New Delhi: Shrines like Tirupati Tirumala Devsthanam, Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, SidhdhiVinakay Temple are demanding exemption from the GST by saying that they are not involved in business activities rather in social and charitable activities. The next Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting, which is scheduled for August 4, 2018, may take up the issue of exemption of temple and other religious shrines from the GST purview.

One of the GST members and minister of finance, planning, commercial taxes and legislative affairs the Andhra Pradesh government Yanamala Rama krishnudu has written a letter to GST Council chairman demanding exemption of temple from GST. Rama krishnudu writes, "I request you to consider granting exemption u/s 23 (2) to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). The TTD is a religious Trust and manages world renowned Lord Venkateswara temple. It is not engaged in business activity.

Its main objective is to spread Hindu Dharma. Providing services to the devotees is part of that main objective. Therefore levying tax on the amounts it receives in providing services or sale of goods is not justified. TTD utilises the surplus amounts for charitable purposes such as running several educational institutions, hospitals etc. Therefore TTD may be exempted from obtaining registration and payment of GST by issuing a suitable notification under sec 23 (2) of CGST, SGST Acts."

ShirdiSai Trust's Baba Saheb Ghorpade said that they too have written to the GST Council demanding exemption because ShirdiSai temple also running hospitals, schools and many other charitable institution and is involved in social activities. It is not doing business, selling products or making profit. So it must necessarily be kept out of the GST.