With the implementation of GST, the senior citizens or the elderly segment of our population, many of whom are disabled due to advancing age or other wise, are facing additional burden due to GST. Already, senior citizens do not get any concession for taxes that they pay except in IT, which is not much.
Demographic pattern and the changing social norms make it mandatory for us in India to look at the issue of old age more clearly. Unlike in the West, in India, it is the family that is responsible for taking care of the elders in their old age.
Real Estate industries are involved in construction of dwellings as individual houses or apartments and sell it as a product with infrastructure and amenities for day-to-day normal life. It is more a sale than service in strict sense. Its service concept restricts itself to the construction of the dwellings and providing basic infrastructure.
Before GST came into effect, senior citizens residing in retirement communities paid 15% as Service Tax for maintenance charges which was for the services provided by the company that created retirement communities.
