47th GST Council Meeting: Clarification on GST rate

The GST Council’s 47th meeting was held in Chandigarh on June 28th and 29th, 2022 under the chairmanship of the Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. The GST Council has inter-alia clarified following on GST rate:

A. Clarification on GST rate w.r.t Goods

1. Electric vehicles whether or not fitted with a battery pack, are eligible for the concessional GST rate of 5%.
2. All fly ash bricks attract same concessional rate irrespective of fly ash content
3. Stones covered in S. No.123 of Schedule-I (such as Napa stones), even if they are ready to use and polished in minor ways [not mirror polished], attract concessional GST rate of 5%.
4. The GST rate on all forms of mango under CTH 0804, including mango pulp (other than mangoes sliced, dried) attract GST at the 12%. Entry is also being amended to make this amply clear. Raw or fresh mangoes continue to be exempt.
5. Sewage treated water is exempted from GST and is not the same as purified water provided in S. No. 99 of notification 2/2017-CT(Rate). The word ‘purified’ is being omitted to make this amply clear.
6. Nicotine Polarilex Gum attracts a GST rate of 18%.
7. The condition of 90% fly ash content with respect to fly ash bricks applies only to fly ash aggregate, and not fly ash bricks. As a simplification measure, the condition of 90% content is being omitted.

B. Clarification on GST rate w.r.t Services

1. Due to ambiguity in GST rates on supply of ice-cream by ice-cream parlours, GST charged @ 5% without ITC on the same during the period 1.07.2017 to 5.10.2021 shall be regularized to avoid unnecessary litigation.
2. Application fee charged for entrance or for issuance of eligibility certificate for admission or issuance of migration certificate by universities is exempt from GST.
3. Ginned or baled fibre is covered in entry 24B of notification No. 12/2017- Central Tax (Rate) dated 28.06.2017 in the category of raw vegetable fibres. The exemption under this entry is being rationalized
4. Services associated with transit cargo both to and from Nepal and Bhutan are covered by exemption under entry 9B of notification No. 12/2017-CT(R) dated 28.06.2017.
5. Activity of selling of space for advertisement in souvenirs published in the form of books is eligible for concessional GST at 5%.
6. Renting of vehicle with operator for transportation of goods on time basis is classifiable under Heading 9966 (rental services of transport vehicles with operators) and attracts GST at 18%.GST on such renting where cost of fuel is included in the consideration charged is being prescribed at 12%.
7. Allowing choice of location of a plot is part of supply of long term lease of plot of land. Therefore, location charge or preferential location charges (PLC) are part of consideration charged for long term lease of land and shall get the same treatment under GST.
8. Services provided by the guest anchors to TV channels in lieu of honorarium attract GST.
9. Additional fee collected in the form of higher toll charges from vehicles not having Fastag is essentially payment of toll for allowing access to roads or bridges to such vehicles and shall be given the same tax treatment as given to toll charges.
10. Services in form of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)/ In vitro fertilization (IVF) are covered under the definition of health care services for the purpose of exemption under GST.
11. Sale of land after leveling, laying down of drainage lines etc. is sale of land and does not attract GST.
12. Renting of motor vehicles for transport of passengers to a body corporate for a period (time) is taxable in the hands of body corporate under RCM.
13. The expression ‘public transport’ used in the exemption entry at SI No. 17(d) of notification No. 12/2017-CT(R), which exempts transport of passengers by public transport other than predominantly for tourism purpose, in a vessel between places located in India, means that such transport should be open to public for point to point transport [e.g. such transport in Andaman and Nicobar islands].

The Press release can be accessed at - https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1838020