Govt. hikes GST for household items

Council hikes tax on over two dozen goods and services from July 18

From July 18, tax hikes will kick in for over two dozen goods and services, ranging from unbranded food items, curd and buttermilk to low-cost hotels, cheques and maps, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council decided after a two-day meet that concluded on Wednesday.

Tax rates will be lowered for about half-a-dozen goods and services, including ropeways and truck rentals where fuel costs are included, and scrapped for items imported by private vendors for use by defence forces.

At the meeting, over a dozen States wanted the GST compensation to continue for some more time.

The upward changes in GST levies include tweaks for 17 goods and services, to correct anomalies that had crept in from inverted duty structures where tax rates on inputs were higher than the final product.