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Following the GST Council’s confirmation that caramelised popcorn would be subject to an 18 per cent tax, social media jokes went viral.
If it is supplied pre-packaged and labelled, it will be subject to a 12 per cent GST. (Representative Image)
At its 55th meeting on December 21, the GST Council defined the popcorn tax structure and announced the current rates would not be altered. During the meeting, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave an explanation for the rates. She said, “Salted, caramelised, plain popcorn is being sold as namkeen in certain states. Caramelised popcorn comes with added sugar, so the treatment rate is different from namkeen.”
Popcorn and other pre-packaged, branded, ready-to-eat snacks are subject to a 12 per cent GST under the current structure. Caramelised popcorn, on the other hand, draws a greater rate of 18 per cent. The GST rate is set at 5 per cent for popcorn that is unpackaged and unlabelled and contains salt and spices.
A circular from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) will be released shortly to offer clarification on these tax regulations. Meanwhile, the council underlined that the diverse qualities and techniques of popcorn preparation lead to tax differentiation.
Social media users unleashed a barrage of amusing memes in response to the announcement, displaying their inventive interpretations of the GST imposed on popcorn.
A user shared a meme that illustrated the difficulties in determining popcorn tax as a light-hearted poke at the GST Council.
Another commented, “Suddenly #Popcorn got so much attention. #ACTII is so popular without advertisements.”
“The great great #GSTCouncil went all the way to Jaisalmer just to discuss & finalize the GST rate on popcorns! What an efficient use of taxpayer money & taxpayer sponsored resources,” said a user on X.
The great great #GSTCouncil went all the way to Jaisalmer just to discuss & finalize the GST rate on popcorns! ??♂️??♂️What an efficient use of taxpayer money & taxpayer sponsored resources ?? pic.twitter.com/NFWB4IjveC
— CA Himank Singla (@CAHimankSingla) December 21, 2024
A meme indicating the challenge of calculating GST on popcorn was shared by another user.
Some people went beyond popcorn and made fun of the issue by proposing additional foods that should be taxed. The response on the internet has varied from clever quips to loud fits of laughter. The Finance Minister is being tagged in popular memes that show computations between salted and caramelised popcorn.
Here are a few more amusing memes:
The internet’s clever responses made the popcorn taxation discussion anything but dull.
