GST Council likely to consider a review of 28% tax on online gaming at June 22 meeting, ETCFO

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The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is likely to consider a review of 28% tax on online gaming and clarification on several procedural matters at its next meeting on June 22 in the national capital.

The council may also take up recommendation of the fitment committee on inverted duty structure of 15 items, officials aware of the matter told ET. However, a broader process of rate rationalisation may be pushed for later, they said.

The council secretariat announced the date of the meeting in an X post on Thursday.

In November, the GST Council had reconstituted the group of ministers (GoM) on rate rationalisation, with Uttar Pradesh finance minister Suresh Kumar Khanna heading it. The GoM has not met even once since then.

It may be reconstituted again in view of the new governments taking charge in some states, and be given a fresh timeline to firm up its final report.

Detailed Agenda Shortly
Detailed agenda of the meeting is likely to be finalised in a day or two, officials cited above said.

The council is expected to review the decision to levy 28% GST on full value of bets for online gaming companies, which came into effect from October 1, 2023, they said. The council had agreed to review it after six months of implementation.

The industry expects the council to discuss the proposal of bringing natural gas and aviation turbine fuel under GST.

The apex decision body for GST could also take up a proposal for clarification on levy of tax on secondment of employees.

Industry also expects the council to issue clarifications on critical matters such as related-party transactions, employee stock option plan (Esop) taxation, corporate guarantee and inverted duty structure in textiles and fertilisers among others.

“The expected clarifications on critical matters such as related-party free-of-cost transactions and Esop taxation are also indicative of policymakers’ efforts to engage with industry stakeholders and streamline procedures based on feedback,” said Mahesh Jaising, partner at Deloitte India.

The GST Council had last met on October 7, 2023.