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GST stands for “Goods and Services Tax” (GST) is an indirect tax (or consumption tax) used in India on the supply of goods and services.

It is a comprehensive, multistage, destination-based tax: comprehensive because it has subsumed almost all the indirect taxes except a few state taxes. Multi-staged as it is, the GST is imposed at every step in the production process, but is meant to be refunded to all parties in the various stages of production other than the final consumer and as a destination-based tax, it is collected from point of consumption and not point of origin like previous taxes.

Goods and services are divided into five different tax slabs for collection of tax: 0%, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%. However, petroleum products, alcoholic drinks, and electricity are not taxed under GST and instead are taxed separately by the individual state governments, as per the previous tax system.

There is a special rate of 0.25% on rough precious and semi-precious stones and 3% on gold.

In addition a cess of 22% or other rates on top of 28% GST applies on few items like aerated drinks, luxury cars and tobacco products.

Pre-GST, the statutory tax rate for most goods was about 26.5%, Post-GST, most goods are expected to be in the 18% tax range.

GSTIN is one of the pre-requisites for starting a business. As per the GST law, GSTIN has to be displayed at all places of businesses of a registered individual. Also, it has to be quoted during the process of raising invoices, while generating e-way bills, during GST return filing, and during the submission of information to the tax department.