August 6, 2024

Assessment Year (AY) and Financial Year (FY) are two important terms in income tax and financial planning. They are used to determine the taxation of an individual or entity’s income. While both terms are fundamental to understanding tax obligations and planning, their definitions, functions, and implications are markedly different. In this guide, we will delve into the nuances of AY and FY, shedding light on their significance in taxation, financial reporting, and planning. What is Financial Year? The financial year is the year in which you have earned the income. It starts on the 1st of April of the calendar year & ends on the 31st of March of the next calendar year. The term “Financial Year” is also commonly referred to as F.Y. For example, the financial year 2024-25 started on April 1st, 2024, and will end on March 31, 2025. What is Assessment Year? Assessment year means the year (from 1st April to 31st March) in which income you earn in a particular financial year is taxed. You are required to file your income tax return in the relevant assessment year. The assessment year is the year just succeeding the Financial Year. E.g., Income earned in the current Financial Year 2023-24 (i.e., from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024) will become taxable in Assessment Year 2024-25 (i.e., from 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025 ).   AY and FY for Recent Years Period Financial Year Assessment Year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 2024-25 2025-26 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 2023-24 2024-25 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 2022-23 2023-24 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 2021-22 2022-23 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 2020-21 2021-22 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 2019-20 2020-21 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 2018-19 2019-20 What is the difference between Assessment Year and Financial Year? From the tax perspective, a Financial year is a year in which a person earns an income. On the other hand, The assessment year is the year followed by the financial year in which the previous year’s income is evaluated, tax is paid on the same, and an Income tax Return (ITR) is filed. For instance, if we consider the financial year from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, it is known to be the Financial year 2022-23. The assessment year begins after the financial year ends, so the assessment year of FY 2022-23 would be AY 2023-24. Why Does an ITR Form have AY? Since income for any particular financial year is evaluated and taxed in the assessment year, income tax return forms have an assessment year (AY). As the income earned in a financial year cannot be taxed before it is earned, so it is taxed in the following year. Scenarios like loss of job, job change, new investments etc., can come up in the middle or end of the FY. Also, the income earned in a financial year cannot be exactly known before the end of the financial year. This is why the assessment can start only after the financial year ends. Hence, taxpayers have to select AY while filing their income tax returns. FAQs Are the Financial Year and Previous Year the same? Yes, for ITR filing, the financial year and previous year mean the same. E.g., the Financial Year 2022-23 also means the Previous Year 2022-23. How do I calculate my income and tax liability for the purpose of filing an income tax return? You should calculate your income for the full financial year and calculate the tax thereon. You need to file an income tax return when your income exceeds the basic exemption limit of Rs. 2.5 lakhs for individuals under the age of 60 years, Rs.3 lakh for individuals of the age 60-80 years, Rs. 5 lakh for individuals who are above the age of 80 years. However Rs. 3 lakhs under the new tax regime for all the individuals. 

