Three month after the roll-out of the new tax regime the GST council on Friday made some changes to give relief to small and medium businesses on filing and payments of taxes. Businesses with annual turnover of up to Rs.1.5 crore then you don,t need file monthly return, but you first need to file July, August, September monthly return and from October month you can switch-over to quarterly filing of return. Businesses with annual turnover above Rs.1.5 crore has to continue monthly filing of return.

                       The composition scheme annual turnover limit has been increased from Rs.75 lakhs to Rs.1 crore. 2% tax will applicable on manufacturing firms,  5% tax on restaurant (without alcohol) and 1% tax applicable on traders under composition scheme. Assesses under composition scheme has to file return on quarterly bases. Service providers can not opt for the composition scheme. There is relief for jewellers as no need to furnish PAN card on jewellry purchase of more than Rs.50,000/- 

                       The Finance Minister  Arun Jaitely said that the council has decided to cut rates on 27 common use items. GST on unbranded namkeen, unbranded ayurvedic medicine, sliced dried mango and khakra has been cut to 5% from 12% while the same on man-made yarn used in textile sectors has been reduced from 18% to 12% . Tax on stationary items, stones used for flooring other than marble and granite, diesel engine parts has been cut to 18% from 28%. GST on e-waste has been slashed to 5% from 28%. Food packets given to school kids under ICDS will attract 5% tax instead of 12%. Job works like zari, imitation, food items would attract 5% GST instead of 12%. Government contract involving high amount of labour will be levied 5% GST instead of 12% in order to contain cost of those programmes.

                           Also, salwar suit in a three pieces set has been classified as fabric and 5% GST would be levied on it. Exporter, who have been facing sluggish growth due to global slow down, will get refunds for the tax paid by them on export during July from October 10, while refunds for tax paid for August will be given by October 18. For reminder of the fiscal, merchant exporters will operate under an exempted category after paying a nominal 0.1% tax on purchase from manufactures.

                             From April 1, the government will attempt to launch an e-wallet facility for the exporters to give them refund for GST paid which will solve their problem of liquidity. GST provision for TDS and TCS deductors will come into effect from April 1. A group of minsters has been asked to go into the issue of extending scheme on inter-state sales as well as rationalizing taxes on restaurants. The GOM will also look into manufactures availing composition scheme can claim input credit on 2% GST paid by them. 

Here is the complete list of the changes in the GST slabs