[BREAKING] 56th GST Council Meeting Scheduled for Sept 3 and 4

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council will convene its 56th meeting in New Delhi on September 3 and 4, 2025, according to an official memorandum issued by the GST Council Secretariat. The meetings will begin at 11 a.m. on both days.

The memorandum directs officials to convey the invitation to all Hon’ble Members of the Council for their participation in the two-day session.

Ahead of the Council meeting, an Officers’ Meeting has been scheduled for September 2, 2025, also in New Delhi. This preparatory session, starting at 11 a.m., is expected to finalise the groundwork, compile departmental feedback, and narrow down agenda points before they are placed before the Council.

While the official agenda has not yet been released, the Council is likely to deliberate on critical issues of GST rate rationalisation, compliance simplification, compensation cess utilisation, and unresolved sector-specific demands. The GST Council meetings have historically been the highest decision-making platform on indirect tax matters, bringing together the Union Finance Minister, State Finance Ministers, and senior officials.

The memorandum also states that details regarding the venue and final agenda items will be communicated in due course. Typically, Council meetings address both policy-level reforms and operational concerns flagged by States. Recent discussions have revolved around correcting inverted duty structures, reviewing exemptions, and strengthening technology-driven compliance mechanisms.

Complete GST Act & Rules with amendments made by financial bill, 2025

The 56th meeting assumes significance as it comes at a time when States continue to raise concerns about revenue mobilisation and compensation beyond the five-year transition period initially assured at the rollout of GST in 2017. With the GST playing a central role in India’s tax architecture, decisions taken at the upcoming session could have widespread fiscal implications for both Union and State finances.

The notice further indicates that the Principal Secretary to the Finance Minister has been instructed to brief the Minister ahead of the meeting. It is standard practice for the Finance Minister of India to chair the Council sessions, with State representatives contributing to consensus-based decision-making.

The 56th GST Council meeting will mark yet another key step in India’s ongoing efforts to refine and stabilise its indirect tax regime, now entering its ninth year of operation.