GST Council to Meet September 3-4 for Key Reforms Ahead of October Rollout

GST Council to take up next-gen reforms and tax rationalisation in September meet

With just weeks left for the planned October rollout of next-generation Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms, the GST Council is set to convene its 56th meeting on September 3-4. The meeting, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will bring together representatives from 31 states and union territories, including Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir.

According to a notice signed by Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava, officers from the Centre and states will meet on September 2 to prepare for the Council’s deliberations. The focus will be on item-wise discussions of the overhaul proposals, following in-principle approval by the ministerial panel on rate rationalisation earlier this week.

Key reforms under consideration include reducing tax rates on essential goods and exempting public welfare services such as health and life insurance for individuals. The Council will also address revenue loss concerns flagged by states, which are expected to dominate discussions alongside the broader reform agenda.

The meeting follows extensive consultations in the Capital, where chief ministers, finance ministers, and GoM members debated structural changes to make GST more consumer-friendly and efficient. The upcoming session is likely to be pivotal in shaping the contours of India’s tax system for the next phase of economic growth.