New Delhi: The government today ruled out
having a single rate for all commodities under the Goods and
Services Tax (GST) saying items like food products have been
placed at minimum taxation levels while luxury goods were in
the higher categories.
During the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley said there were countries which had applied a
uniform tax rate on all commodities but these were nations
where the entire population was above the poverty line.
In India, food items have been placed in zero or the
minimum slab while luxury items get taxed more, he said.
While the question of a single slab in India does not
arise, the process of rationalisation would continue, he said.
Many items which were earlier in the 28 per cent bracket
were brought into the 18 per cent bracket and this process of
rationalisation would continue, the minister said.
He also said the GST council had formed a committee under
the convenorship A B Pandey, chairman GSTN, to look into
issues relating to the filing of returns and suggest a simpler
mechanism to mitigate the compliance requirements for tax
payers.
"The committee shall recommend changes to be made in the
process of filing of returns in GST, including the threshold,
if any, for quarterly filing," he said.
The report of the committee will be placed before the GST
council for making recommendations on this issue, Jaitley
said.
PTI
