The GST regime has simplified taxation, brought stability and has been a success, enabling record collections ahead of targets, but there have been constant demands for rationalization of the GST rate structure. The present structure has multiple tax slabs, making compliance and administration complex.
Hence, industry experts are demanding lowering of tax slabs. According to them, the Group of Ministers’ recommendation of a new slab with a tax rate of 35% for tobacco products and carbonated or aerated beverage is contrary to the objective of GST rate rationalization, as with this, GST will now have an additional layer of tax slab.
It is also being mentioned in sections of the press that apart from proposing changes to the GST rate on tobacco and aerated beverages, the GoM is also deliberating revisions to tax slabs on a range of other goods, including ready-made garments, and luxury items like handbags and watches. The proposed increase in GST is likely to further reduce consumption and demand, impacting economic growth. The logic of pushing GST rates higher especially in an inflationary environment and falling demand does not appear to be prudent.
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Speaking on the impact of proposed increase in GST on aerated drinks, Upendra Nath Sharma,Partner, JSA, said, “As per a cross-country World Bank study on sugar-sweetened beverages, India has one of the highest tax rates for carbonated soft drinks at a total tax rate of 40% as of 2023. Countries like the UK and France have adopted a sugar-layered tax approach, i.e. high sugar/high tax and low sugar/low tax. Growing health consciousness in India has seen consumers switching to lower sugar content products, creating a new market for reformulated aerated beverages. However, a uniform tax on sugar carbonated drinks disincentivises producers from investing and innovating to produce products with low sugar content due to the high tax rate.”
A layered tax approach will enable producers to invest in manufacturing these products, leading to more jobs, and consequently more revenues for the government. “It will also bolster innovation, promote public health, while increasing revenues for the government. Higher costs would also lead to reduction in the manufacture and consumption of aerated drinks and result in an overall reduction of the government revenues,” he added.
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