The Possession letter is one of the key documents that a property seller hands over to the property buyer. The possession certificate in India is usually given by the Tehsildar (in rural areas) and Revenue Divisional Officer (in urban areas). The buyer can use this certificate to secure a loan from financial securities too. A possession certificate is proof that the property has been transferred without any illegal, illicit activities. But to confirm that an individual is the owner of the property he should have an occupancy certificate too. The possession certificate in India is issued by local authorities stating that the property has been constructed as per the laws and the construction has been completed as per the plan that is approved.  The possession certificate is a document to affirm the ownership of the property. In case of failure to get the certificate, can make the property illegal in front of the local authorities. What is a possession certificate? A possession certificate serves as proof, given by the property’s seller to the buyer, signifying the transfer of possession. This certificate isn’t just a mere document; it holds significant weight, especially when you are considering financing options. Planning to get a home loan from a bank? The possession certificate plays a pivotal role in that process. Now, where you obtain this certificate depends on where you reside. If your home is in a rural expanse, expect the Tehsildar to provide you with the possession certificate. However, for those living in the urban regions, your go-to authority for this document will be the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO).  Particulars of the possession certificate The possession certificate includes information regarding the description of the property and the required add-ons like the parking, garage, etc. as agreed upon in the contract. The possession certificate should be authentic and include the date of the possession of the property. When a home buyer receives the possession certificate but finds discrepancies in the property’s condition or maintenance, they can issue what is known as a conditional possession certificate. This certificate is often used when the property has issues like incomplete construction or damages, or when certain changes agreed upon initially are not incorporated. A conditional possession certificate lets the buyer set specific conditions for taking possession of the property. However, if the builder or property owner does not adhere to the terms outlined in this certificate, there can be complications. It is crucial to ensure all terms are met to maintain a smooth transaction. What is an occupancy certificate? An occupancy certificate, often abbreviated as OC, is a critical document issued by local municipal authorities. This certificate signifies that a newly constructed building adheres to the set building codes, and standards, and is fit for habitation. Essentially, it confirms that the building is constructed as per the approved plans and meets all the necessary infrastructural and safety norms. For a property buyer, securing an occupancy certificate is of paramount importance. It not only validates the legal status of your property but also ensures that utilities like water, electricity, and sewage systems are in place and functional. Without an OC, living on the property can be deemed illegal, and utilities might be disconnected. So, from a financial and legal standpoint, before making that final property transaction, always ensure the availability of a genuine occupancy certificate. Possession certificate vs occupancy certificate When dealing with real estate, it is essential to understand the difference between a possession certificate and an occupancy certificate. While a possession certificate denotes the property’s completion date, an occupancy certificate is a green signal from local authorities that the property is fit for residence. The latter provides you with the official right to occupy the property, a guarantee not offered by the possession certificate. Documents required to obtain a possession certificate Copy of the registered lease and the sale deed agreement Ration Card Copy of the encumbrance Certificate Id proof of the applicant. How to obtain a possession Certificate? Visit the nearest Anchaladhikari office for procuring the application form. The form can be downloaded from the Revenue and Land Reforms website of the respective state. Fill the application form with the details that are required. Attach the relevant documents and submit them with the form of the concerned office. Once the documents are submitted the applicant will receive an acknowledgment receipt. The receipt will have an application number that can be used for further reference. FAQs What is a Possession Certificate? A Possession Certificate is an official document issued by a legal authority or the seller of a property that certifies that the possession of a property has been transferred from the seller to the buyer. Why do I need a Possession Certificate? A Possession Certificate is essential for establishing legal ownership of a property. It is required for various legal processes, such as property registration, obtaining a home loan, and for municipal or government records.

