanimously by the GST Council. Elections have nothing to do with decisions to be taken by the Council," said Haryana Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu....