GST Council Unveils Major Taxpayer-Friendly Reforms

The GST Council, led by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, approved sweeping reforms to ease compliance, expedite refunds, and reduce enforcement actions. Key changes include raising the prosecution threshold from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore, eliminating arrest powers, and allowing refunds of accumulated input tax credit on input services from November 1, 2026. The reforms aim to create a more trust-based, system-oriented GST administration.