UAN or Universal Account Number is a number allotted to all salaried employees, who contribute a part of their income towards the Employee Provident Fund (EPF). The reason is, UAN is a unique identification number that is linked to your EPF and is allotted by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). What is UAN? The Universal Account Number (UAN) is a 12-digit unique number assigned to every employee contributing to the EPF. It is generated and allotted by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and authenticated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. An employee’s UAN remains the same throughout his/her work life, irrespective of the number of job changes.  Every time an employee switches his/her job, EPFO allot a new member identification number or EPF Account (ID) linked to the UAN. As an employee, one can request a new member ID by submitting the UAN to the new employer. Once the member ID is created, it gets linked to the employee’s UAN. Hence, the UAN will act as an umbrella for the multiple member IDs allotted to the employee by different employers.  UAN stands for Universal Account Number which is a 12 digit number that each member of the Employee Provident Fund is allotted against his/her name. The EPFO UAN is issued by the Government of India under the Ministry of Employment and Labor.  This number is the same throughout an employee’s professional life. In case the employee changes jobs, he is allotted a new member ID by EPFO, however, his UAN remains the same as it is linked to all the member IDs. So this number helps you in tracking your total EPF contributions, under your previous employer(s) as well as current employer, all in one place. Employee Provident Fund has now become easily accessible for many employees like us. With just a few clicks you can check the balance, transfer or even withdraw from your provident fund. All this could happen, just by a  single linkage of all your Provident Funds through to a single account. Earlier, in case of any PF related issues like payout issue, withdrawal, etc., it was tedious to keep a track of activities from various PFs. Now, the universal account number assembles all these PF accounts associated with multiple ids of different organizations in one place. With the help of UAN, an employee can easily access, withdraw, transfer funds and many other activities on a single platform. Getting a UAN Number UAN can be availed of by a person in 2 ways, through employers or through the UAN portal. Usually, employees are provided the UAN number by the employers. Alternatively, one can get it by using the PF Number/Member ID by visiting Visit the UAN Portal Features of UAN UAN helps to centralise employee data in the country. It reduces the burden of employee verification by the EPF organisation from companies and employers. It is useful for EPFO to track multiple job switches of the employee. Untimely and early EPF withdrawals have reduced considerably with the introduction of UAN. Many PF e-services can be accessed through UAN, such as: Viewing and downloading the PF passbook. Get details of the organisations, such as organisation name, date of joining and Employee’s Pension Scheme (EPS) details. Download the UAN card. Update KYC details. Update basic details. Apply for PF or EPS withdrawal. Merge two member IDs. Track EPF claim status. Advantages of UAN to Employees Every new PF account created when joining a new job or company will come under the umbrella of a single unified account. It is easy to withdraw (fully or partially) PF online with the UAN. You can check the PF balance of all your EPF accounts in a single place. You can view and download the EPF passbook online, which contains the details of EPF contributions, EPS contributions and PF interest credit. You can transfer or merge old EPF accounts to the current EPF account online.  You can download your PF statement online from anywhere at your convenience.  