GST: One Nation, One Tax, One Market
Goods and Service Tax (GST) is the single comprehensive indirect tax, operational from 1 July 2017, on the supply of goods and services, right from the manufacturer/service provider to the consumer. It is a destination-based consumption tax with the facility of Input Tax Credit in the supply chain. It is applicable throughout the country with one rate for one type of goods/service. It has amalgamated a large number of Central and State taxes and cesses. It has replaced a large number of taxes on goods and services levied on the production/sale of goods or the provision of services.
As there have been a number of intermediate goods/services, which were manufactured/provided in the economy, the pre-GST tax regime imposed taxes not on the value added at each stage but on the total value of the commodity/service with minimal facility for utilization of Input Tax.
Credit (ITC): The total value included taxes paid on intermediate goods/services. This amounted to a cascading tax. Under GST, the tax is discharged at every stage of supply, and the credit of tax paid at the previous stage is available for set-off at the next stage of supply of goods and/or services. It is thus effectively a tax on value addition at each stage of supply. In view of our large and fast-growing economy, it aims to establish parity in taxation across the country and extend principles of ‘value-added taxation’ to all goods and services.
It has replaced various types of taxes/cesses levied by the Central and State/UT Governments. Some of the major taxes that were levied by the Centre were Central Excise Duty, Service Tax, Central Sales Tax, and Cesses like KKC and SBC. The major State taxes were VAT/Sales Tax, Entry Tax, Luxury Tax, Octroi, Entertainment Tax, Taxes on Advertisements, Taxes on Lottery/Betting/Gambling, and State Cesses on goods. These have been subsumed in GST.
Five petroleum products have been kept out of GST for the time being, but with the passage of time, they will get subsumed in GST. State Governments will continue to levy VAT on alcoholic liquor for human consumption. Tobacco and tobacco products will attract both GST and Central Excise Duty. Under GST, there are six standard rates applied: 0%, 3%, 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28% on the supply of all goods and/or services across the country.