The GST Council has recommended a uniform rate of 12 percent GST on all steel, iron, and aluminium milk cans. It has also reduced GST rates to 12 percent on all carton boxes and cases of both corrugated and non-corrugated paper or paperboard. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, speaking to the media after the 53rd GST Council meeting held today in New Delhi, also announced that services provided by the Indian Railways to the common man, including the sale of platform tickets, facility of retiring rooms and waiting rooms, and battery-operated car services, will not attract any GST.
Ms. Sitharaman also said that there is going to be a rollout of biometric-based Aadhaar authentication on an all-India basis. This will help the government combat fraudulent input tax credit claims made through fake invoices. The Minister said that to help small taxpayers, the Council has recommended extending the time limit to furnish details and returns in the form GSTR-4 from 30th April to 30th June.
Ms. Sitharaman also informed that the GST Council has recommended waiving interest and penalties for demand notices that have been issued under Section 73 of the GST Act, including cases not involving fraud, suppression, or misstatements. She said that for all those notices issued under Section 73 for the fiscal years 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20, the Council has recommended waiving interest and penalties on the demand notices that have been served.
GST Council recommends waiving interest and penalties for demand notices issued under Section 73 of the CGST Act (i.e. the cases not involving fraud, suppression or wilful misstatement, etc.) for the fiscal years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, if the full tax demanded is paid upto 31.03.2025.
GST Council recommends the time limit to avail input tax credit w.r.t. any invoice or debit note under Section 16(4) of CGST Act, through any GSTR 3B return filed upto 30.11.2021 for FY 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, may be deemed to be 30.11.2021
Council has recommends monetary limit of Rs. 20 lakh for GST Appellate Tribunal, Rs. 1 crore for High Court and Rs. 2 crore for Supreme Court, for filing of appeals by the Department, to reduce litigation
GST Council recommends reduction of the quantum of pre-deposit required to be paid for filing of appeals under GST
GST Council recommends amending provisions of CGST Act to provide that the three-month period for filing appeals in GST Appellate Tribunal will start from a date to be notified by the Government
To ease the interest burden of the taxpayers, GST Council recommends to not levy interest u/s 50 of CGST Act in case of delayed filing of return, on the amount which is available in Electronic Cash Ledger (ECL) on the due date of filing of the said return
GST Council recommends sunset clause from April 1st, 2025 for receipt of any new application for Anti-profiteering
GST Council recommends exemption from Compensation Cess leviable on the imports in SEZ by SEZ Unit/developer for authorised operations from 1st July, 2017
GST Council recommends 12% GST on milk cans (steel, iron, aluminum) irrespective of use; Carton, Boxes And Cases of both corrugated and non-corrugated paper or paper-board; Solar cookers whether single or dual energy source; and sprinklers including fire water sprinklers.
GST Council recommends exemption of certain services provided by Indian Railways to common man and also intra railway supplies
GST Council recommends certain exemptions related to accommodation services, providing relief to students and working professionals
GST Council recommends to roll-out the biometric-based Aadhaar authentication of registration applicants on pan-India basis in a phased manner