You can also check your EPFO claim status online by logging into the EPF member portal using your UAN. Find and Activate UAN Number If you are searching for how to find my UAN number and activate it, you can visit the EPFO homepage and click on ‘Member UAN/Online services’. You would be required to fill the required details in the UAN portal. Next, you would be required to click on ‘Get authorization PIN’. You will receive PIN on your registered mobile number. Next, ‘Validate OTP and Activate UAN’. You will get a password on the registered mobile number to access UAN account. Documents Required to Open UAN Account information includes the account number, IFSC code, and branch name. ID evidence includes any photo-affixed and national identity cards, such as a driver’s license, passport, voter ID, Aadhaar, and SSLC Book. A recent utility bill in your name, a rental/lease agreement, a ration card, or any of the ID proofs listed above that shows your present address. Your PAN Card should be associated with your UAN. Aadhaar card: Because Aadhaar is linked to a bank account and a mobile phone, it is required. The ESIC card. How to Withdraw or Transfer with the UAN Number? You could link all of your PF accounts to your UAN. After the KYC verification, you must provide your UAN to your employer and manage your account online. You receive a monthly update on contributions made by the employer into the PF account on your mobile device. When a PF account is linked to a UAN, the employer’s involvement is reduced. EPF passbook can be accessed online via the website or the Umang app. PF withdrawals are simpler and can be conducted without the involvement of the employer. FAQs I misplaced my UAN; how can I get it back? If you have linked the UAN to your Aadhaar or PAN card, you can recover it. Navigate to the EPFO homepage>For Employees>Member UAN/Online Service>Know Your UAN Status> Enter Specifics> OTP Request> Enter your OTP>Enter your details>Click on the Show My UAN

A Pay Commission is set up by the Government of India and it recommends the changes in the salary structure of central government employees. Millions of government employees are waited for the 7th Pay commission to be implemented as it will increase their allowances, salary, and other benefits. The Current 7th Pay Commission was to be implemented in January 2016. What is a Pay Commission? The Pay Commission was established by the Indian government to make recommendations regarding the compensation of central government employees. Since India gained its independence, seven pay commissions have been established to examine and suggest changes to the pay structures of all civil and military employees of the Indian government. Manmohan Singh, the then-Prime Minister, approved the 7th Pay Commission, and it will be put into effect by January 2016, according to P. Chidambaram, the former finance minister. The Seventh Pay Commission was not implemented by the suggested date of implementation, nonetheless, because of several challenges. 7th Pay Commission Pay Matrix Central government employees received a hike on their pay scale from 6th to 7th CPC. The Government designed a pay matrix table to make the new pay scale accessible and understandable for the employees. This table containing the revised salary structure is known as the 7th pay commission matrix. What is the 7th pay matrix? Changes in the salary structure of central government employees are represented in a chart called 7th pay matrix. It denotes the minimum pay according to the 15th ILC norms. This single fitment table with 760 cells applies to more than 30 lakh central government employees. This two-dimensional table features a horizontal range numbered from 1 to 18.  However, the vertical range represents 3.00% financial progression per year within each level. It also implies the “pay progression” within a particular level. The 19 columns in this table show the pay levels. However, the 40 rows represent every salary increments that an employee receives throughout the career up to 40 years What are the features and benefits of 7th pay matrix? The 7th pay commission played a crucial role in minimizing the differences between various pay bands. With this pay matrix fixation, revised pay has been simplified without any further need for calculation. It helps in merging pay bands and grade pay to a composite level. Issues with the differential entry pay have been resolved by 7th CPC pay matrix. It helps avoid complications with regular promotion, annual progression, span of service, etc.  7th pay commission pay matrix helped in solving the PB-3 and PB-4 issues. It is more transparent compared to the existing system This pay matrix rectifies the challenges of pay progression and appears to be a powerful tool in bringing financial management reforms. It helps provide a clear and error-free view of the pay system of the Indian Government. It made the administration process streamlined. What does the fitment factor represent? The number multiplied equally by the matrix’s basics in every row is called the fitment factor. The basic pay is calculated by the sum of grade pay and pay scale. In case of this 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC), Central Government employees’ current basic pay will get multiplied by new fitment factor.  