The Rs 35,000-cr business of making India GST-ready

Some of the players in the GST race are Payworld, Dell, Tally Solutions

 

 

The past few days have been ‘taxing’ for Pawan Kumar Gupta, in a race against time to become compliant with the requirement for the coming national goods and services tax (GST).

A hardware and bathroom fittings supplier, he’s been zeroing on GST-ready commercial computers and hiring three new accountants, adept with the new intricacies, among other things. A checklist in hand, Gupta is making notes on the things that have to be done before July 1, when GST becomes a reality. Till now, he has spent around Rs 2 lakh in equipping himself for the transition.

National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data from 2013 say there are around 57.7 million registered small and medium traders. Beside, at least 15 million retailers and hundreds of thousands of offline and online ventures would all come under the new tax net. The money they’d spend for this over the next two years would be over Rs 35,000 crore, say experts.

 

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In the past eight months, the huge spending potential has created a new sector, of GST enablers. These include providers of computer hardware and software. And, legal, technical and personnel support and services. Every small entity is investing its money to comply with the new regime.

Unlike the value added tax (VAT), say experts, GST is fully computerised, with many layers only professional accountants can understand. So, the demand for computers and skilled personnel will rise.

 

Competition is already on between hardware companies. “We are eyeing the lion’s share of the market and are prepared with our solutions. We have an outreach programme for traders. We believe we would see immediate returns for the next six months to one year,” said Pankaj Harjai, director of the small and medium business at (read more...)

 

 

 

 

GST Council reduces tax rates of 66 items

Council had received representations for 133 items; GST on movie tickets below Rs 100 cut to 18%

 

 

Tax rates on certain kitchen items like pickles and mustard sauce, as well as movie tickets costing up to Rs 100 have been lowered as the Centre and states today reduced levies on 66 items.

Movie tickets costing Rs 100 and below will now attract 18% tax, as against 28% proposed earlier, while those above Rs 100 will continue to attract 28% GST.

Kitchen use items like pickles, mustard sauce and morabba will attract 12% GST, as against 18% proposed earlier. Also, tax rates on cashew nuts have been cut to 5% from 12%.

 

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The GST Council also decided that traders, manufacturers and restaurant owners with turnover of up to Rs 75 lakh can opt for a composition scheme and pay taxes at the rate of 1, 2, and 5% respectively.

The Council also lowered GST rates on children's drawing books to nil from 12%. Computer printers will attract 18% tax as against 28% earlier.

GST on insulin and agarbatti has also been lowered to 5%, while school bags will attract tax of 18%.

Tax rate on kajal has been lowered to 18% from 28%.

 

 

"GST Council has reduced tax rates of 66 items as against representations received for 133 items," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters here after the 16th meeting of the GST Council.

Next meeting of the Council will be on June 18, when it will take up lottery taxes and e-way bill.

On the issue of review of GST rate on hybrid cars, it was decided that the council will take it up after considering states' comments on a detailed paper issued on the matter earlier.