Table of contents | |
Establishment | |
Goods And Services Tax Council | |
Vision and Mission | |
Composition | |
Working | |
Functions | |
Other Functions |
In 2016, the Joint Amendment Act laid the groundwork for a new tax system called the Goods and Services Tax (GST). For this tax to work smoothly, the central government and state governments need to cooperate and coordinate. To make this happen, the amendment created a special body called the Goods and Services Tax Council (GST Council).
Article 279-A of Indian Constitution
To formalize the council's existence, a new Article 279-A was added to the Constitution, giving the President the power to establish the GST Council through an official order. The President issued this order in 2016 to bring the council into action.
The GST Council's main office is in New Delhi, and the Union Revenue Secretary automatically serves as the Secretary to the Council. This setup ensures effective communication and collaboration between the central and state governments in managing the GST.
While carrying out its functions, the Council aims to create a harmonized structure for GST and develop a unified national market for goods and services. The Council also has the authority to determine the procedure for performing its functions.
The vision of the Council is to establish the highest standards of cooperative federation in its functioning. It's the first constitutional federal body with the power to make significant decisions related to GST.
The mission of the Council is to develop a GST structure through broad consultation, focusing on information technology-driven and user-friendly approaches. They aim to achieve this by involving a wide range of opinions and perspectives.
The Council is a group that includes members from both the central government and the states. Here are the key members:
Composition of Goods & Service Tax Council
The state members of the Council need to choose one among themselves to be the Vice-Chairperson, and they can decide how long this person will serve in that role. Additionally, the Union Cabinet decided to include the head of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) as a permanent guest (non-voting) in all Council proceedings.
The decisions of the Council are made during its meetings. For a meeting to proceed, at least half of the total members need to be present—this is called the quorum. To make a decision, it requires a majority of not less than three-fourths of the weighted votes from the members present and voting.
Here's how decisions are made:
The Council is responsible for providing recommendations to both the central government and the states on various matters related to the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Here are the key areas:
Advantages of GST
In addition to its main responsibilities, the Council has some other important functions:
Summary of GST
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1. What is the Goods and Services Tax Council? |
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