Resultantly, every Central Government retiree and employee’s basic salary will be multiplied by a fitment factor of 2.57 for this pay commission. So, both pensioners and employees will get a pay hike of 2.57%. What is the 7th pay commission for pensioners? As the minimum pay scale of Central Government employees has witnessed a substantial hike, the minimum pension will also increase. According to the Central Pay Commission, an employee’s minimum wage increased from Rs.7000 per month to Rs.18,000 per month. As a result, the pension amount also increased by 2.57 times. So, a central government employee’s minimum pension increased from Rs.3,500 to Rs.9,000. 7th Pay Matrix Table Existing Pay Brands Existing level of Grade pay Available for* New levels PB-1 1800 C 1 1900 C 2 2000 C,D 3 2400 C 4 2800 C,D 5 PB-2 3400 D 5A 4200 C,D 6 4600 C,D 7 4800 C,D 8 5400 C 9 PB-3 5400 C,D,M 10 5700 M 10A 6100 D 10B 6100 M 10B 6600 C,D,M 11 7600 C 12 PB-4 7600 M 12 8000 D 12A 8400 M 12B 8700 C 13 8700 D 13 8900 C 13A 8900 D 13A 9000 M 13B 10000   14 HAG     15 HAG+     16 Apex     17 Cabinet Secretary, Defence Chiefs 18 *C: Civil, D: Defence, M: Military Nursing Service (MNS) Highlights of 7th Pay Commission Minimum pay will begin at ₹18,000  Maximum recommended pay will be fixed at ₹2,25,000 Apex positions such as cabinet secretary and others in the same level: Pay begins at ₹2,50,000 The new system of Pay Matrix will replace the present system of Grade Pay and pay band. A factor of 2.57 will be applied uniformly to the existing pay of all the employees to arrive at the new pay scales. Annual increment rate will remain constant at 3%, as in the 6th Pay Commission Performance Linked Approach Military Service Pay Short Service Commissioned Officers Parity Pay Review – The performance benchmarks are made more stringent– Performance linked increment system has been recommended  – The Military Service Pay will be available only to Defence Personnel– Revised rates of MSP per month– Serving Officers: ₹15,500– Nursing Officers: ₹10,800– JCO Rs: ₹5,200– Non Combatants (Enrolled) in the Air Force: ₹3,600 – They will be allowed to exit Armed Forces any time between 7 & 10 years– Terminal gratuity will be equivalent to 10.5 months of the pay– They will be eligible for a 1-year Executive Programme or MTech at a premier institute which will be fully funded – Similar functionaries will be paid in parity– Parity between field and headquarters staff – Cadre Review for Group A Officers will undergo systematic changes Allowances Advances Medical Facilities 52 allowances are abolished Allowances that are related to Risk and Hardship will be separately governed Revised Siachen Allowance per month is as follows: Service

Maharashtra vehicle tax or Maharashtra road tax is a type of tax levied on all vehicle before it is used in public. Vehicle tax must be paid to the Government after purchasing a vehicle either for personal or for commercial purpose. Maharashtra is considered as one of the busiest states in the country with the highest number of vehicles on the road. The current vehicle tax in Maharashtra falls under the control of the state’s Motor Vehicles Taxation Act of 1988 with the latest amendment made in 2001. Maharashtra Road Tax Road tax has to be paid in case you purchase a vehicle. The road tax in Maharashtra is regulated as per the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Tax Act, 1968. The rates are decided by the state authorities and the collection of the tax is done by them as well. The tax money that is collected is used by the state government to improve security and road quality. Vehicle Tax in Maharashtra The factors that are in play while calculating vehicle tax in the state of Maharashtra are the age, make and manufacturer, fuel type, dimensions of the vehicle, engine capacity, place of manufacture, purpose and so on. Criteria such as seating capacity and the number of wheels of a specific vehicle are also used to calculate the tax levied on a vehicle. The transport department of a state collects a vehicle tax that would be equivalent to a certain percentage of the cost of the specific vehicle. This ensures to keep standard taxation across different vehicle categories in various states. Tax Rates Schedule A (III) The vehicle tax slabs for vehicles designed to carry goods are illustrated below. Vehicle Type and Laden Weight (KGS) Tax levied per year Below 750 INR 880 Equal to or above 750 but below 1500 INR 1,220 Equal to or above 1500 but below 3000 INR 1,730 Equal to or above 3000 but below 4500 INR 2,070 