What is GST? Understanding of the Concept
Also known as Goods and Services Tax, GST is a unified tax system implemented to unify the fragmented indirect tax structure. It was introduced in the budget speech presented on 28 February 2006. Later, it came into effect on 1 July 2017 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a collaborative initiative by the Government of India (GoI).
In simplified terms, GST is a type of tax created to replace various indirect taxes under a single system. It’s considered a destination-based, multi-stage and value addition tax levied at each stage of value addition. With the replacement of multiple indirect taxes, India achieved the goal of the “One Nation One Tax” motto. It’s now widely used all over the nation to propel the overall economic growth of India through a uniform taxation system.
Under the GST regime, the tax is levied on the final market price of services and goods manufactured and sold within the Indian boundary. It’s mandatory for customers within India must pay the final price of the consumer goods. Further, the seller has to pay the collected amount to the government as per the policies.
Key Characteristics of GST: Multi-Stage, Destination-Based & Value Addition
Here we’ll delve deeper into these key characteristics of GST that come into play during the supply chain to ensure efficient tax processing.
- Multi-Stage Taxation
Under this GST Framework, tax is usually applied on the product’s journey through the supply chain. It includes various key stages like raw material purchase, manufacturing of the product, warehousing, wholesale and retail sale. Overall, whether it’s a production or a final sale, GST is imposed on all these stages. - Destination-Based Taxation:
In this kind of taxation, the GST is levied at the point of consumption instead of origin.
For instance, the consumer good is manufactured in Kolkata. However, it’s now sold in Tamil Nadu. In such scenarios, the GST collected will go to Tamil Nadu as the destination state instead of Kolkata. Through this provision, the state where goods are consumed gets benefitted. - Value-Added Taxation (VAT):
In value addition taxation the GST is applied to the value added at a specific stage. It’s implemented to ensure that only increased value is taxed.
For instance, the manufacturer prepares a biscuit by adding flour and sugar. Then the manufacturer is baking biscuits further, resulting in the addition of value. The product is packed and labeled, increasing the worth of the product. Finally, the product is packaged, distributed and marketed to consumers, further adding value. Each step and increment in the value results in GST being applied.
Different Types of Goods & Service Tax (GST) in India
Presently, GST has been segregated into four major sections. They’re divided depending on the kind of transactions. To offer you more clarification, here’re the extensive details regarding them.
- CGST (Central Goods and Services Tax)
This GST tax is applied to the supply of intra-state products. This form of tax is charged by the Central Government. For example, a transaction happening within Punjab. - SGST (State Goods and Services Tax)
It’s considered as the tax that is collected by the state government/union territories within a state. It’s been used to replace value-added tax, entry tax, state sale tax, surcharges, and cesses. - IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax)
Under this framework, the tax is collected by the Central Government for an inter-state sale. It basically means that when businesses transfer products or services from one state to another then the taxation happens. - UTGST (Union Territory Goods and Services Tax)
This kind of taxation applies to the products and services sold in the Union Territories like Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Daman & Diu, Delhi, Chandigarh etc.
These taxes are collected in the form of intra-state and inter-state transactions.
GST Levy and Revenue Share | Intra-State Sale | Inter-State Sale |
Goods and Services Tax | SGST+CGST | IGST |
Share of Revenue | The revenue is collected and shared equally between the central and state governments.
| The generated revenue is collected by the central government. It’s further shared as per the goods’ destination. |
GST Slabs and Tax Rates in India
Presently, the GST rate consists of 4 major slabs, which are mainly rated as 0%, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%. For detailed information, see the table below.
Category | GST Rate | Examples of Goods & Services |
Essential Goods & Services | 0% (Exempted) | Fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, educational services, healthcare services |
Basic & Standard Goods | 5% | Processed food, tea, coffee, medicines, railway tickets, hotels (₹1,001-₹7,500 per night) |
General Goods & Services | 18% | Mobile phones, restaurants, AC hotels, financial services, IT services, cosmetics |
Luxury & Sin Goods | 40% | Automobiles, cigarettes, aerated drinks, five-star hotels, gambling, luxury items |
All these rates or percentages are reviewed by the GST Council regularly. Based on the different economic and industrial conditions, the council makes adjustments.
Benefits of Government Service Tax (GST)
GST often comes with several salient features and benefits. However, these special features may vary as they can evolve based on the economic landscape and governmental decisions. Now, let’s explore the benefits of GST.
Achieved the Ideology of “One Nation, One Tax”
GST has created a uniform tax structure by replacing central and state government-imposed taxes. This has further eliminated the cascading effect, which is a tax on the tax system.
Optimal Transparency & Increased Compliance
The enforcement of GST significantly enhanced tax compliance through digitalization and maintenance of electronic records. This has further brought their businesses into a formal economic landscape.
Preventing Excessive Profit-Making
This ensures that no business is indulged in unfair practices to attain higher profits. The National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) constantly monitors the activities of individuals involved in businesses.
Streamlining & Optimization of Logistics
After the implementation of GST, the entire logistic procedure was streamlined. The framework drastically reduced the need to maintain warehouses, leading to the reduction of unnecessary taxes. It even enhanced the overall logistics operation, ensuring faster transportation of goods.
Increased Government Revenue
The expanded tax base, enhanced compliances, enforcement of stringent laws, uniform tax structure, and diverse economic activities contributed to higher government revenue. It further maintained the optimal level of transparency and reduced tax evasion tremendously
Conclusion: The Future of GST in India
Overall, the scope and future of goods service tax (GST) in India look promising. It aims to simplify tax compliances, minimize tax evasion and boost economic growth. In addition to the enhanced tax slabs, enhanced efficiency in diverse industrial verticals and unified digital tax systems have further reinforced India’s financial realm. As businesses widely adopt such a framework, follow the rules and regulations and be more transparent, then surely the GST framework of India will drive the nation’s economic growth to new heights in the future.