MisleadingDhruv Ratheechecked 1 Oct 2026“In the GST Council meeting held on December 21, 2024, crucial tax decisions affected everyday items like popcorn and vehicles, dramatically impacting India's middle class.”
18%
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What they said
Dhruv Rathee said that in the GST Council meeting held on December 21, 2024, crucial tax decisions affected everyday items like popcorn and vehicles, dramatically impacting India's middle class.
youtube.com, checked 1 Oct 2026
What is actually true
18%
GST on old/used vehicles, 55th Council, 21 Dec 2024
cbic-gst.gov.in
The Ministry of Finance's 21 December 2024 press release on the 55th GST Council meeting says the Council recommended increasing GST from 12% to 18% on the sale of all old and used vehicles, including EVs, with GST applicable only on the margin. It also clarified popcorn rates: 5% for ready-to-eat salted/spiced popcorn sold not pre-packaged or labelled, 12% if pre-packaged and labelled, and 18% for caramel popcorn.
- The 55th GST Council met on 21 December 2024 in Jaisalmer, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. [5][6]
- The Council recommended raising GST on old and used vehicles, including EVs, from 12% to 18%, but only on the margin between purchase price and selling price. [5][6]
- The Council clarified popcorn GST: 5% for ready-to-eat salted/spiced popcorn sold not pre-packaged or labelled, 12% if pre-packaged and labelled, and 18% for caramel popcorn. [5][6]
- The official press release describes the popcorn change as a clarification to settle interpretation disputes; it does not state that the decisions dramatically impact India's middle class. [5][6]
[5] 55th Meeting of the GST Council 21st December, 2024 *** — cbic-gst.gov.in[6] Recommendations of the 55th Meeting of the GST Council — pib.gov.in
The meeting and the popcorn and vehicle decisions are real, so the first part of the claim is accurate. But the official record does not support the 'dramatically impacting India's middle class' part. The vehicle rate increase applies only to old and used vehicles and only on the margin, not the full sale price, and the popcorn rates are clarifications of existing classification, not a new tax on all popcorn. That context is missing from the claim.