Equal to or above 4500 but below 6000 INR 2,910 Equal to or above 6000 but below 7500 INR 3,450 Equal to or above 7500 but below 9000 INR 4,180 Equal to or above 9000 but below 10500 INR 4,940 Equal to or above 10500 but below 12000 INR 5,960 Equal to or above 12000 but below 13500 INR 6,780 Equal to or above 13500 but below 15000 INR 7,650 Equal to or above 15000 INR 8,510 Equal to or above 15000 but below 15500 INR 7,930 Equal to or above 15,500 but below 16,000 INR 8,200 Equal to or above 16,000 but below 16,500 INR 8,510 Equal to or above 16,500 INR 8,510 + INR 375 for every 500 KGS or part thereof more than 16,500 KGS Schedule A (IV) (1) Passengers vehicles that operate on a daily contract basis such as Rickshaws, Taxis and Cabs come under this section and is liable to pay the following tax amounts, as applicable. The taxes mentioned below will be added for each category. Vehicle Type Tax per seat per year  Vehicles licensed to carry two passengers INR 160 Vehicles licensed to carry three passengers INR 300 Vehicles licensed to carry four passengers INR 400 Vehicles licensed to carry five passengers INR 500 Vehicles licensed to carry six passengers INR 600   Vehicle Type Tax per seat per year  Air-conditioned taxis INR 130 Tourist Taxis INR 190 Indian Made Non-A/C INR 250 Indian Made A/C Vehicle INR 300 Foreign Made Vehicles INR 400 Schedule A (IV) (2) This schedule deals with vehicles that are hired by and operated for everyday passengers. These vehicles are charged INR 71 per year as vehicle tax. Schedule A (IV) (3) Vehicles that operate as contract carriages for the public on interstate routes are levied with the following taxes. Vehicle Type Tax per seat per year Tourist vehicles or general omnibus with a seating arrangement as per CMVR, 1989 rule 128. INR 4,000 General omnibus INR 1,000 Air-conditioned vehicles run by private operators. INR 5,000 Schedule A (IV) (3) (A) This section deals with the vehicles that work on interstate routes. The taxes levied for such vehicles are mentioned below. Vehicle Type Tax per seat per year Non-A/C vehicles INR 4,000 Air-conditioned vehicles INR 5,000 Schedule A (IV) (4) This section deals with a particular permit vehicle as indicated in the Central Motor Vehicles Act. The taxation on these vehicles is mentioned in the table below. Vehicle Type Tax per seat per year Tourist vehicles or general omnibus with a seating arrangement as stated in CMVR, 1988 Rule 128. INR 4,000 General omnibus; not inclusive in the above. INR 5,000 Air-conditioned buses INR 5,000 Schedule A (IV) (A) This section deals with vehicles used for private services or personal reasons. Vehicle Type Tax per seat per year  Air-conditioned buses INR 1,800 Vehicles other than air-conditioned buses INR 800 Standees INR 250 Schedule A (V) Vehicles used for support and service purposes such as Towing Vehicles are included in this section, and a fixed tax of INR 330 is levied for the same. Schedule A (VI) This section deals with vehicles built with pieces of equipment meant for specific purposes such as cranes, compressors, earth movers and so on. The vehicle tax slab for the same is mentioned below. Unloaded Weight of a vehicle (ULW) (in KGS) Tax Rate Less than 750 INR 300 Equal to or above 750 but below 1500 INR 400 Equal to or above 1500 but below 2250 INR 600 Equal to or above 2250 INR 600 Part or whole of the weight in multiples of 500 and above 2250 INR 300 each Schedule A (VII) This section deals with vehicles that may be excluded from the sections already mentioned above. The vehicles mentioned here are mostly vehicles such as non-transport ambulances, vehicles with a temporary location in the state or with a seating capacity above 12. The following table illustrates the tax amount levied on such vehicles. Unloaded Weight of a vehicle (ULW) (KGS) Tax Rate Less than 750 INR 600 Equal to or

GST subsumed VAT, service tax, excise duty and several other indirect taxes charged on domestic transactions. Tax on the making charges on gold jewellery was introduced under GST. On the other hand, basic customs duty continues to be collected on the import of gold from other countries and the levy of IGST. Type of Custom Duty/ Rates Gold Bar and Findings Gold Dore Old  New Old New Basic Custom Duty (BCD) 10% 5% 10.35% 5.35% Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess(AIDC) 5% 1% 4.35% 0.35% Total 15% 6% 14.5% 5.5% What is GST on Gold? Gold bars or gold jewellery fall within the definition of ‘Goods’ as per the GST law. Under Section 7 of the CGST Act, the supply of gold (without any job work) is considered the supply of goods. GST for gold is as follows- Particulars HSN Code GST Rate (1) Precious stones (other than diamonds) and semi-precious stones, whether or not worked or graded but not strung, mounted