The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, held its 55th meeting on Saturday. GST typically associated with policy debates and economic discussions, recently became the subject of unexpected humour online. Following the GST Council’s clarification on popcorn taxation during its 55th meeting, social media erupted with a wave of memes and jokes. 

Users creatively highlighted the complexities of varying tax rates on pre-packed, caramelised, and unpackaged popcorn, turning an otherwise mundane topic into a source of amusement. From playful jabs about tax calculators in movie theatres to imaginative takes on caramelised popcorn’s 18% rate, the internet showcased its knack for humour, proving that even taxes can spark laughter.

While the GST Council’s clarification brought much-needed transparency to popcorn taxation, it also gave netizens a reason to laugh. 

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman explained the rationale for the current GST rates during the meeting. She noted that the classification of popcorn varied by its type and preparation. Sitharaman stated, “Salted, caramelised, plain popcorn is being sold as namkeen in certain states. Caramelised popcorn comes with added sugar, so the treatment rate is different from namkeen.”

Social Media Reacts with wit and humour

The announcement quickly became fodder for social media users, who flooded platforms with humorous takes and memes.

Meme’s humorously highlighted the complexities of calculating popcorn taxes, drawing laughs from users.

Another post quipped, “Suddenly #Popcorn got so much attention. #ACTII is so popular without advertisements.”

A user named Dr Ranjan joked that even popcorn falls under the 18% GST slab, adding humorously that next, Nirmala Sitharaman might consider taxing air and sunlight.

Terming the new GST regime as “tax terrorism”, a user in the name Hindutva Knight wrote, “Salary tax: 30%, Petrol tax: 50%, GST: 28%, Education tax: 18%, Health tax: 18%,” posted one X user.The caption called Nirmala Sitharaman the “Architect of #TaxTerrorism.” 

In another post, a video portrayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “Inflation Man,” emphasising the escalating prices of everyday essentials such as soap, tea, and vegetable oil. The video concluded with a pointed slogan: “Burden the public, benefit the allies.”

A humorous post outlined the supposed GST rates on everyday items like tea and popcorn: Plain Tea – 5%, Milk Tea – 18%, Popcorn – up to 18%. The image featured Sitharaman sitting on a mountain of popcorn, with the caption: “One popcorn, one tax.”