GST Bill: The story so far

With the stage set for the roll-out of a uniform goods and services tax (GST) regime in the country, here is a look at the various stages the Bill has crossed.

GST Bill: The story so far

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Budget

In Budget 2006-07, P. Chidambaram, Minister of Finance of the UPA II proposed implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) by April 1, 2010.

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Comprehensive GST

A consumption based tax, the idea was to do away with the complications afflicting the current system of taxation. In a comprehensive GST regime all the transactions would be liable to a single unified tax.

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Joint Committee

A joint committee comprising adviser to Finance Minister, State Finance Ministers, finance secretaries and bureaucrats was set up in 2007. It submitted its report on the vision for GST the same year.

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Report to Empowered Committee

The Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers submitted its final report to Empowered Committee whose report inturn was the backbone for drafting the Bill.

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Constitution Amendment Bill

In 2011, UPA II moved a Constitution Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha. It was referred to Parliamentary committee.

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Amended Bill

In 2014, the NDA moved an amended Bill taking into consideration the suggestion made by the Parliamentary committee. The Bill was cleared in the Lok Sabha with the support of regional parties, while Congress opposed it in the present form.

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Rajya Sabha

After several deliberations it is set to face the Rajya Sabha hurdle.

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Number games

Parties and States, big and small, have been pledging support to the GST Bill. So why was the BJP still trying to convince Congress to vote in favour of it? Here is why

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Chinks in the armour

Here are some of the hurdles the Bill faced in the Parliament

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What's left for the GST to become a reality?

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All States, except TN, support GST

“Virtually all the States have supported the idea of GST today barring Tamil Nadu, which has expressed some reservations… TN has offered a few suggestions, which have been noted by the committee,"said Arun Jaitley

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Two major hurdles cleared

Union Cabinet approves two key changes to the Bill that effectively address the concerns of state governments and most of the Opposition.

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A look at the changes proposed to the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014

The government circulated to the MPs the amendments it has proposed in the Constitution amendment Bill to enable implementation of the tax.

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Stage set for roll-out of GST regime

The stage is set for the roll-out of a uniform goods and services tax (GST) regime in the country with the Congress deciding to vote for the long-pending Constitution Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha