New Delhi: The GST Council, in its 38th meeting here on Wednesday, voted for uniform rate of 28 per cent on lotteries across the country. During the voting, 21 states voted in favour of a uniform rate.
This is the first time since the launch of the new indirect tax that the Council has taken a decision through the voting route. Earlier, all decisions including the contentious ones, were taken unanimously.
As per a Minister from Goa present during the discussion and voting, the uniform GST rate on lotteries would apply from March 2020.
Under the GST Act, there are two rates prescribed on the sale of lottery tickets. One is 12 per cent if the tickets are sold within the same state, and the other is 28 per cent if a state sells the lottery tickets in other states.
The GST Council did not discuss rate hike proposals during the meeting as most of the states opposed change in slabs or hike in GST arguing an increase in the levies would have adverse implication for the economy facing slowdown, said sources.
Meanwhile, many states are learnt to have taken up the issue of delay in compensation.
West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra said that considering the revenue projections given by the Centre, there may not be enough money for compensating the states.
"Basically, the shortfall they are looking at by February next year, it appears from their projection that there will be no appropriate money for compensation," he said.
The Council also extended the deadline for filing Form GSTR-9 (Annual Return) and GSTR-9C (Reconciliation Statement) for financial year 2017-18 to January 31, 2020. Earlier the last date for filing of GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C for FY18 was December 31, 2019.
Briefing reporters after the 38th meeting of the GST Council, Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey said the government has also decided to waive late fee for taxpayers who have not filed returns from July 2017 to November 2019 if all the returns are filed by January 10, 2020.