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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To check a GST rate in India, identify the product’s HSN classification or the service’s classification (SAC), match it to the full entry in the latest CBIC rate schedule, then check the applicable notification and conditions. For an invoice, separately determine the place of supply to work out whether the tax is shown as CGST plus SGST/UTGST or as IGST. A familiar product name alone may not establish the rate.
What you need to check
GST treatment is based on the legally relevant classification and the wording of the rate entry—not just a shop name or broad product category. The entry may distinguish goods by composition, form, weight, packaging, intended use, or other attributes. Services likewise need to be matched to the relevant service description and classification.
CBIC publishes separate schedules for goods and services. Read the full description, rate columns, conditions, exemption wording, and cess field rather than relying on a headline rate or a search snippet. Start with CBIC’s GST goods and services rate schedule.
How to look up a GST rate
- Describe the actual supply. Note what a product is made of, its form and packaging, and its use where relevant. For a service, describe the full scope of what is supplied. Preserve details that might distinguish one schedule entry from another.
- Find a likely HSN or service classification. Use the GST Portal’s HSN search facility or search by description in the GSTR-1 workflow. Treat a result as a starting point to verify, not a legal determination. The GST Portal GSTR-1 tutorial describes searching HSN by description; CBIC’s HSN press release provides historical background on code structure and lookup pathways.
- Match the full description in the CBIC schedule. Check the goods or services schedule for the classification, exact wording, rate columns, conditions, exemptions, and any cess. A similar-looking heading may have exceptions or qualifiers.
- Check the legal update trail. Use the CBIC Tax Information Portal to find the governing notification and later amendments, circulars, or clarifications. The portal carries GST acts, rules, forms, notifications, circulars, instructions, guidelines, and orders.
- Check the transaction date. Record the date of the sale or invoice and the effective date of the relevant notification or amendment. The current schedule may not settle treatment for an earlier transaction or a case with special conditions.
- Determine the invoice tax split. Establish the supplier’s location and the place of supply. The GST Portal’s GSTR-1 guide explains that a same-state place of supply is intra-state, with central and state/UT tax fields; a different-state place of supply is inter-state and uses the inter-state treatment.
Why the product name may not be enough
Official examples illustrate why details matter: CBIC’s GST FAQ discusses sarees whose classification can vary with constituent fibre and fabric weight. That example is useful for understanding how attributes affect classification, but it is not an exhaustive list of products or a substitute for checking the current schedule and legal updates.
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If two entries seem plausible, compare their exact HSN or service classification, the product’s composition or service scope, any packaging or use qualifier, rate and exemption conditions, cess, and the effective date of the controlling notification. Do not choose an entry simply because its everyday wording sounds closest.
GST rate and invoice tax components are separate questions
The place-of-supply test affects how tax is presented on the invoice; it does not identify the product’s GST rate. First establish the applicable classification and rate entry. Separately determine whether the transaction is intra-state or inter-state so the invoice uses the appropriate tax treatment. Other transaction facts may also affect classification, exemptions, or conditions.
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To answer “What is the HSN code and GST rate for [product]?” or “How do I find the GST rate for a service?”, gather the full description and relevant attributes before searching. Then verify the likely classification against the schedule and the notification trail. Because rates, conditions, and classifications can change, check the latest CBIC schedule and legal instruments for the transaction date; the schedules and portal interfaces are current as of 7 October 2026, but specific treatment must be confirmed for the case at hand.
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