Can’t act solo on GST cut for air purifiers ahead of next Council meet: Centre tells Delhi High Court - Moneycontrol
Next GST Council meeting likely after the Budget, with government sources flagging pan-India impact if any rate cut on air purifiers
January 09, 2026 / 11:51 IST
Air purifiers are currently taxed at 18 percent.
- GST cut on air purifiers to be discussed post-Budget at next GST Council meeting
- GST rate changes need Council approval, not executive or judicial action: Centre
- GST change for air purifiers will be uniform across India, not city-specific.
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A proposal to cut goods and services tax (GST) on air purifiers is expected to be discussed at the next GST Council meeting, with the Centre telling the Delhi High Court that it cannot reduce tax rates without the Council’s approval. Government sources indicated that the meeting is likely to be held after the Union Budget. The government’s submission rules out any immediate GST relief, even as air purifiers are increasingly being pitched as health-related devices amid worsening air quality in major cities.
“GST on air purifiers cannot be reduced without a GST Council meeting. The issue will be discussed by the Council and any decision will apply pan-India. A Council meeting is unlikely before the Budget and the matter will be taken up in the next meeting post Budget,” a senior government source told Moneycontrol, adding that the Council cannot be convened for a single-point agenda.
Centre cites constitutional framework
In an affidavit dated January 4, 2026, filed before the Delhi High Court, the Centre said that under Article 279A of the Constitution, the GST Council is the sole body empowered to decide on GST rates. The government told the court that tax rate decisions are part of a broader process of cooperative federalism, which requires consensus between the Union and states while balancing competing fiscal interests.
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