The Coaching Federation of India (CFI) has submitted a formal representation to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking a reduction or complete removal of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on coaching and supplementary education services.

The federation argued that the current GST structure directly increases fees for students, as coaching institutes have limited scope to claim input tax credit. As a result, the tax burden is passed on to parents, making competitive exam preparation increasingly expensive for middle-class families.

CFI also raised concerns over the existing GST exemption threshold of Rs 20 lakh, calling it outdated in light of rising rents, salaries and operational costs. The federation has proposed increasing the exemption limit to Rs 1 crore to protect small coaching centres and reduce forced compliance.

According to CFI, the present tax regime is distorting the sector by encouraging informality and unregistered operations. A rationalised tax policy, it said, would improve transparency, boost voluntary compliance and align with the objectives of the National Education Policy-2020. The federation has requested stakeholder consultations with the finance ministry ahead of the February 1 Budget.