Disclaimer - "As a crafterpreneur, I have no problem paying GST". As an unpaid tax collector, my job is to collect tax from you & hand it over to the Govt. That's it.
Ideally, craft businesses with GST should be recognised as a distinctly-organised sector & seen on par with tech start-ups. As that's not the case, my displeasure is on - why, how, & what gets taxed.
I work with the 'Fabric of Freedom'. Cotton is sourced, ginned, slivered, roved, spun, dyed, woven, printed, embroidered, & tailored within the state of Karnataka, thereby reducing the carbon footprint at production. What benefit do I get by heralding 'Vocal for Local'?
MNCs producing electric cars get tax rebates & subsidised land. Millions of $ get spent on rainwater harvesting & harnessing solar/wind energy, whereas an ambara charaka spun & handwoven Kora fabric requires less energy & water. So what benefits does one get for promoting - Fabric of our future?
Why is organic cotton handwoven fabric & synthetic power-loom fabric with toxic chemicals taxed the same? What advantages does a business get for promoting sustainable textiles instead of those made by the pollutant industry?
Crafterpreneurs have been providing work for rural craftspeople, paying living wages, for decades, & thereby reducing urban migration. Should such businesses be taxed differently?
Tax uniformity is said to be 'One Nation, One tax'. But as a GST-registered business from Bengaluru, if I have to popularise the crafts of Karnataka through exhibits in other states, I need to secure a different GST number every time! Why are micro-businesses subjected to cumbersome "One Nation but different GSTs"?
A retail store with less than 40 lakhs turnover is exempt from clumsy GST rates. But not so if you are a craft-based e-commerce business, democratically serving consumers with the help of technology. So where is the level playing field against international-funded giant online aggregators?
Finally, how can tax money alone help fight climate change if the Govt doesn't recognise the efforts of crafterpreneurs at sustaining eco-sensitive rural products & thereby reigniting the farming & the craft sector?
