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[India] Pay 5% GST on pre-packed, labelled food items, hospital rooms above ₹5,000 from Monday.

Pay 5% GST on pre-packed, labelled food items, hospital rooms above ₹5,000 from Monday - The Hindu

Pay 5% GST on pre-packed, labelled food items, hospital rooms above ₹5,000 from Monday​

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PTI
NEW DELHIJULY 17, 2022 11:20 IST
UPDATED: JULY 17, 2022 11:20 IST
  • File photo for representation.
    File photo for representation.

Hotel rooms with tariff of up to ₹1,000/day, maps and charts, including atlases, will attract a 12% GST​


Customers will have to pay 5% GST on pre-packed, labelled food items like atta, paneer and curd, besides hospital rooms with rent above ₹5,000 from Monday with the GST Council's decision coming into force.
In addition, hotel rooms with tariff of up to ₹1,000/day, maps and charts, including atlases, will attract a 12% Goods and Services Tax (GST), while 18% GST will be levied on tetra packs and fees charged by banks for the issue of cheques (loose or in book form).
Last month, the GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising her state counterparts, had pruned the exemption list and imposed tax on a host of goods and services.
The Council, based on an interim report of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on rate rationalisation, had also removed duty inversion for goods where the taxes on inputs were higher than those on the output.
Tax rates on products such as printing, writing or drawing ink; knives with cutting blades, paper knives and pencil sharpeners; LED lamps; drawing and marking out instruments will be hiked to 18% on Monday, from 12% currently, to correct the inverted duty anomaly.
Also, solar water heater will now attract 12% GST as compared to 5% earlier.
Some services such as work contracts for roads, bridges, railways, metro, effluent treatment plants and crematoriums too will see tax going up to 18% from the current 12%.
Besides, taxes will be cut on on ostomy appliances and on transport of goods and passengers by ropeways to 5% from July 18, from 12%.
Renting of truck, goods carriage where the cost of fuel is included will now attract a lower 12% rate as against 18%.
GST exemption on the transport of passengers by air to and from northeastern states and Bagdogra will be restricted to economy class only.
Services rendered by regulators such as RBI, IRDA and SEBI will be taxed at 18% and so will be renting of a residential dwelling to business entities.
Bio-medical waste treatment facilities shall attract 12% GST, while non-ICU hospital rooms exceeding ₹5,000/day will be levied 5% GST, without input tax credit, to the extent of the amount charged for the room.
Besides, individuals will only be able to claim GST exemption for training or coaching in recreational activities relating to arts or culture or sports.
Also, electric vehicles, whether or not fitted with a battery pack, would be eligible for the concessional GST rate of 5% from July 18.
AMRG & Associates Senior Partner Rajat Mohan said healthcare services by a clinical establishment have enjoyed a tax-neutral status under Indian tax laws for decades now.
The government has now notified that all such clinical establishments including hospitals, nursing homes, and sanatorium would be liable to pay tax on the gross room rentals which is more than ₹5,000 per day.
"The striking question which comes to mind regarding the amendment is that since the treatment provided by the medical establishments is a composite supply, different elements of the referred transaction cannot be vivisected artificially for imposing new tax liabilities. Underlying notification seems to be ultra vires the provision of section 8 that mandates a single tax on all composite supply transactions," Mr. Mohan added.
 
The GST is put on packaged food and therefore is expected to target the middle class who may not feel that 5% pinches their wallet. Nevertheless, GST on staple food is a terrible idea.

It would be interesting to see if the increases in GST can offset the fuel price decrease. As per last budget, fiscal deficit was supposed to be 6% 🤔
 
Modi government is anti poor and anti middle class. GST on daily staple food is direct attack on the poor. Govt could have raised GST on lot of high ticket items/luxury items.
 
I read in another newspaper that post GST era the weighted average tax rate is hovering at around 11% as compared to 14.5% pre GST era. They are wanting to get back to that average. Not a good idea. Inflation is quite crazy already. They need to go on an austerity drive if they cannot manage the budget. If gross collection is not an issue then this greedy step is badly timed
 
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Putting GST on essential items is not the way to go, I can understand if GST is hiked on diamonds, gems, hotel rooms > 10,000, cars more than 50L etc.. Not to forget oil is not under GST, which means it should cost less if it were under GST.
 
Putting GST on essential items is not the way to go, I can understand if GST is hiked on diamonds, gems, hotel rooms > 10,000, cars more than 50L etc.. Not to forget oil is not under GST, which means it should cost less if it were under GST.

People cannot live without food hence tax on essential items gaurantees tax revenue to the government. If you put taxes on non essential items like cars or diamonds, people will just stop buying and government will lose all tax revenue.
 
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People cannot live without food hence tax on essential items gaurantees taxe revenue to the government. If you put taxes on non essential items like cars or diamonds, people will just stop buying and government will lose all tax revenue.
Cruel, but true.

Some would argue that direct taxes should be increased and the rich should be taxed more. But there are not enough rich or high income people in India to compensate for drop in indirect tax revenue. Most rich capitalists that people balk at are deeply leveraged. They live with borrowed money and a healthy dose of optimism. :undecided:
 
Not a good idea to raise taxes when middle class is already suffering from inflation.
 
It seems everyone of you is smarter than Modi. And there are trillions of you. Why don't you elect someone better? Go ahead and vote, "you", I mean every India poster in this thread, can make a "difference"(in India accent):azn:
 
Doesn't matter which county. The poor always get shafted.
 
Doesn't matter which county. The poor always get shafted.
Here Its salaried middle class which is getting most of the burn. Middle class is always like step children no matter which govt is there....poors are still getting free ration, oil and stuff anyways.
 
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People cannot live without food hence tax on essential items gaurantees tax revenue to the government. If you put taxes on non essential items like cars or diamonds, people will just stop buying and government will lose all tax revenue.
It hurts me to read this and not have a counter. But it’s true. Like a public policy recommendation straight from hell. 🤦🏽‍♂️
 

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