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• The GST has six new slabs. The sports equipments are between slabs of 4 to 6.
• There will be 5% GST charges on sports shoes below Rs.500, 18% for the shoes above Rs.500.
• There will be 5% GST charges on the jerseys below Rs.1000, 12% for the jersey worth above Rs.1000.
• 12% GST charges on maximum football, badminton, basketball, TT, Cricket kits.
• 18% GST charges on cricket helmet and county caps.
• 28% GST charges on Dumble, Yoga mat, skipping.

Kolkata: New tax rates of sports equipments under the goods and services tax (GST) might dishearten many youths, to take sports as their profession, says a major section of sports persons and shop owners. From now on when a youngster will think of joining any sports he will suffer with the GST. He might not face any problem while buying a cricket bat, pad, gloves, thigh pad as he have to pay 12% GST which was 10% before the launch of new tax rates. But when the same kid will buy a helmet or a county cap, he have to pay 18% GST which is quite high for anyone. And finally when he will put all the equipments in a new kit bag to carry those things, the person will have to pay 28% GST for a new kit bag. Same goes for football. Earlier a footballer had to pay 10% tax including 5% vat but from now on to buy a football he has to pay 12% GST. Principle honour of B.Dasgupta & Co, Mr. Somnath Dasgupta was pretty embarrassed with this decision.” It will be very difficult for a novice to continue cricket as a profession after the implementation of GST,” said Dasgupta. “I am quite surprised that the cost of dumble, yoga mat and skipping has rosen this much as these are the primary fitness instruments which we use at home. Though we could buy this equipments but psychologically it will hurt everybody as a person will pay same GST of 28% to buy a car and a skipping or a dumble,” concluded Mr. Dasgupta. The co-owner of renowned sports equipments manufacture company, Mr. Jatin Sareen said,” The customers will face problems while buying the sports gears as they have to pay 18 to 28% GST for these things. From now on a buyer will have to pay 12% GST which is quite high according to me.”