The 57th GST Council meeting is being held on Thursday at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Here is what is on the table.

The Council is chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. It includes state finance ministers from across the country.

GST rates are expected to remain unchanged. This meeting is about process, not prices.

The big item is enforcement reform. The Council may remove arrest provisions under GST law in most cases. Tax enforcement would rely on civil consequences like recovery of tax, interest and penalties.

Prosecution would continue only in serious cases. The threshold for prosecution may rise from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore.

Refunds are another major item. Claims now take about 25 days on average. Under the new plan, 90 per cent of eligible refunds for exporters could be released automatically after a risk check.

Input tax credit rules may also change. A buyer with a valid invoice who has paid the supplier in full could keep the credit, even if others in the chain default.

Future rate changes could be considered once a year and take effect from April 1, bringing more predictability to the tax system.