IPL Tickets to Cost Double after Centre's 40 Pc GST?
Categorizing the richest cricket league on the planet as a luxury, IPL tickets were taxed at 40 percent alongside casinos and betting.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday evening announced a change in Goods and Services Tax (GST) slabs, which were welcomed by a large section of people, however, cricketing lovers expressed disappointment after the latest changes hiked the tax on Indian Premier League (IPL) tickets from 28 to 40 percent.
The new tax rates will come into force from September 22 and will affect the ticket prices for the coming 2026 IPL Season.
The new tax slap on the tickets, however, didn't sit well with netizens with many slamming the move. Few criticized the tax hike as targeted toward the audience and the general public rather than the tax-exempt BCCI.
Expressing discontent, a user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote in a post, "GST on IPL raised from 28% to 40%. This misleading post is being circulated as if the govt has finally started taxing IPL or BCCI. False. The hike is in GST on 'IPL tickets', which means fans buying tickets will pay more, not BCCI. IPL and BCCI still enjoy exemptions on their own massive earnings."
"What BCCI deposits to the GoI isn’t a “tax on themselves” but money collected on govt’s behalf, like GST on tickets and merchandise (paid by fans), TDS on player/staff salaries, TDS on vendors and contractors, etc. So next time you hear that BCCI paid xyz thousand crores in tax, remember, it’s not from their own income but from these collections. BCCI and IPL profits still remain tax-free," the post added.
"GST on IPL tickets increased from 28% to 40%. Aur khelo Pakistan ke sath cricket 🤣" another user wittily wrote.
