On September 22, 2025, the GST Council made a landmark decision that promises to reshape India's real estate and construction landscape. By simplifying the tax framework into a leaner two-slab system (5% and 18%), the government has delivered a long-awaited tax cut on cement — from 28% to 18%.
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. Many essentials, including certain medicines and foods, are now zero-rated, while several items see reduced rates.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) 2.0 reform, which came into effect from September 22nd, 2025, brought relief for the common people and boosts for businesses. One of the key GST updates under 2.0 reform is that it simplified the GST tax structure from a 4-slab (5%, 12%, 18% and 28%) to a 3-slab (5%, 18% and 40%).
The New GST Rate Structure
Demonstrating a sustainable financial momentum, India's GST collection for September 2025 soars to ₹1.89 lakh Crore, depicting a 9.1% YoY rise.
You will get your annual GST/HST credit, which was calculated using information from your 2024 tax return, in four payments. The CRA will make these payments on the 5th day of July and October 2025, and of January and April 2026.
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%.
By lowering GST slabs to 5% on several goods and rationalising rates in transport and allied sectors, the reforms aim to reduce costs for consumers, ease compliance for traders, and enhance competitiveness for Indian businesses.
GST registration limits in regular category states are ₹40 lakhs for goods and ₹20 lakhs for services. Special category states have a limit of ₹20 lakhs.
You must register for GST if: your business has a GST turnover of $75,000 or more. your non-profit organisation has a GST turnover of $150,000 or more. you provide taxi or limousine travel (including ride-sourcing services like Uber or DiDi) regardless of your GST turnover.
List of exempted goods under GST in India:
GST 2.0 takes effect from September 22, 2025, but smartphone prices will not decrease as the 18% tax rate remains unchanged by the government.
What was the decision in 56th GST council meeting? The long-discussed proposal for a two-tier GST structure has now been approved (and implemented starting from 22nd September 2025): 5% GST: Applicable to most essential and everyday goods and services. 18% GST: For higher-value products and services.
- Snacks & Namkeens: Bagged snacks such as chips, puffed rice, extruded savory snacks, bajra or corn flakes, popcorn, bhujiya, chevda and similar namkeen mixtures are now 5%. Even sugar candies and chocolates (sugar confectionery) come under 5%.
5% GST Slab: Common goods such as packaged food. 12% GST Slab: Processed food, fruit juices, frozen meat, butter, ghee, nuts, etc. 18% GST Slab: Most services like restaurants, telecom and banking, cosmetics, toiletries, hair oil, toothpaste, and capital goods.
India's GST regime is undergoing a landmark transformation with the 56th GST Council meeting unveiling GST 2.0 - next-generation reforms simplifying tax slabs to 5%, 18%, and 40%. Effective from September 22, 2025, these reforms aim to ease compliance, boost consumption, and fuel economic growth.
It starts from the day you become entitled to the credit, typically the date of the tax invoice or the date the payment is made, depending on your accounting method. After four years, you can no longer amend or include a claim for that GST credit in your Business Activity Statement (BAS).
You are eligible for a GST refund if you have paid excess tax, exported goods or services, made zero-rated supplies, claimed lower income than presumptive income, or have unutilised input tax credit.
When you have worked out your total GST credits, you can offset them against the amount of GST you are liable to pay to us. If your GST credits are greater than the amount you are liable to pay, you're entitled to a refund.
Automobile sector reforms reduce GST from 28% to 18% on small cars, motorcycles (up to 350cc), buses, trucks, ambulances, and three-wheelers, while maintaining high rates for large luxury vehicles. Housing and infrastructure relief with GST on cement cut from 28% to 18%, easing construction costs.
Goods and services tax credit
According to the federal government, the maximum annual amount an individual may receive from July 2025 to June 2026 is $533, while a married or common-law couple could see up to $698 combined.
The GST Council's latest reforms have reshaped the GST tax slab for the travel and hospitality sector. With international and domestic travel steadily rising, these changes will directly affect how much you spend on air tickets, hotel bookings, dining, and even luxury travel.
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