A post is being widely shared on social media platforms claiming that a sum of ₹96,000 should be paid as GST if the marriage budget is ₹5 lakh. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: ₹96,000 should be paid as GST if the marriage budget is ₹5 lakh.
Fact: No rule/act/law levies GST on marriages in India even if the expenses are ₹5 lakh or more. However, GST is applicable for the Goods and Services used for performing the wedding ceremony. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We searched for the information regarding ‘GST on marriages‘ on GST portal, CBIC website, GST council website, GST act, PIB, and other related websites but couldn’t find any law or rule which exclusively levies GST on marriages. However, GST is applicable on various services used in performing marriages like hiring a wedding hall, decoration, catering, wedding card, photography etc. According to the GST website, the GST rates for various services used in marriage can be seen below:
| Description of Goods/service | HSN code | GST rate (%) |
| Banquet halls and other related services | 9963,9971, 9985,9966 | 12% – 28% |
| Venue Decoration | 9954,9963 | 18% |
| Wedding invitation printing and postal services | 9968,4909 | 18% |
| Photography/videography, cultural activities | 9983,9996 | 18% |
| Beauty services | 9997 | 18% |
Since budget, choice of items, decoration of every marriage is different, it is not possible to calculate the GST burden in a general sense. Some private bills were introduced in the parliament to contain the extravagant spending & food wastage in Indian weddings. However, most of them are either pending or lapsed. More about these bills can be read here.
To sum it up, there is no GST on weddings in India even if the marriage expenses are ₹5 lakhs. GST is applicable only on Goods or Services used for performing the wedding ceremony.
