GST Council planning to reduce GST on under-construction flats to 5%

The GST Council is slated to meet on January 10 to discuss lowering GST on under-construction flats and houses to 5 per cent, as well as hiking exemption threshold for small and medium enterprises. The council, in its previous meeting on December 22, 2018, had rationalised the 28 per cent tax slab and reduced rates on 23 goods and services. "The next meeting is scheduled for January 10," an official told. This would be the 32nd meeting of the council, which is chaired by Finance Minister ArunJaitley and comprises his state counterparts. Briefing reporters after the recent council meeting, Jaitley had said that the next meeting would consider rationalisation of tax rates on residential properties and raising the threshold limit for MSMEs from the current Rs 20 lakh. Also, the council would consider a composition scheme for small suppliers, apart from discussing levying a calamity cess as well as GST rates on the lottery. Currently, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is levied at 12 per cent on payments made for under-construction property or ready-to-move-in flats where completion certificate has not been issued at the time of sale. However, GST is not levied on buyers of real estate properties for which completion certificate has been issued at the time of sale.