GST Council Meeting Rescheduled to October 8

The 57th GST Council meeting has been rescheduled for October 8, its second change in date, with the meeting now set to begin at 11 am at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The GST Council Secretariat cited “unavoidable circumstances” for the latest postponement without providing further details.

The meeting was earlier scheduled for October 7 and was initially fixed for September 12. The first postponement came as the date coincided with the BRICS Summit held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The October 8 meeting will be the Council's first meeting in more than a year since its previous meeting in September 2025.

The Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising finance ministers from states and Union Territories, is expected to focus largely on GST process and compliance reforms rather than another broad rate overhaul. The formal agenda has not yet been made public.

Among the proposals likely to be considered are changes to GST registration, return filing and refund mechanisms, along with measures to improve the flow of input tax credit (ITC) and reduce disputes and compliance costs.

The Council may also consider decriminalising certain GST offences and removing the arrest powers of GST officers. Reports suggest judicial authorisation could be considered for arrests, while prosecution would continue for serious cases involving deliberate fraud or tax evasion.

Another proposal is to simplify GST registration for small businesses and e-commerce sellers, with greater use of technology and artificial intelligence. Changes to export rules may also address ambiguities involving services provided by Indian companies through overseas branches, potentially benefiting technology and business-process outsourcing firms.

The Council is also expected to examine faster refunds and wider access to accumulated ITC, including issues related to inverted-duty structures. Industry has sought easier access to legitimate credit and quicker resolution of disputes.

The focus is expected to remain on process reforms and compliance, with no fresh broad-based GST rate rationalisation currently expected at the October 8 meeting.