As the roll-out deadline nears for a national goods and services tax (GST), there is ambiguity on its applicability to gold jewellery. A section of jewellers considers making charges asaservice charge and shows this separately while billing.If a service, the applicable rate would be 18 per cent, by the draft GST guidelines. Another section of jewellers, however, adds making charges in value of the jewellery; they do not show it separately but add it to the price of gold. In this case, the applicable rate under GST would be two per cent (assumed, as the government is yet to formally state the rate for jewellery) on the cumulative value of the precious ornaments, if the government continues with the uniform rate on gold and jewellery. “By the international standard, bills must be made showing making charges separately.We have urged the government to levy the same rate on gold and jewellery (including on making charges) under GST,” said Surendra Mehta, secretary, India Bull...