<span style="color: #222222;">The GST Council has reduced tax rates on over 80 items and exempted sanitary napkins, rakhis, stone, marble, wooden deities and Saal leaves from GST. Briefing media after chairing the 28th GST Council meeting in New Delhi yesterday, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said, GST on footwear priced below one thousand rupees will attract 5 percent rate. He said, the decisions will benefit 125 crore citizens, particularly low and middle-income families, traders and artisans. The Minister said, there will be minimal impact of these decisions on revenue collections. Mr Goyal also said that the premium to be charged under Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission will be exempted from the GST.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Minister said, besides revenue collection, the GST council will now focus on job creation as well. He said, GST council has cleared amendments which will be passed in Parliament. Mr Goyal said, exemption limit for traders in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim has been increased from 10 lakh to 20 lakh rupees. He said, simplification in tax is the government priority. He said, soon the government will link RFID tags with Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) for transporters and this will reduce harassment of transporters at toll plazas. The GST Council also approved the new return formats and associated changes in the law.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">All taxpayers excluding small taxpayers and a few exceptions will file one monthly return. The return is simple with two main tables of which one will be for reporting outward supplies and one for availing input tax credit. The Council approved the quarterly filing of return for the small taxpayers having turnover below 5 crore rupees as an optional facility. The quarterly return will be similar to main return with monthly payment facility but for two kinds of registered persons which are small traders making only B2C supply or making B2B B2C supply.  For such taxpayers, simplified returns have been designed called Sahaj and Sugam. In these returns details of information required to be filled is lesser than that in the regular return. </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Finance Minister informed that the Special meeting of GST council will be held on 4th of next month in Delhi and it will be focussed on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Sector.</span><br />