The GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has set its 57th meeting for Oct 8, 2026, at 11 a.m. in the Summit Room of Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The Secretariat cited "unavoidable circumstances" for the shift, marking the second postponement after the council’s initial October 7 slot was displaced by the BRICS summit that ran from Sep 12‑13.
The agenda focuses on curbing GST officer arrest powers, raising the criminal prosecution threshold from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore, and protecting input‑tax‑credit for genuine buyers when upstream suppliers default.
Additional proposals aim to ease registration for small e‑commerce sellers, allow platform warehouses as registered premises, and let employers claim credit on insurance premiums.
Stakeholders, including thousands of micro‑retailers and tech‑enabled sellers, await the council’s rulings, which will shape compliance, enforcement and market access. The council will announce its decisions after deliberations.