The 53rd GST Council meeting was held on 22nd June, 2024 in New Delhi to discuss trade facilitation and litigation reduction measures.
Key Recommendations & Decisions:
- Section 128A Amnesty: Recommendation to insert Section 128A in CGST Act providing conditional waiver of interest and penalty for demand notices issued under Section 73 for FY 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 if tax paid by notified date.
- Uniform Rate on Cartons: Prescribed a uniform GST rate of 12% on all types of carton boxes, corrugated paper boxes, and cases of paperboard.
- Reduction of Pre-Deposit for Appeals: Maximum pre-deposit amount for filing an appeal before Appellate Authority reduced from Rs 25 crore to Rs 20 crore (CGST). For GSTAT, pre-deposit reduced from 20% to 10%.
- Monetary Limits for Departmental Appeals: Monetary thresholds set for tax department to file appeals: Rs 20 lakh for GSTAT, Rs 1 crore for High Court, and Rs 2 crore for Supreme Court.
- Biometric Aadhaar Authentication: Nationwide rollout in phased manner to enhance verification integrity.