Taxmen to univs: Give details of GST on affiliation fees
Mumbai: Public universities across Maharashtra are hassled since the past few months as they have received letters from Goods and Services Tax (GST) authorities either seeking information or initiating an “investigation” into the non-payment of GST on affiliation fees.
Vice-chancellors are knocking at the door of the state governor, who is the chancellor for these universities.
If universities have to levy GST on colleges for affiliation, ultimately this burden will cascade down to the students, they said.
In the recent Joint Board of Vice-Chancellors (JBVC) meeting in the state, public universities raised the issue with governor Ramesh Bais. Govt as well as the governor’s office had agreed to represent their concerns before the GST council, said university sources.
While educational services provided to students are exempt from the tax, which includes fees like for entrance exams, the GST council in its meeting in May 2021 had held that GST at 18% will be applicable to other services provided by boards, such as accreditation fees. This was followed by a circular issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
