GST rejig: Tax rate on 178 daily items reduced to 18% from 28%
In the biggest GST rejig yet, tax rates on over 200 items, ranging from chewing gum to chocolates, to beauty products, wigs and wrist watches, were on Friday cut to provide relief to consumers and businesses amid economic slowdown. As many as 178 items of daily use were shifted from the top tax bracket of 28 per cent to 18 per cent, while a uniform 5 per cent tax was prescribed for all restaurants, both AC and non-AC, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after the GST Council meeting here. Currently, 12 per cent GST on food bill is levied in non-AC restaurants and 18 per cent in air-conditioned ones. All these got input tax credit, a facility to set off tax paid on inputs with final tax. Jaitley said the restaurants, however, did not pass on the input tax credit to customers and so the facility is being withdrawn and a uniform 5 per cent tax is levied on all restaurants without the distinction of AC or non-AC. Restaurants in starred-hotels that charge Rs 7,500 ...