The GST Fitment Committee reportedly recommended keeping the existing 18% GST rate on air purifiers, HEPA filters, water purifiers and specified parts and consumables. That is a committee recommendation—not confirmation that the GST Council has adopted it or that a rate notification has changed the tax.
What rate change was proposed—and what did the committee recommend?
Business Today reported on October 6, 2026, that proposals to reduce GST on air purifiers to 5% or nil were not accepted by the Fitment Committee. It reportedly recommended retaining the 18% rate on air purifiers and their parts, including HEPA filters.
For water purifiers, the report likewise says the committee recommended no change to the 18% rate. The products named include RO membranes, filter cartridges and filter housings. These are reported recommendations, not a new tax decision.
Why was no reduction recommended?
According to Business Today’s account, the committee cited several concerns about reducing the rate on air purifiers:
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- Input-tax-credit effects: A 5% output rate while most inputs remain taxed at 18% could create an inverted duty structure. A nil rate could prevent manufacturers from claiming input tax credit, leaving input taxes embedded in ex-factory prices.
- HEPA filters have wider uses: They are used not only in household purifiers but also in HVAC systems, clean rooms, laboratories, hospitals and industrial premises. A household-only concession could create classification and compliance issues.
- Domestic manufacturing: The committee was reportedly concerned that cheaper imports could gain an advantage over domestically manufactured units.
The report does not quantify the likely economic effect of these concerns. It also reports that a proposal to reduce GST on household water purifiers from 18% to 12% had been considered at the 45th GST Council meeting and was not accepted.
Has GST on purifiers officially changed?
The October 6 report establishes what the Fitment Committee reportedly recommended; it does not establish that the GST Council made a final decision or that a rate notification was issued. As of the report, the covered products were described as carrying an 18% rate. For a transaction after a subsequent Council meeting, check the Council’s decision and any applicable notification rather than treating the committee recommendation as the final rule.
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Older GST Council agenda material lists water plants, water purifiers and water filters at 18% for the Council’s 28th meeting. That is historical context, not a current rate notification: GST Council agenda for the 28th meeting.
What did the Delhi High Court direct?
In Kapil Madan v. Union of India, the Delhi High Court noted a recommendation from the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change to lower or abolish GST on air purifiers and HEPA filters. The court directed that the GST Council consider the issue at the earliest. It did not order a particular rate reduction.
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“Having regard to the concerns raised in the writ petition as also the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee as aforequoted, we direct that the issue of lowering or abolishing the GST on air purifiers and HEPA filters shall be considered by the GST Council at the earliest.”
The order also reproduces the standing committee’s statement: “The Committee feels that the citizens of the country should not be penalized for trying to save themselves from a catastrophic situation.” That is the committee’s view, not a direction by the court to change the tax rate. The Delhi High Court order in Kapil Madan v. Union of India records both points.
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What this means for buyers
The reported recommendation offers no immediate confirmation of tax relief at checkout. The covered products were reported at 18%, but buyers should check the applicable rate on their invoice and consult a current GST notification if they need a definitive rate for a purchase or business transaction. The tax story does not establish whether any purifier is effective, suitable for a particular space or compatible with a replacement filter.
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