Uniform GST on lottery on anvil

Council to decide rate on Feb 20

A state ministerial panel set up to review tax rate on lottery on Monday favoured a uniform GST rate of either 18 per cent or 28 per cent -- a final call on which would be taken by the GST Council at its meeting on February 20.

Currently, a state-organised lottery attracts 12 per cent GST while a state-authorised lottery attracts 28 per cent tax.

The eight-member Group of Ministers under Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar favoured hiking GST rate on the state-organised lottery to either 18 per cent or 28 per cent. While the GST rate on state-authorised lottery would be retained at 28 per cent or brought down to 18 per cent.

"The GoM favoured a uniform GST rate for both stateorganised and state-authorised lotteries. A final call on whether that rate should be 18 per cent or 28 per cent would be taken by the GST Council on Wednesday," an official said.

The other members of the committee are West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra, Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Goa Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho, Karnataka Finance Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Arunachal Tax and Excise Minister Jarkar Gamlin.

While Isaac did not attend the GoM meet on medical ground, Badal was not present as he had to present the state budget in Punjab Assembly.

Tax officers from West Bengal attended the meeting and is said to have flagged the issue of rate rationalisation in the light of the general election slated to be held by May.