GST liability on development rights and FSI: promoters must pay central tax by the project completion or first occupation.
Notification designates promoters who receive development rights or FSI, or long term land leases paid via construction services or upfront amounts, as registered persons required to pay central tax on consideration for development rights/FSI and on upfront lease amounts relatable to residential construction, as well as on construction services supplied against development rights/FSI; tax is payable in the tax period not later than that in which the project completion certificate is issued or first occupation occurs.

Reverse Charge Mechanism: certain real estate supplies to promoters made taxable, with related definitions and scope specified.
Specifies that services supplied for construction by a promoter are subject to Reverse Charge Mechanism: transfer of development rights or Floor Space Index (including additional FSI) by any person to a promoter, and long-term lease of land (thirty years or more) by any person against upfront consideration and/or periodic rent for construction by a promoter; inserts definitions for apartment, promoter, project, Real Estate Project, Residential Real Estate Project and floor space index.

GST exemption for transfer of development rights and FSI reduces taxable inputs for residential projects, with reverse charge on unbooked units.
Amendment exempts GST on transfer of development rights (TDR)/FSI and on upfront amounts for long term land leases when used for construction of residential apartments for sale, with the exemptible amount apportionable by carpet area ratio. Promoters must discharge reverse charge tax on the proportion attributable to residential apartments that remain un booked at completion or first occupation, calculated by prescribed formulas and subject to caps for affordable and other apartments. Valuation rules deem TDR/FSI and un booked apartments equal to comparable apartment prices nearest the relevant date, and statutory definitions align with the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act.

CGST rate framework for real estate: differentiated rates, ITC allocation, reverse charge and one time promoter option clarified.
Prescribes differentiated CGST entries and conditions for construction services in REP and RREP, establishes a one time option for promoters in ongoing projects to elect specified tax rates, requires certain central tax to be paid from electronic cash ledger, restricts ITC unless procurement from registered suppliers meets a threshold, treats supplies from unregistered persons (notably cement) as reverse charge liabilities, and provides project wise formulas and reporting obligations for computing transitional ITC (Te) and reversal or claim (Tx).

Composition scheme allows eligible small suppliers reduced tax rate but bars tax collection and input tax credit claims.
Notification establishes a composition scheme charging central tax at three percent on intra State first supplies by registered persons whose preceding year aggregate turnover did not exceed fifty lakh rupees, subject to eligibility limitations (no inter State supplies, not casual/non resident, not via specified e commerce operators, and exclusions in the annexure). Persons under the scheme shall not collect tax or claim input tax credit, must issue a bill of supply with a required declaration, pay tax on inward supplies where applicable, and where prior input tax credit was availed must remit equivalent credit amounts with remaining credit lapsing.

Corrigendum to CGST rate notification corrects a published entry by substituting the originally printed figure with the amended one.
Corrigendum directs that in notification No. 26/2018 Central Tax (Rate), published as G.S.R. 1263(E), the figure "32" appearing in the specified Gazette entry and line is to be read as "34", thus correcting the published CGST rate notification's operative text.

Rescission of notification alters reverse charge applicability for supplies by unregistered persons, with immediate regulatory effect.
The Central Government, exercising powers under section 11(1) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 and on Council recommendation, rescinds notification No. 8/2017-Central Tax (Rate) dated 28 June 2017, subject to protection for things done or omitted before rescission, with the rescission taking effect from the 1st day of February, 2019, as a consequence of amendments addressing the reverse charge mechanism for supplies by unregistered persons.

Clarification of notification scope: exclusion for services other than transport of goods within India takes effect.
The government inserts Explanation 2 in the Table against serial number 9, item (vi) of the principal rate notification, providing that "Nothing contained in this item shall apply to supply of a service other than by way of transport of goods from a place in India to another place in India." The pre-existing Explanation is renumbered as Explanation 1, and the amendment is notified to take effect from the stated commencement date under the exercise of rulemaking powers.

Reverse charge mechanism expanded to include business facilitator, business correspondent agent and security services with exclusions.
Specifies additional services subject to the Reverse Charge Mechanism: services by business facilitators to banking companies, agents of business correspondents to business correspondents, and supply of security personnel to registered persons, while excluding goods transport agency services to certain governmental recipients who registered only for tax deduction under section 51; clarifies that provisions applicable to Central and State Governments also apply to Parliament and State Legislatures, with the amendments effective from the first day of January, 2019.

Service exemptions under GST updated to include specified government-facing transport, PMJDY banking, and rehabilitation services.
Amends the Central GST rate notification to insert nil-rated entries for (i) goods transport agency services to government or local authorities registered solely for tax deduction under Section 51, (ii) banking services to Basic Saving Bank Deposit account holders under PMJDY, and (iii) rehabilitation professionals' services at specified institutions; adds a definition of financial institution per the Reserve Bank of India Act; modifies, substitutes and omits certain schedule entries. The notification is effective from the first day of January, 2019.

