The GST Council may trim down tax slab on bath fittings, cement, and steel products
NEW DELHI: The GST Council may trim down the number of products in the highest slab, following a series of complaints by state finance ministers, who have disputed that a number of common-use products face a 28% levy, causing suffering to people.
A number of objects like bath fittings, cement, steel products such as rods used for construction are in the crest group and do not belong there. "The idea was to categorize the goods and services into merit and non-merit goods with the non-merit goods in the top bracket. But we have gone beyond that," said a state finance minister, who has typically sided with the Centre on most concerns.
The second state FM said the issue is likely to talk about at the next meeting of the Council scheduled in Guwahati, given the concerns articulated by several states.
"In the medium-term, the intent is to move to fewer slabs," the minister said. Finance minister Arun Jaitley had last week reiterated the plan to move to fewer slabs in the future.
Some of the state government officials also consider that the 28% levy was also resulting in seller’s evasion taxes as it is pretty common for shopkeepers to counsel buyers to pay in cash, where no invoice is issued.
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