The 57th GST Council meeting is scheduled for 8 October 2026, and a 6 October report says it may consider two changes: a cut in GST on some local-delivery services from 18% to 5%, and a higher threshold for certain tax notices or orders. Neither proposal is confirmed as adopted or in force. The reported details should be treated as proposals until the Council’s decision and any implementing notifications are confirmed.
Will GST on delivery services be cut from 18% to 5%?
Possibly, but the reported cut is not yet a confirmed rate change. The Federal reported on 6 October 2026 that the Council may consider reducing GST on local-delivery services supplied by unregistered riders to platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato from 18% to 5%. The report attributes the proposal to two senior government officials familiar with it; it does not cite a Council decision or an implementing notification. Read the report.
The existing baseline is not one flat rate for every delivery arrangement. The official FAQ on the 56th Council’s decisions says local-delivery services supplied through an electronic commerce operator (ECO) by a registered person are subject to 18% GST. It also says an ECO providing or facilitating local delivery is excluded from the Goods Transport Agency definition for this treatment. Supplier registration and how the transaction is structured therefore matter. See the 56th Council FAQ from the Press Information Bureau.
The 56th Council’s relevant goods and services rate changes, other than those for specified tobacco products, took effect on 22 September 2025, according to the FAQ. That date is background to the current rate framework, not evidence that the newly reported delivery proposal has taken effect. The FAQ also says goods registration thresholds did not change in those 56th Council decisions. Press Information Bureau FAQ.
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Will the 5% rate apply to every goods delivery or only deliveries by unregistered riders?
The report leaves the potential scope unsettled. It says officials indicated a 5% rate could extend to all delivery of goods, in addition to the proposal concerning services supplied by unregistered riders. It does not provide draft notification language defining “all delivery,” identify which supplier or platform arrangements would qualify, or explain input-tax-credit treatment. Those details cannot be inferred from the reported rate alone. The Federal’s report.
A related issue was deferred at the 54th Council meeting for further examination by the Fitment Committee. The discussion included whether delivery-partner services through ECOs could be clarified as non-taxable below the ₹20 lakh registration threshold or brought under section 9(5) prospectively at 5%. That earlier deferral is procedural context; it does not establish what the 57th Council will decide. 54th GST Council meeting brief.
If a rate change is announced, the practical questions for any particular delivery service will be whether the supplier is registered, whether an ECO is involved, whether the service is local delivery or another transport service, and what the final notification says about the rate, credit conditions and effective date.
Will GST notices below ₹10,000 stop?
That is also only a reported proposal. The 6 October report says the Council may consider preventing show-cause notices or orders where tax evaded or unpaid is below ₹10,000, compared with a reported earlier limit of ₹1,000. The report quotes a senior official described as being familiar with the proposal: “No show-cause notice or order to be passed against taxpayers where tax evasion or tax not paid is less than Rs 10,000; this limit was earlier Rs 1,000.” The official is unnamed, and the figures have not been confirmed here as a change to the law. The Federal’s report.
The report does not establish which kinds of notice or order would be covered, the effective date, or whether exceptions would apply. A taxpayer should not treat the ₹10,000 figure as a legal safe harbour unless an official decision and the relevant legal notification confirm the threshold and its scope.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When will the GST Council decide?
The latest located schedule says the 57th GST Council meeting is planned for Thursday, 8 October 2026, from 11:00 a.m. at the Summit Room, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The schedule was reported from a GST Council Secretariat memorandum. Because the meeting is imminent and schedules can change, check the Secretariat’s latest notice for confirmation. Business Standard’s schedule report.
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The available reporting does not verify whether either proposal was adopted, modified, deferred or rejected. Even a Council decision would need to be checked against the implementing notification for its legal scope and effective date. Until those are confirmed, both the delivery-rate cut and the notice threshold remain proposals, not established changes.
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