The IPL ticket you once got for ₹1000? That’ll now cost you ₹1400. Sure, the new GST reforms may have made your toothpaste cheaper, but premium sporting events just got a lot more expensive.
The government has decided to crank up the GST on IPL tickets from 28% to a jaw-dropping 40%. So earlier, a ₹1000 ticket meant you paid ₹1280 with GST. Now, for that same ticket, you’ll shell out ₹1400, thanks to the ₹400 GST tag. The GST hike will apply to "admission to casinos, race clubs, any place having casinos or race clubs, or sporting events like the IPL".
And that’s just the base price. Add stadium charges, online booking fees, and the "convenience" tax, and you’ve got a match ticket that can burn a solid hole in your wallet. Oh, and we’re still talking about regular seats, not the fancy upper-level ones.
Will this price hike apply to regular matches too?
Probably not, because the government specifically mentioned IPL in its notification. Regular matches might continue with the current 18% GST, but there’s no official clarity on that just yet.
It’s still unclear whether this revised GST rate will also be extended to other sporting events like the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and the Indian Super League (ISL).
On the brighter side, movie lovers have something to cheer about — cinema tickets priced up to ₹100 will now attract just 5% GST, down from the earlier 12%. However, for tickets priced above ₹100, the GST rate stays unchanged at 18%.
In the world of sports gear, there’s some relief too. GST on sports gloves specifically designed for athletic use has been reduced from 12% to 5%. Similarly, sports goods (excluding general fitness equipment) will now also be taxed at just 5%, offering a bit of a breather for athletes and enthusiasts alike.
