AGENCY
New Delhi: The GST Council has proposed to raise the peak tax rate to 20 per cent, from the current 14 per cent, in the model goods and services tax Bill to preclude the requirement of approaching Parliament for any change in rates in future.
The change in the peak rate will not alter the 4-slab rate structure of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent agreed upon last year, but is only a provision being built into the model law to take care of contingencies in future, officials said. The revised draft of model GST law, which was made public in November 2016, provides for a maximum rate of tax under the new regime at 14 per cent (14 per cent central GST and an equal state GST, taking the total to 28 per cent).
“There shall be levied a tax called the central/state goods and services tax (CGST/SGST) on all intra-state supplies of goods and/or services… at such rates as may be notified by the central/state government… but not exceeding 14 per cent on the recommendation of the Council and collected in such manner as may be prescribed,” the draft law states.
Officials said this “14 per cent” will now be changed to say the rate will not exceed “20 per cent”.
The GST Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising representatives of all states, has agreed to keep the upper band of the rate in the law at 20 per cent.
“For the moment, we will not tinker with the rate structure of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent. The GST Council has decided to keep the upper cap higher at 20 per cent so that in future in case of need to hike tax rate, there is no need to approach Parliament for a nod and the GST Council can raise it,” the officials said.
This means the central GST and state GST can be up to 20 per cent each, leaving the scope for a maximum levy at 40 per cent.
The government is looking at GST rollout from July 1.
