The 56th meeting of the GST Council held in New Delhi on September 3 under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has paved the way for a comprehensive change in India's indirect tax structure. These changes, which will come into effect from September 22, the first day of Navratri, will directly affect the household budget. Many items of daily use will become cheaper, including milk, bhujia, shampoo, toothpaste, pulses, shoes, etc. At the same time, tax rates will be seen to be higher on some categories. Let us also tell you what kind of gift the government has given to the common people on the first day of Sharadiya Navratri. This means what kind of gift has the government given during the festive season?

What will become cheaper?

Food and daily-use items

Milk products: UHT milk will now be tax-free (less than 5 percent), while the tax on condensed milk, butter, ghee, paneer, and cheese has come down from 12 percent to 5 percent or, in some cases, to zero.

Staple food products: Malt, starch, pasta, cornflakes, biscuits, and even chocolate and cocoa products will see tax reduced from 12-18 per cent to 5 per cent.

Dry fruits and nuts: Almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, and dates, which were earlier taxed at 12 per cent, will now attract only 5 per cent tax.

Sugar and sweets: Refined sugar, sugar syrups, and sweets like toffees and candies have come under the 5 per cent tax slab.

Other packaged food products: Vegetable oils, animal fats, edible spreads, sausages, meat products, fish products, and malt extract-based packaged food products have been put in the 5 per cent category.

Namkeen, bhujia, mixtures, chabena and similar ready-to-eat food products (except roasted chickpeas), pre-packaged and labelled, will be brought down from 18 per cent to 5 per cent.

Water, including natural or artificial mineral water and rehydrated water, that does not contain added sugar or other sweeteners or flavours, will be taxed at 5 per cent, up from 18 per cent.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from TV9. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.