GST Rates in India 2024

What is GST?

Goods and Services Tax? The Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India is a single, comprehensive, multi-stage, destination-based tax on the supply of goods and services. GST is an indirect tax that is imposed on the supply of goods and services. In India, GST Law has subsumed various other indirect tax laws that were earlier there.

The GST is a Value-added Tax (VAT) and is implied at every stage of product processing or what is known as production-chain in the domestic market. Earlier, manufacturers or producers used to be levied indirect taxes which included the central excise duty, VAT, entry tax, and octroi. That has changed now.

Under the multistage mode, the types of GST to be charged in India are Central GST, State GST and Integrated GST. The information that we assume regarding the impact of GST must be based on the data available on the GST Portal. The prices of goods, along with some sectors like telecom and information technology which led to a rise in the prices of the goods and services will be affected.

Current GST Rate Structure

The GST rates in India are divided into five slabs such as 0%, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%, applicable to both goods and services.

Each category of goods or services has been slotted into various slabs taking into account the essentiality of goods and services and the level of goods and services. Goods and Services Taxes (GST) rates on each sector and all products have been implemented accordingly by the Government to achieve policy objectives in different segments.

0% GST Rate: Goods such as fresh vegetables, unbranded natural honey, and educational services, which are considered necessities, remain exempt from GST to alleviate undue burden on consumers.

5% GST Rate: This category encompasses essential commodities slightly higher in the value chain, including packaged food items, footwear priced under Rs. 500, and certain textiles. The aim is to maintain a relatively low tax incidence on essential goods. Items within this bracket include cashew nuts, edible oils, spices, tea, coffee, and coal.

12% GST Rate: Items like butter, ghee, mobile phones, and certain processed foods fall under this moderate tax rate. It is applied to goods and services considered standard necessities. Products within this category include butter, cheese, ghee, dry fruits, and processed food items.

18% GST Rate: This is charged on goods and services such as hair oil, soaps, and some electronic items including computers and printers. It generally focuses on goods and services with a larger luxe element. Some of the categories around this bracket are soap, toothpaste, hair oil, FMCG, etc.

28% GST Rate: Applies to luxury products and demerit goods—examples include aerated beverages, high-end motorcycles, and large appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators. Also, items in this category are capital and sin goods such as BMW, cigarettes and aerated drinks.

Moreover, certain items may be subject to cesses ranging from 1% to 15% to address externalities associated with their consumption.

The table below summarises the different GST Rates in India.

Recent Adjustments and Rationale

Amendments were made to the Goods and Services Tax rates in India in 2024 to diffuse the inverted duty structure and increase revenue without bringing undue burden on the common man.

The Official Council also made changes to GST rates on several other items—the most notable being the hike in the tax rate on textiles and garments from 5% to 12%—a step that is being viewed as the culmination of a series of steps taken by the government, following the industry’s demands to deal with the issue of cascading of taxes, which was a result of the inverted duty structure.

GST Rates on Services

The GST structure for services is similar to that for goods, with goods and services falling under the same four tax slabs for rates. Essential services as well as services provided by the Government will be taxed at 0% as such services are subsidized by the government and allow the cost of such services to be reduced.

Services that fall under the rate of GST at 5% are services that are provided to the public at large and are in concordant with the other rates of tax incidence for similarly taxable products, as such a tax rate would be in ‘pari pasu’.

Services that fall under the GST rate of 12% are considered tax rates, for it is a rate that can avoid inflation and minimal automotive effects. Therefore, GST violation provisions shall be severely penalised the upright parties are the business creditors.

For the services, which are in between that public and that are limited open to those public or another, would be charged 18% of goods and services.

Lastly, the remainder of the GST rate of 28% on services that are not mentioned afore could be considered as Luxurious services, 28% on services that occur in a five-star restaurant or that aroma massage at a resort.

GST Rates on Cars

Since the implementation of GST on cars, the GST rates on all personal use vehicles have been fixed at 28%, no matter whether the vehicle is petrol-powered or diesel-driven. However, a composition cess is also levied on cars over the announced GST rates. This, in turn, estimated the applicable tax rates on vehicles under GST between 29% to 50%. However, vehicles using cleaner technologies such as fuel cells (e.g. hydrogen fuel cells) and electric vehicles attract subsidised lower rates of taxation.

GST Rates on Real Estate

In the real estate sector, the GST is levied only on the purchase of an under-development property. After the inclusion of real estate under the GST regime, the applicable tax rates on commercial and residential transactions were 12%, valid till 31st March 2019.

But, from the very next day, the effective loan amount will increase due to higher GST rates by 3% over Service Tax rates. At the same time, others say that increased GST rates will increase EMIs. However, all the doubts of people will also be cleared that GST is not collected on repayment of loan or payment of interest on the GST is levied on the processing charges and any other charges rather than the principal repayment and interest payment amount.

GST Rates on Loans

The rate of Service Tax was 15%, which has now increased to 18% for GST. According to the opinion of lots of people, the effective loan amount will increase due to higher GST rates by 3% over Service Tax rates. At the same time, others say that increased GST rates will increase EMIs.

However, all the doubts of people should also be cleared that GST is not collected on repayment of loan or payment of interest on the GST is levied on the processing charges and any other charges rather than the principal repayment and interest payment amount, among others, the included charges are Loan Processing, Loan Prepayment Charges, etc, if any. Since a major part of the loan repayment consists of principal repayment and interest payment, the GST effect on loans would tend to be negligible.

Impact on the Economy

The GST implementation has massively impacted the Indian economy. It has removed the complex nature of the multiple taxes and has made the nation a single market. The prices of the goods are now known to all the people, and it is being known to everyone that the business is not cheating on the prices.

Challenges and Protests

Despite the above benefits of GST, it receives criticism in equal measure from all quarters of the country. Traders and small business owners countrywide demonstrated against the regulations effect, its complexity, and higher tax burden.

Many Traders hold the view of higher taxes imposed on major sectors like textiles and footwear. Many of the stakeholders suggest that a structured and less burdening GST compliance structure will not disrupt the smooth movement to the business environment.

Looking Forward

As GST evolves, you can expect further refinements based on feedback from various stakeholders. The Government is committed to continuing to fine-tune the system, to strike a better balance between revenue collection, economic growth, and consumer affordability.

Conclusion

In the next five years, the GST rates are expected to undergo further refinements as the authorities attempt to tweak this critical tax reform to its optimal level. While obstacles loom large, the movement is generally positive, bringing in a more unified and equitable tax regime, which is key to fostering a more competitive and inclusive economy. In line with moving forward, the main thrust will continue to involve tweaking the structure of the taxes to optimise revenues from these taxes while ensuring the lower strata of society are not accountable for a large share of it.

Swipe: Your Solution for Simplified GST Compliance in 2024 India

While examining the revised GST rates for 2024, small and medium enterprises are confronted with the continual task of effectively adjusting to these modifications. Given that the rates vary from one sector to the next, companies must remain within the confines of the law, all the while not devoting an inordinate amount of time and money to the cause.

Enter Swipe, the ultimate tool for seamless GST compliance. Where managing GST rates used to be a series of frustrating puzzles, Swipe neatly eliminates the guesswork. With automated tax calculations, and toggling options to deal with 5%, 12%, 18%, or 28%, you just have to focus on running your business.

Swipe offers real-time GST reports and customised invoice templates that automatically detect current tax slabs, for the best prices. So whether it's the standard 18% on electronics or the mind-numbing textiles rates, your billing will always be precise and compliant.

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