GST Council 31st meeting -Changes in GST rate on Services/Exemptions

GST Council in the 31^st meeting held on 22^nd December, 2018 at New Delhi took following decisions relating to changes in GST rates, ITC eligibility criteria, exemptions and clarifications on connected issues.The decisions of the GST Council have been presented in this note in simple language for easy understanding. The same would be given effect to through Gazette notifications/ circulars which shall have force of law.

Reduction inGST rates/exemptions on services:

1. GST rate on cinema tickets above Rs. 100 shall be reducedfrom 28% to 18% and on cinema tickets uptoRs. 100 from 18% to 12%.
2. GST rate on third party insurance premium of goods carrying vehicles shall be reduced from 18% to 12%
3. Services supplied by banks to Basic Saving Bank Deposit (BSBD) account holders under Pradhan Mantri Jan DhanYojana (PMJDY) shall be exempted.
4. Services supplied by rehabilitation professionals recognised under Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992 at medical establishments, educational institutions, rehabilitation centers established by Central Government / State Government or Union Territories or entity registered under section 12AA of the Income-tax Actshall be exempted.
5. Services provided by GTA to Government departments/local authorities which have taken registration only for the purpose of deducting tax under Section 51 shall be excluded from payment of tax under RCM and the same shall be exempted. 
6. Exemption on services provided by Central or State Government or Union Territory Government to their undertakings or PSUs by way of guaranteeing loans taken by them from financial institutions is being extended to guaranteeing of such loans taken from banks.
7. Air travel of pilgrims by non-scheduled/charter operations, for religious pilgrimage facilitated by the Government of India under bilateral arrangements shall attract the same rate of GST as applicable to similar flights in Economy class (i.e. 5% with ITC of input services).

Rationalization

8. Parliament and State legislatures shall be extended the same tax treatment with regard to payment of tax under RCM (reverse charge mechanism)as available to Central and State Governments.
9. Security services (supply of security personnel) provided to a registered person,except Government Departments which have taken registration for TDS and entities registered under composition scheme, shall be put under RCM.
10. Services provided by unregistered Business Facilitator (BF) to a bank and agent of Business correspondent (BC) toa BC shall be put under RCM.

Clarifications

11. To clarifythat with effect from 31st January, 2018 degrees/ diploma awarded by IIMs under IIM Act, 2017 will be exempt from GST.
12. To clarify that the services provided by IFC and ADB are exempt from GST in terms of provisions of IFC Act, 1958 and ADB Act, 1966.
13. To clarify to West Bengal that services provided by Council/ Board of Primary/ Secondary/ Higher Secondary Education for conduct of examination to its students are exempt.
14. To clarify that “printing of pictures” falls under service code “998386: Photographic and videographic processing services” of the scheme of classification of services and attract GST @18% and not under “998912: Printing and reproduction services of recorded media, on a fee or contract basis”which attracts GST @12%.
15. To clarify that leasing of pumps and reservoirs by the OMCs to petrol pump dealers is a mixed supply and the Licence Fee Recovery (LFR) charged for the same shall be leviable to GST @ 28%, the rate applicable to pumps. Leasing of land and buildings along with equipment shall fall under heading 9972 (real estate services) and attract GST rate of 18%.
16. To clarify that the incentives paid by RBI to Banks under “Currency Distribution and Exchange Scheme” (CDES)are taxable.
17. To clarify under section 11(3) of the CGST Act, 2017 that scope of entry for multi-modal transport with GST rate of 12% inserted w.e.f. date 26.07.2018, covers only transport of goods from a place in India to another place in India, that is, only domestic multi-modal transport.
18. To clarify that the nature of business establishment making supply of food, drinks and other articles for human consumption will not determine whether the supply by such establishments is a supply of goods or services. It will rather depend on the constituents of each individual supply and whether same satisfies the conditions / ingredients of a ‘composite supply’ or ‘mixed supply’.
19. To clarify that GST is exempt on supply of food and drinks by an educational institution when provided by the institution itself to its students, faculty and staff and is leviable to GST of 5% when provided by any other person based on a contractual arrangement with such institutions.
20. To clarify that the banking company is liable to pay GST on the entire value of service charge or fee charged to customers whether or not received via business facilitator or the business correspondent.
21. To issue a clarification to Food Corporation of India (FCI) that the service provided by godown owner in case of lease with services, where the godown owner, besides leasing the warehouse, undertakes to carry out activities of storage and preservation of stored food grains, is the service of storage and warehousing of agricultural produce and the same is exempt.

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