Watching the Indian Premier League (IPL) action live from a cricket stadium would be costlier, following the introduction of an increased Goods and Services Tax (GST) by the Centre on IPL tickets from 28 to 40 per cent.
The final ticket prize for an IPL match, which has a base prize of Rs 1,000, will now be upto Rs 1,280-1,400, as per ESPNCricinfo. This raise puts the IPL in India's highest GST bracket, alongside casinos, race clubs, or any place featuring casinos or race clubs.
However, the people going to watch international matches seem to get some respite as the GST levied for these matches was the same as the IPL tickets, at 28 per cent, but this slab has been done away with. According to an official release, the changes in the tax rates as part of the GST reforms only talk about "sporting events like the IPL". Various finance and business publications have interpreted this to mean that international matches could fall under the other "recognised sporting events".
As of now, the "other recognised sporting events" attract 18 per cent GST for tickets priced above Rs 500, while the ones priced below are exempted from GST. So the tickets for international matches or state-run leagues could become cheaper in future. Currently, if the base prize for an international match ticket is Rs 1,000, it costs Rs 1,280 after the inclusion of taxes. However, with the new change, the same price would decrease to Rs 1,180.
The changes will take effect from September 22 onwards, a week before the ICC Women's World Cup, hosted by India, begins. The tickets for the marquee women's cricket event have yet to go on sale.
On August 30, a month before the tournament's beginning, the International Cricket Council (ICC) asked fans to "register your interest" to "ensure you are the first to receive the latest news and ticketing information straight to your inbox".
