18% GST On Gangajal? Check What The Authority Says

New Delhi: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has issued a clarification in response to reports that 18 percent GST is placed on Gangajal, claiming that no GST is applied on Gangajal and other puja goods.

The revenue division of the Finance Ministry made it clear on October 12 that gangajal and other commodities used in religious worship are free under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) before the festival season. 

The need for clarity regarding the GST imposed on Gangakjal arose as a result of many media stories claiming that the item was subject to an 18 percent GST.

"Puja samagri and gangajal used in puja by households all around the country are exempt under GST. During its 14th and 15th meetings in 2017, the GST Council thoroughly considered GST on puja samagri and agreed to retain it on the exempt list. Therefore, ever since the GST was implemented, all of these things have been exempt," it stated in a social media post on X.

Clarification regarding certain media reports on applicability of GST on Gangajal. pic.twitter.com/t598ahN07x

— CBIC (@cbic_india) October 12, 2023

Other puja goods like kajal, kumkum, bindis, sindoo, alta, plastic, etc. are exempt from GST, according to the information provided. In September, the government collected more GST than it did in August, up 2.3 percent, or 10.2 percent year over year, to $1.63 lakh crore.