Goods and Services Tax Tweak: Idli Batter, Raincoats Among 40 Household Items to Cost Less

New Delhi: The GST Council has lowered the taxes on about 40 products, including daily use ones like idli and dosa batter, raincoat, brooms and corduroy fabric.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, at its 21st meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday, also decided to reduce levy on computer monitors of up to 20 inches, cotton quilts, rubber bands and kitchen gas lighters.

As per the list of items uploaded on the website of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), khadi fabric sold through KVIC shops have been exempted from GST, which was implemented from July 1.

Also, rate on saree fall, dhoop batti, corduroy fabric, walnut, dried tamarind and roasted gram has been brought down to 5 percent, from 12 percent earlier.

The rate revision in these 40 items followed after the fitment committee noticed anomalies in GST levied in these products.

Accordingly, plastic raincoats and rubber bands have been fitted in the slab of 18 percent and 12 percent, respectively, as against the earlier 28 percent.

Idli and dosa batter will attract 12 percent GST, against 18 percent before, while brooms and brushes have been totally exempted from the levy.

Kitchen gas lighters will attract 18 percent compared to 28 percent GST earlier while prayer beads will fall in the 5 percent slab against 18 percent previously.

As against 28 percent, computer monitors with size of up to 20 inches will attract 18 percent-- thus bringing it on par with those whose screen size is up to 17 inches.

Cotton quilts costing up to Rs 1,000 will attract 5 percent while those above that will face 12 percent GST, against the earlier uniform rate of 18 percent.

Tableware, kitchenware, other household items and toilet articles of porcelain or china or those other than porcelain or china clay will be levied 12 percent against 18 percent and 28 percent, respectively.

All goods, including bells, gongs and the like, non-electric, of base metal; statuettes and other ornaments of base metal will attract 12 percent GST compared to 18 percent earlier.

(with PTI inputs)