The GST Council this week is likely to consider lowering of tax rates for job works for making garments to 5 per cent from 18 per cent and will be also considering removing anomaly in taxation in cases where the intermediate goods are taxed at the highest bracket than the tax on final output, according informed sources.

It will be the first full-fledged meeting of the GST Council, chaired by union finance minister Arun Jaitley and attended by his state counterparts, after the roll out of the new indirect tax reform on July one.

Apart from reviewing the roll out of the GST regime, the 19th meeting of the Council on August 5 may take a look at streamlining the anomalies raised by the industry over the past one month, sources said.

Currently, services by way of job works in relation to textile yarns (other than man-made fibre/filament) and textile fabrics attract 5 per cent GST. Other job works in relation to garments charged an 18 per cent levy.

As per the rates decided by the Council, in the textiles category, silk and jute fibre have been exempted, while cotton and natural fibre and all kinds of yarns will be levied a 5 per cent GST. Man-made fibre and yarn will, however, attract 18 per cent tax rate.

All categories of fabric attract a 5 per cent rate. Man- made apparel up to Rs 1,000 will attract a 5 per cent tax and those costing above Rs 1,000, will have to pay12 per cent.

Sources said that the Council may look at streamlining it and being all job works, including for making garments from fabric, under the 5 per cent slab. This would help the textile sector as the final product was taxed between 5-12 per cent.

– Apparel and Textile News, Apparel Talk, Indian Apparel