57th GST Council Meeting: Nirmala Sitharaman Chairs Meeting on GST 2.0 Reforms

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is chairing the 57th GST Council meeting on 8 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The meeting is about more than tax rates. It looks at ways to make the GST system simpler and easier to follow, under the proposed "GST 2.0" reforms.

57th GST Council Meeting to Be Held on 8 October in Delhi

The meeting is taking place today in the national capital. The GST Council is the body that takes decisions on GST, and the Union Finance Minister heads it. This time, the talks centre on the proposed GST 2.0 changes. They are meant to cut compliance hassles and unnecessary legal disputes, mainly for MSMEs and e-commerce sellers.

Aim of the 57th GST Council Meeting

The main aim is to make GST work smarter, with fewer complications and more predictable compliance. The proposed changes try to:

• Reduce litigation
• Make life easier for businesses, especially MSMEs and e-commerce sellers
• Ease working-capital stress
• Build a more taxpayer-friendly system

Key Agendas of the 57th GST Council Meeting

Decriminalisation of GST Offences

The Council is considering whether to decriminalise some GST-related offences. One major proposal is to raise the threshold for criminal prosecution to ₹5 crore. If it's approved, smaller tax disputes would be less likely to lead to criminal proceedings.

Simpler Input Tax Credit (ITC) Claims

The Council wants to reduce paperwork for ITC claims. One proposed step is automatic matching of invoices between buyers and sellers. This could mean fewer disputes and less pressure on a business's working capital.

Faster Export Refunds

Another agenda item is the export refund process. The proposals aim to make the paperwork easier and speed up refunds. Exporters would then get their money sooner, which helps their cash flow.

Predictable GST Rate Changes

The Council will also discuss limiting major rate changes to one regular annual cycle, possibly starting from 1 April. This would let businesses plan ahead.