or set(2) Ungraded precious stones (other than diamonds) and semi-precious stones, temporarily strung for convenience of transport (includes synthetic or reconstructed stones, apart from unworked or simply sawn or roughly shaped) 7103, 7104 0.25% Diamond, gold, pearls, silver, or articles of jewellery of silver or gold, and so on, including synthetic or reconstructed stones, unworked or simply sawn or roughly shaped 7101, 7102, 7106, 7107, 7108, 7109, 7111, 7113, 7114, 7116, 7118 3% Job work in relation to cut and polished diamonds, plain or studded jewellery of gold, silver and so on 9988 1.5% HSN Code for Gold & Jewellery- HSN Chapter 71 Gold (including gold plated with platinum) unwrought or in semi-manufactured forms, or in powder fall are classified under HSN code 7108 as under: HSN code for gold powder is 7108 11 00. HSN code for other unwrought forms of gold is 7108 12 00. HSN code for other semi-manufactured forms of gold is 7108 13 00 HSN code for monetary gold is 7108 20 00 HSN code for gold base metals or silver, clad with gold, not further worked than semi-manufactured is 7109 00 00 GST rate of 3% is applicable for all of the above HSN codes.  Jewellery of precious metals or of metal clad with precious metals fall under HSN code 7113 as under: HSN code for jewellery with filigree work is 7113 11 10 HSN code for jewellery studded with gems is 7113 11 20 HSN code for other articles of jewellery is 7113 11 30 HSN code for gold jewellery, unstudded is 7113 19 10 HSN code for gold jewellery set with pearls is 7113 19 20 HSN code for gold jewellery set with diamonds is 7113 19 30 HSN code for gold jewellery set with other precious and semi-precious stones is 7113 19 40 All of the above types of gold jewellery with the above HSN codes attract 3% GST rate. Gold Coin falls under HSN Code 7118 and attracts a 3% GST rate. Imitation jewellery fall under HSN code 7117 as under: HSN code for imitation jewellery of base metal, whether or not plated with precious metals is 7117 11 90. HSN code for imitation jewellery in the form of bangles is 7117 19 10. HSN code for jewellery studded with imitation pearls or imitation or synthetic stones is 7117 90 10. GST rates on gold purchase and GST on gold making As per Section 8 of the CGST Act, selling gold ornaments or jewellery to the common man is a composite supply of goods and services. The gold used is considered goods and making charges or value addition is towards job work. Since the principal supply is the sale of gold, the GST rate of 3% shall be levied instead of 5% on the total value of jewellery, whether or not making charges is shown separately. The CBIC has clarified this in its sectoral FAQs on what is the GST on gold, including GST on gold rate. The GST registration threshold limits that commonly apply to normal taxpayers apply to businesses in gold mining and distribution as well. Further, the composition scheme under section 10 of the CGST Act is available to businesses selling gold. Many gold merchants or sellers or jewellers take the services of goldsmiths and specialists who carry out job work on the gold bars or gold biscuits supplied by them to make jewellery. It is considered a supply of service. The goldsmiths will charge for their service known as making charges which will attract GST of 5%. If these goldsmiths or specialists are not registered under GST, the gold merchant or jeweller must pay GST at 5% on a reverse charge basis. Consumers who approach the goldsmiths by themselves will also have to pay 5% GST if the goldsmith is registered under GST. GST is not charged if unregistered individuals sell gold jewellery or exchange gold ornaments to buy new ones at jewellery shops. It is not considered furtherance of business and is out of the scope of supply under GST. However, if dealers or gold companies such as Attica Gold company, Aashraya Gold Company or Manappuram Gold Loan, etc. purchase and sell second-hand gold jewellery, GST applies on the value of such gold calculated as per the rule 32(5) of CGST Rules, after satisfying the conditions. Repair works on jewellery will be considered the making charges for which GST is charged separately at 5%. GST Calculation on Gold To set the context, when calculating GST on gold jewellery, GST on gold ornaments, GST on gold coin, GST on gold biscuit, GST on gold bar or GST on gold purchase, price includes the cost of extracting and processing the gold, and the profit margin, but does not include making charges. However, the price of gold jewellery additionally involves making charges. Up to 30th June 2017, taxes such as VAT and service tax were levied on its price. Thereafter, it was replaced by GST. Let us take an example of the import of gold jewellery and compare its prices under pre-GST and the GST regime,