CGST rate amendments: revised service classifications and prescribed central tax rates for transport, leasing, insurance and renewable energy services.
Notification amends the CGST rate schedule (No.11/2017) effective 1 January 2019 to reclassify services and set central tax rates for specified services: concessional treatment for non scheduled air transport for government facilitated pilgrimages (subject to no input tax credit on goods), revised rates for third party insurance of goods carriage, financial and related services, leasing/rental services distinctions, higher rate for admissions to cinematograph exhibitions with ticket price above one hundred rupees, and a new entry taxing construction/engineering/installation services for renewable and waste to energy projects. The notification also inserts definitions for "specified organisation" and "goods carriage."

Exemption for precious metal supplies by nominated agencies to exporters subject to export proof and tax recovery if not furnished.
Exemption from central tax applies to intra State supply of gold, silver or platinum by a Nominated Agency under the Export Against Supply scheme to a registered person, provided the parties follow the Foreign Trade Policy and Handbook of Procedures; the recipient must export jewellery made from the metal within the prescribed period and submit the shipping bill/bill of export with GSTIN and export invoice within the stipulated timeframe; failing production of export proof, the Nominated Agency must pay the central tax on the unexported quantity with interest.

GST exemption on specified goods amended to include frozen vegetables, printed music and auctioned gifts.
Amends Notification No.2/2017 by substituting the S. No. 43A entry to cover frozen vegetables and provisionally preserved vegetables, inserting a new entry for printed or manuscript music, and adding an exemption for government auctioned gift items whose proceeds are directed to public or charitable causes; these Schedule changes take effect from the first day of January following notification.

GST rate schedule amendment alters tariff classifications and applicable rates, revising entries and inserting valuation rule effective January.
Amendment to the Central GST rate notification revises the GST rate schedule and tariff classifications by making omissions, substitutions, insertions and renumberings across multiple Schedules to reclassify goods and adjust applicable rates; it adds an additional statutory basis for valuation and supply treatment, prescribes a deemed value allocation of seventy percent to goods and thirty percent to taxable service for a specified mixed supply entry, and inserts entries including natural cork, agglomerated cork and lithium-ion accumulators while deleting or renumbering numerous serial entries.

Government ownership threshold clarified: majority-owned entities qualify for the specified tax exemption under amended notification.
The Explanation inserted into Notification No.12/2017 clarifies that, for the purpose of the exemption, the Central Government, State Government or Union territory shall have 50 per cent. or more ownership in the entity directly or through an entity which is wholly owned by the Central Government, State Government or Union territory.

Exemption under section 9(4) CGST Act extended, deferring tax payment under central GST rules until revised date.
The amendment extends the exemption from payment of tax under section 9(4) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 by substituting the earlier cutoff date in Notification No. 8/2017 - Central Tax (Rate) with a later date, thereby extending the period during which the specified central GST levy is not payable.

Concessional CGST rate for handicraft goods limits central tax on specified intra state supplies to lower slab.
Exempts intra state supplies of specified handicraft goods from central tax to the extent tax exceeds the concessional rates set in the Table, defining handicraft goods as predominantly hand made items with distinctive ornamentation or cultural features. The mechanism applies by reference to tariff items and descriptions in a prescribed Table that lists categories of handicrafts and their concessional CGST rates; the notification is effective on the stated commencement date and subsequent notifications have amended certain tariff entries and rates, including a value threshold for shawls.

Input tax credit restriction: accumulated credits for specified goods lapse after the prescribed utilisation cut off.
Amendment inserts a proviso into Notification No.5/2017 excluding input tax credit on supplies received on or after 1st August, 2018 for goods listed at serial numbers 1-7 (including 6A-6C), and provides that accumulated input tax credit balances unutilised after payment of tax for and up to July 2018 on inward supplies received up to 31st July 2018 shall lapse.

CGST rate schedule amendments add specific goods and conditional exemptions, altering taxable entries and effective implementation.
Amendment to the CGST rate Schedule inserts and substitutes specific tariff entries and exemption descriptions, adding goods such as sal and similar leaves, vegetable materials for broom manufacture, deities of stone/marble/wood, sanitary towels and tampons, rakhi (excluding Chapter 71 goods), and substitutes entries for de-oiled rice bran and rupee notes or coins sold to the Reserve Bank of India or the Government of India; it also establishes conditional exemption criteria for coir pith compost and specifies the effective implementation date.

GST rate amendment: broad reclassification and rate adjustments across schedules altering taxable classifications and applicability nationwide.
Amendment implements Council recommendations by inserting, substituting and omitting tariff entries across Schedules I-IV to reclassify specified goods and adjust applicable central tax rates. It adds new serial numbers, revises column entries and creates exclusions to clarify which supplies fall within particular rate brackets (for example, distinguishing ethyl alcohol for blending), thereby establishing the operative classification and rate framework effective the day after publication.