In September 2025, India initiated "GST 2.0," transforming its tax structure from a four-tier system to a simplified two-rate system: 5% for essential goods and 18% as the standard rate, alongside a 40% rate for luxury/sin goods. This overhaul aims to lower prices for daily-use items, consumer electronics, and cement, while improving compliance and boosting consumption.
Starting September 22, 2025, GST in India will be simplified to primarily two rates: 5% and 18%, with a special 40% rate on luxury and sin goods like tobacco and high-end vehicles.
Maximum marginal rate is the highest rate of tax at any income level. This means for those with incomes between Rs 2 crore and Rs 5 crore, 39% will be the highest applicable tax rate, and for those with incomes above Rs 5 crore, it will be 42.74% — the highest tax rate since 1992.
The GST reforms in India are have been rolled out since 22nd September 2025 through central tax notifications, as stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Centre's GST reform now have a simplified two-slab structure of 5% and 18%, and a special 40% slab for sin and luxury goods.
Cancellation of GST registration means that the taxpayer will no longer be a registered person under GST and will not have to pay/collect any GST, claim an input tax credit or file returns. GST registration cancelled is covered under Section 29 of the CGST Act and Rules 20 to 22 of the CGST Rules.
The GST refund will be electronically transferred to the applicant's account via NEFT, RTGS, or ECS. Individuals can submit their refund request for any period (monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually). However, if the refund amount is less than INR 1000 then the person will not be eligible for refund.
If voluntarily canceled, you'll need to apply for a fresh Online GST registration. The time limit for revocation applications has been extended to 90 days from the date of the cancellation order.
For any standard-rated supplies of goods or services that you make on or after 1 Jan 2024, you must charge GST at 9%. For instance, if you issue an invoice and receive payments for your supply on or after 1 Jan 2024, you must account for GST at 9%.
Raja Chelliah: Father of India's tax reforms.
Effective October 1st, 2025, a new set of rules for GST return filing will come into effect. This marks the first filing cycle under the GST 2.0 reforms, aimed at improving transparency, control, and accuracy in Input Tax Credit (ITC) management through the Invoice Management System (IMS).
According to government reports, while over 7 crore people file tax returns, only a fraction of them actually pay taxes because many fall below the taxable income threshold or use deductions to reduce liability.
Other countries collect 10 to 60 per cent of the tax. India collects 42.74, Canada 33, US 37, Finland 56.95, France 45, UK 45, Germany 45, Hong Kong 15, China 45, Singapore 22, Japan 55.97, Australia 45, and Singapore 22 per cent of tax charges.
As per FY 2021 reports, Jeff Bezos was the highest individual taxpayer in the world by, paying over USD 2.4 billion in taxes.
The Government: A Boost in Revenue
From a government standpoint, GST has been a resounding success in terms of revenue generation and increase in tax base. The number of Taxpayers is increasing from year to year and the same thing can be said about the collection of GST.
Types of GST in India
CGST (Central Goods and Services Tax) SGST (State Goods and Services. IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax) UTGST (Union Territory Goods and Services Tax)
Amitabh Bachchan tops the list by paying 120 crore in tax. Shah Rukh Khan, Thalapathy Vijay, Salman Khan, Virat Kohli and many others also pay huge amounts every year. These numbers come from public reports and estimates, but they clearly show how big the earnings of Indian superstars really are.
GST was first introduced in India on July 1, 2017. The historic event was carried out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Today's tax codes are extensive and ever-changing, but many of the basic tax types governments depend on, including sales taxes, excise taxes, and property taxes, have been around since early civilization. The earliest record of taxation yet discovered relates to ancient Egypt around 3000 BCE.
New GST Rate of 9% in 2024
Come 1 Jan 2024, the GST rate will be raised from 8% to 9%, as part of the two-step GST rate change announced by the Minister for Finance in Budget 2022. The first step from 7% to 8% had taken place earlier on 1 Jan 2023.
How to Avoid GST on Overseas Purchases Legally
If you look at the efficiency of the GST – in other words, the amount of economic activity that is destroyed for every dollar you raise – the Government's latest tax discussion paper says it is just as inefficient a tax as the income tax. It's much less equitable though.
When the status of your GSTIN is showing as “Suspended” status, you can perform certain activities on GST Portal like filing Appeal, making payment, filing for Refunds, reply to Assessment/Recovery/ Enforcement related orders/ notices, even make non-core amendment etc..
1. How can I claim refund of excess amount available in Electronic Cash ledger?
Under Section 16(2) of the CGST Act, a recipient is required to reverse ITC if the value of the supply and tax is not paid within 180 days from the invoice date. Rule 37 operationalises this reversal and permits re-availment of the credit upon final payment.