GST Council Meeting Today: 57th Meet to Discuss ITC, Refunds, Arrest Powers and GST Reforms

The 57th GST Council meeting is being held in New Delhi on Thursday, October 8, with the focus expected to shift from tax-rate changes to simplifying compliance and addressing long-standing operational issues under the Goods and Services Tax regime. The meeting is chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The meeting is taking place at Bharat Mandapam and comes more than a year after the major GST rate rationalisation exercise undertaken at the 56th GST Council meeting in September 2025.

GST Registration, Returns and Refunds

Among the key issues expected to be considered are changes to GST registration, return filing and the refunds mechanism. The proposed reforms are aimed at reducing the time and cost involved in compliance for businesses and taxpayers. Faster processing of refunds is another major area of focus, particularly for businesses that face working-capital pressures because of delays in receiving eligible GST refunds. GST Council May Scrap Arrest Provisions, Fast-track Refunds with 90% Automatic Payout.

Input Tax Credit Reform on GST Agenda

Input tax credit (ITC) is also expected to feature prominently in the discussions. The proposed changes could seek to address difficulties faced by genuine taxpayers when their ability to claim credit is affected by the compliance failures of suppliers. The broader objective is to make the GST system more predictable while reducing disputes and compliance burdens for businesses, including MSMEs.

GST Arrest Powers and Decriminalisation

A significant proposal concerns enforcement powers under the GST law. The Council is expected to consider changes to provisions governing the arrest of taxpayers and the criminal treatment of certain GST offences. The proposals are part of a wider push towards distinguishing deliberate tax evasion from cases involving procedural or genuine compliance failures. Any changes, however, will depend on the Council's final recommendations.

E-Commerce and Business Compliance

The Council may also consider measures aimed at easing GST compliance for e-commerce suppliers and other businesses. The broader reform agenda includes simplifying processes and making interactions with the tax administration more efficient. Industry bodies have also raised specific concerns ahead of the meeting. Nasscom, for instance, has sought clarity on GST treatment of services involving overseas branches as well as research, engineering and testing work carried out in India for overseas customers. GST Rates to Remain Unchanged at Oct 8 Council Meeting, Procedural Reforms on Agenda.

GST Council Meeting Rescheduled to October 8

The 57th GST Council meeting was initially scheduled for September 12 but was postponed because of the BRICS Leaders' Summit in New Delhi. It was subsequently scheduled for October 7 before being rescheduled again to October 8 due to what the GST Council Secretariat described as "unavoidable circumstances". The meeting's focus this time is therefore expected to be largely on GST 2.0 process reforms — including registration, returns, refunds, ITC, dispute resolution and tax enforcement — rather than another major exercise in GST rate rationalisation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 08, 2026 11:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).