{
  "id": 12815485,
  "title": "GST Council meet: Scrapping tax officers' arrest powers, decriminalisation among reforms on agenda",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/gst-council-meet-scrapping-tax-officers-arrest-powers",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-08T06:46:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times - Economy",
    "slug": "the-economic-times-economy",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/gst-council-meet-scrapping-tax-officers-arrest-powers-decriminalisation-among-reforms-on-agenda/articleshow/134782442.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and including state ministers, began discussions on major policy reforms, including scrapping arrest powers of GST officers and making the law less punitive. Since its approval of tax rate overhaul under GST 2.0 a year ago, the Council has been working towards decriminalizing the law by removing criminal liability for nine offenses, softening provisions for 24, and raising the threshold for criminal prosecution to Rs 5 crore. The meeting will also debate a uniform standard for GST officers, requiring them to send prior notice before issuing formal notices to taxpayers, exempting cases with tax demand below Rs 10,000. In a move to curb fake input tax credit and mismatched credits, the Council will consider implementing invoice matching system in GST monthly returns. For small e-commerce sellers, the Council may allow using the seller's platform's warehouse as a registered place of business, eliminating the need for multiple registrations. The group is likely to propose a yearly rate change effective at the start of the new fiscal year, providing businesses with stability. The Council will also discuss amending the GST law to allow taxpayers to avoid arrest by paying taxes, interest, and penalties for certain offenses. Intelligence-led logistics and transit checks will be implemented, reducing transit times, costs, and unpredictability. The Council will simplify the GST registration process by redesigning forms and aligning the definition of exports with foreign exchange-earning activities. Lastly, the group may allow employers to claim ITC on premiums paid for employee insurance coverage.",
  "summary": "The GST Council is poised to address significant reforms that could transform GST compliance for businesses. Among the proposed measures are the removal of arrest powers held by GST officers and higher thresholds for criminal prosecution. Small e-commerce sellers might find it easier to register through platform warehouses without needing tax officer intervention.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}