What the roll back on healthcare tax means

Tue, 22 March 2011

12:55

Time to pop the champagne.Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has announced a roll back of the healthcare service tax or misery tax in the Lok Sabha today. The tax was supposed to mop up Rs 500 crore.

In the Union Budget for 2011-12, thefin min had proposed to impose a service tax of five per cent on all services, including diagnostic services, provided by a centrally air-conditioned clinical establishments having more than 25 beds for in-patient treatment.

Besides, the service tax would also be levied on services provided by consultant doctors operating from premises of such hospitals.

However, healthcare services provided by government hospitals and those run by municipalities will not attract the new levy.

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