The Government of India has officially announced GST 2.0, bringing several changes that make many items cheaper. However, cricket fans have received a major shock as watching matches in stadiums has now become more expensive. IPL match tickets will now fall under the luxury category, and you will have to pay 40% GST on them.
In addition to this, some states also impose an entertainment tax, which can go up to 25% in certain regions. This means that for an IPL ticket, you may end up paying as much as 65% tax in total.
Earlier, IPL and other major sports tournament tickets were taxed at 28% GST (14% for the Centre and 14% for the state). But under GST 2.0, IPL match tickets have been moved from the 28% slab to the 40% slab. This slab also includes casinos, race clubs, luxury items, and other non-essential services.
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For example, earlier, if you bought an IPL ticket worth ₹1,000, you had to pay ₹1,280 after GST. But now, you will have to pay ₹1,400 for the same ticket. Stadiums, IPL teams, and the BCCI are unlikely to reduce their earnings, so the extra burden will directly fall on cricket fans. The new tax rates will come into effect from 22nd September, and IPL 2026 onwards, tickets will attract 40% GST.
Moreover, in states like Tamil Nadu, there is an additional 25% entertainment tax on top of the base ticket price. This means ticket prices in such states will rise even more. For example, a ticket previously costing ₹500 will now cost around ₹700 instead of ₹640.
However, there is some relief for cricket fans as international cricket match tickets will continue to remain under the 18% GST slab. But for IPL and other private leagues, you will have to pay 40% GST from now on.