The Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR) stated a GST of 18 per cent will be imposed on all alcohol-based hand sanitisers.

The ministry of consumer affairs had classified hand sanitisers as an essential commodity, but the GST law has a separate list of exempted goods. The ruling came in response to a petition by Springfield India Distilleries approached the Goa-bench of AAR to get clarification whether the hand sanitisers supplied by the company would be exempt from GST.

The ruling of the authority said, "It is of the opinion that hand sanitizers manufactured by the applicant are of the category of Alcohol-based sanitisers and are classifiable under heading 3808 of HSN to which rate of GST applicable is 18 percent."