GST ACTS WITH RULES / FORMS & NOTIFICATIONS As amended by Finance Act 2026

GST Acts with Rules/Forms & Notifications is the flagship single-volume, section-wise compendium of the complete statutory framework governing Goods and Services Tax in India. The publication consolidates the full annotated text of all four parent GST enactments—the Central Goods and Services Tax Act 2017, the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act 2017, the Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Act 2017, and the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act 2017—together with every rule, form, and notification required to interpret, administer, and comply with the law as it stands on the date of publication.

The law stated in this Edition is as amended by the Finance Act, 2026 and incorporates the comprehensive ‘Gen 2’ rate restructuring effective from 22^nd September 2025 (Nil/5%/18%/40% with special rates of 0.25% and 1.5%), the abolition of the GST Compensation Cess with effect from 1^st February 2026, and the parallel imposition of duties on tobacco and pan masala under the Central Excise (Amendment) Act 2025 and the Health Security se National Security Cess Act 2025. The volume is designed as a self-contained working reference: every section is annotated with pointers to the corresponding rule, form, notification, date of enforcement, and allied statutory provision, eliminating the need to consult multiple publications while drafting opinions, preparing returns, representing clients in adjudication or appeals, or advising on structural transactions.

The volume is directed at practitioners and users who require the complete, unabridged statutory text—not a commentary or digest—in a single authoritative reference. The primary readership includes:

• Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries, and Cost and Management Accountants handling GST compliance, litigation, and advisory engagements
• Advocates and Tax Counsel appearing before Advance Ruling Authorities, Appellate Authorities, the GST Appellate Tribunal, High Courts, and the Supreme Court
• In-House Tax and Indirect Tax Teams of corporates, MNCs, PSUs, and banks responsible for returns, audits, input tax credit management, and representation
• Officers of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and State GST Departments at adjudicating, appellate, and policy levels
• Academicians and Students preparing for CA (Final and Inter), CS, CMA, LLB, LLM, and professional certification examinations where the bare Act is prescribed reading
• Researchers, Judicial Officers, and Members of Tribunals requiring a precise and current statutory source

The Present Publication is the 19^th Edition | 2026, as amended by the Finance Act 2026, incorporating the CGST (Fifth Amendment) Rules 2025 and all notifications issued to date. This book is edited by Taxmann’s Editorial Board and features the following noteworthy features:

• [Annotated Section-wise Architecture] Each section of the CGST, IGST, and UTGST Acts is followed by a consolidated annotation block identifying the relevant rule, prescribed form, notification, date of enforcement, and any allied law or corresponding provision
• [Complete Statutory Coverage] All four parent Acts, all rules made thereunder, all forms prescribed under the rules, and all subsisting notifications (including rate notifications) are consolidated in a single volume
• [Finance Act 2026 Amendments] Fully incorporated, including the proposed amendments to sections 15(3)(b), 34(1), 54(3), 54(14), and 101A of the CGST Act and section 13(2) of the IGST Act
• [Gen 2 Rate Restructuring] Coverage of the rationalised rate structure effective from 22^nd September 2025 (Nil/5%/18%/40% with special rates of 0.25% and 1.5%) and the abolition of the GST Compensation Cess with effect from 1^st February 2026
• [Special Regime for Tobacco Products] Dedicated treatment of pan masala, cigarettes, and specified tobacco products, covering retail-sale-price-based valuation under rule 31D, capacity-based levy under the Health Security se National Security Cess Act, 2025, enhanced NCCD rates, and restrictions on export on payment of IGST
• [Settlement of Funds Rules 2026] Inclusion of the newly notified Goods and Services Tax Settlement of Funds Rules 2026
• [CGST (Fifth Amendment) Rules 2025] Incorporation of the latest rule-level amendments and all consequential changes to forms and procedural provisions
• [GST Forms with Action Points] Forms indexed with ‘Action Points’ indicating the substantive compliance triggered by each prescribed form
• [GST Appellate Tribunal Framework] Full text of the GSTAT (Procedure) Rules 2025 and the GSTAT (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules 2023, together with the Tribunals Reforms Act 2021 and the Tribunal (Conditions of Service) Rules 2021
• [Subject-wise Index] Appended at the close of each Division to enable rapid section-level look-up by concept where the precise section number is not known
• [Appendix of Allied Statutory Provisions] Text of allied laws (Customs Act 1962; Central Excise Act 1944; Income-tax Act 1961; and others) cross-referred to in the CGST Act, reproduced in full
• [Validation Provisions and Removal of Difficulties Order] Validation Provisions of each Act and the Central Goods and Services Tax (Removal of Difficulties) Order 2020 reproduced for completeness of the historical record
• [Guide to GST] Curated opening section summarising the legislative scheme, the rate structure, and the year-on-year amendments, enabling a rapid orientation before entering the statutory text

