Services offered by Indian Railways like platform tickets get GST exemption , says Nirmala

Train travel gets respite: The 53rd GST council meeting on Saturday exempted sale of railway platform tickets, facility of retiring rooms and battery operated cars. 

Addressing a press conference after 53rd GST Council meeting, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the services provided by the Indian Railways to common people such as sale of platform tickets, facility of retiring rooms and waiting rooms, battery operated car services were being exempted from GST. 

Besides, intra-railway supplies were also being exempted, said the FM. Service in terms of hostel accommodation outside the educational institutions were also exempted, added the FM. 

“The service by way of hostel accommodation is presently not exempted, which are provided to students if they are outside of educational institutions. If they are within the educational institutions, then they are already exempted. Hostels which are for students which are within an educational institution are already exempted. Now hostels which are for students but are not in an educational institution are also getting exempted," said Sitharaman. 

Financial limit for filing appeals 

To bring down government litigations, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said the Goods and Service Tax (GST)  Council has fixed a monetary limit for filing appeals by the tax department before the various appellate authorities.

As per the GST Council, a monetary limit of Rs 20 lakh has been set up for a department to file an appeal at GST Appellate Tribunal. 
However, for filing an appeal at a High Court, the GST council Rs 1 crore for and Rs 2 crore for the Supreme Court for filing of appeals by the department before these legal forums, she said after the 53rd GST Council meeting held here. The tax authority would usually not go for an appeal if the monetary limit is less than the prescribed by the GST Council.

The GST Council meeting also recommended the reduction of GST on all kinds of carton boxes from 18 per cent to 12 per cent. The long-pending demand from apple growers of hill states has been persistently pleading for the reduction of GST on apple carton boxes and this reduction will help both horticulturists and the industry in saving costs, a statement issued here said.

(With PTI inputs)