GST Rate Finder and HSN Code List: An Overview

What is the HSN code? How does the HSN code finder works, and so on? Read this article to learn all about the HSN code and GST rate finder.

For eg. 6375 or Horses cotton handloom machine)

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To classify all products and services carried out in India underneath GST, we use the HSN code system or perhaps the SAC code systems. One can use the HSN code to classify goods, while we use the SAC code to classify services. Goods and service tax rates divide into five categories depending upon the HSN or SAC code, with 0%, 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28% being the lowest.

Did you know? The GST Council in India has proposed a four-tier rate structure with two standard rates of 12% and 18%, a lower rate of 5% for the essentials and a higher rate of 28% for the luxury goods and sin goods.

What Is GST?

The goods and services tax is a real worth tax that the government charges on practically every product and service sold for household usage. This unified taxation system eliminates all prior federal and state levies. Customers who are using the services or purchasing the items pay the GST. However, the small home business or big companies return it to the government.

GST is the result of combining entire central taxation (import duties, sales tax, service charges, penalties, and deductions) and state income taxation (state VAT/ income tax, acquisition tax, luxury tax, amusement tax, immorality tax, and so on) into particular tax with the tagline "One Country, One Tax."

What Are GST Rates?

The goods and services tax is one of India's most significant tax changes, and GST aided in the universality of taxation across India's diverse goods and services. This also eliminates the ripple effect of numerous state and federal taxes. Although the GST is a solo tax, the government still divides it into several GST bands or tax levels because of the large number of products and services.

One can broadly divide goods and services tax rates into five categories.

  • NIL: In this tax bracket, we pay no tax on the items or services we use.
  • 5%: We have to pay 5% tax whenever we purchase items and services within this tax bracket.
  • 12%: We have to pay 12% tax whenever we purchase items and services within this tax bracket.
  • 18%: We have to pay 18% tax whenever we purchase items and services within this tax bracket.
  • 28%: We have to pay 28% tax whenever we purchase items and services within this tax bracket.

Gold and other valuable metals are exempt from the above slabs but fall under the 3% threshold. There have been 34 GST committee sessions, and they moved numerous commodities from one block to another. They reduced certain tax brackets from 28% to 18% and other tax rates from 5% to zero.

What Is an HSN Code?

One of the World Customs Organisation establishments is the "Harmonised System of Nomenclature," which refers to HSN. The most important objective of the WCO in executing HSN numbers is really to categorise all commodities methodically. It eradicates uncertainty and facilitates internal and international business between nations. We can use HSN numbers to trade over 20,000 items between nations around the globe. WCO uses the latest HSN codes in over 90% of global buy and sell. By embracing the HSN codes method, India became a community member.

Why Is HSN Important Under GST?

Several nations have been employing HSN codes for business for a long. Our nation's HSN and foreign trade have been more standardised since the implementation of GST. There is an implementation of acceptable codes on worldwide platforms. Using HSN codes reduces costs and streamlines the customs process. The Harmonised System of Nomenclature code assists all taxpayers in determining the GST fees applicable to specific goods. When completing the GSTR applications, you must include the HSN codes.

How Does HSN Code Work?

The dealers and trading people usually use the HSN codes. Depending on the relevant conditions, they have to use HSN codes with two, four, or eight.

  • If your company's annual revenue is below ₹ 1.5 crores, you don't need to use HSN codes.
  • If a company's annual revenue is between ₹ 1.5 crores and ₹ 5 crores, you must use two-digit HSN numbers for all commercial transactions.
  • If the firm's yearly income exceeds ₹ 5 crores, you must employ 4 figure HSN numbers.
  • There is a requirement for eight-digit HSN codes for exports and imports operations and foreign trades for business dealings.

The HSN modules categorise commodities into many categories.

  • 99 chapters 
  • 21 sections
  • 1244 headings
  • 5244 subheading

For example, powdered nylon for moulding (HSN number: 39 08 90 10)

  • The starting two numbers that are 39 in the above example indicate the chapter within the HSN code.
  • The subsequent 2 digits (08) represent the chapter headers.
  • And the next 2 numbers (90) indicate the sub-headings, and worldwide everyone accepts this six-digit HSN code.
  • The next two numbers (10) sub-classify the goods duty title during the importation and exportation of supplies.

The usage of HSN codes enables companies to save a lot of time and cash when completing their GST returns; by completing the Harmonised System of Nomenclature (HSN) codes, you may automate your GSTR submission.

HSN Worldwide

And over 200 nations and economies employ the HSN search for the following purposes:

  • Product/goods classification that is consistent
  • A tariff depends on this base.
  • They collect foreign trade figures.
  • One interesting statistic regarding HSN is that one can use it to classify approximately 98% of items in global trade.

HSN in India

Since 1971, India has become a part of the World Customs Organisation (WCO). They categorise goods for Immigration and Central Taxes employing six-digit HSN codes. Customs and Central Excise eventually added 2 additional numbers to the figures to make them more exact, culminating in an eight-digit categorisation. The HSN can assist each taxpayer in India find the GST rates by simply typing the HSN code. After that, the application will immediately display the GST rates relevant to the product, thereby streamlining trade processes in India.

What Is SAC?

Services Accounting Codes, or SACs, are digits for services equivalent to the HSN code search. Services, like products, classify equally for identification, measuring, and taxes. The Central Board of Indirect Tax issues Services Accounting Codes to define every service. For all the services each company provides, they use SACs to create bills. The Services Accounting Codes is a six-digit identifier that includes two digits for each of the three headings: Chapters, Header, and Subheadings.

Here's an illustration:

998213 is one of the Services Accounting Codes for trademark, copyrights, and other intellectual asset rights judicial paperwork and verification activities.

  • Across all services, starting two numbers are identical. i.e. 99,
  • The next 2 numbers (82) represent the type of service they provide, which in this instance is legal assistance. - The heading
  • The last 2 numbers (13) represent the level of information in the service, such as legal documents for trademarks. - This is a subheading.

Conclusion

India's indirect tax structure will gain worldwide respect if it adopts the HSN code categorisation of commodities. Therefore, it is likely to receive acceptance from many other nations that have previously incorporated GST. GST tariffs and HSN codes that are internationally synchronised would result in cost savings and improved foreign trade. Whenever HSN codes are correctly understood and implemented in categorising diverse items for indirect tax reasons, the ease of doing trade in India will improve. As a result, developing a thorough knowledge of HSN codes will streamline the GST integration process and serve as a unifying theme among Indian local and international commerce.
 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it necessary to include the HSN code on the bill?

The taxpayer uses the HSN numbers to classify their items when submitting GST returns. When an owner's or taxpayer's annual revenue exceeds ₹ 1.5 crores, they have to include the HSN identifier in the bill; else, there is no requirement to include the HSN number on chargeable invoices.


Who is exempt from using HSN?

The dealers who sell their commodities with a turnover below ₹ 1.5 crores do not require HSN codes.


What is the best way of searching for an HSN?

First, choose a chapter; next, select a section. Then choose an HSN code that perfectly represents your product


What is the significance of HSN when submitting an invoice?

Because GST submissions are computerised, it is usually difficult for retailers to input product descriptions. As a result, HSN codes will automatically retrieve from the owner's registration information, saving time and effort. When switching to another GST or registering for the first time, dealers must choose the relevant HSN/SAC number


Is the HSN code the same in every country?

The World Customs Organisation established the HSN. They classify products using HSN codes. All of the nations part of the WCO have comparable HSN codes. They employ a six-digit HSN number for items; however, some nations use an eight-digit number to sub-classify products