The volume is organised into six divisions, each self-contained and independently navigable:

• Division One — Central Goods and Services Tax Act 2017
  • Arrangement of sections
  • Annotated text of every section of the CGST Act 2017
  • Central Goods and Services Tax (Removal of Difficulties) Order 2020
  • Appendix reproducing the text of allied provisions referred to in the CGST Act
  • Validation Provisions
  • Subject Index
• Division Two — Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act 2017
  • Arrangement of sections
  • Annotated text of the IGST Act 2017 (including the amendment to section 13(2) governing place of supply in Intermediary services w.e.f. 1 April 2026)
  • Validation Provisions
  • Subject Index
• Division Three — Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Act 2017
  • Arrangement of sections
  • Annotated text of the UTGST Act 2017
  • Validation Provisions
  • Subject Index
• Division Four — Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act 2017
  • Arrangement of sections
  • Text of the Compensation to States Act 2017 (historical reference following abolition of the cess w.e.f. 1 February 2026)
  • Subject Index
• Division Five — Relevant Notifications
  • CGST Notifications
  • IGST Notifications
  • CGST (Rate) Notifications reflecting the Gen 2 rate structure (Nil/5%/18%/40%)
  • IGST (Rate) Notifications
  • Central Excise (N.T.) Notifications relevant to the post-1^st February 2026 tobacco regime
• Division Six — GST Rules and Forms
  • Central Goods and Services Tax Rules 2017 (as amended by the CGST (Fifth Amendment) Rules 2025), together with all prescribed forms
  • Integrated Goods and Services Tax Rules 2017
  • Goods and Services Tax Compensation Cess Rules 2017
  • Goods and Services Tax (Period of Levy and Collection of Cess) Rules 2022
  • Union Territory GST Rules 2017 for Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Lakshadweep
  • Union Territory Goods and Services Tax (Ladakh) Rules 2024
  • Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (Appointment and Conditions of Service of President and Members) Rules 2023
  • Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (Procedure) Rules 2025
  • Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (Recruitment, Salary and other Terms and Conditions of Service of Group ‘C’ Employees) Rules 2024
  • Goods and Services Tax Settlement of Funds Rules 2026
  • National Anti-Profiteering Authority: Procedure and Methodology
  • Tribunals Reforms Act 2021 and Tribunal (Conditions of Service) Rules 2021
  • List of Relevant Notifications

The organising principle of the volume is the section-level annotation framework. Under each section of the CGST, IGST, and UTGST Acts, the reader is provided with a concise annotation block identifying, in sequence:

• Relevant Rule — The CGST/IGST/UTGST Rule giving effect to the section
• Prescribed Form — The specific form prescribed under the rules for any compliance, application, registration, return, refund, or appeal triggered by the section
• Relevant Notifications — Including rate notifications and exemption notifications issued under the section
• Date of Enforcement — Distinguishing parent provisions, substitutions, insertions, and proviso-level amendments
• Allied Laws — Allied statutory provisions referred to in or relevant to the operation of the section (Customs Act 1962; Central Excise Act 1944; Income-tax Act 1961; Companies Act 2013; etc.)
• This design converts what is ordinarily a multi-step look-up exercise—section → rule → form → notification → effective date—into a single point of reference, allowing the user to assess the complete operative position on any statutory question without navigating across disconnected sources
• The arrangement of sections at the start of each Division functions as a structural contents page, while the Subject Index at the close of each Division permits concept-level look-up where the precise section number is not known