The GST Council has reduced the goods-and-services-tax rates to 5% and 18%, eliminating the existing four-tier structure. The revised GST rates will come into effect from Sept. 22.The government has removed the 12% and 28% tax slabs. However, 'sin goods' like tobacco and related products, including cigarettes, will attract a hefty 40% tax.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also announced reforms that have brought significant relief to consumers by slashing GST rates on a range of everyday household items.Let's take a look at five common household items and their indirect tax rates across various countries. NDTV Profit compared the GST rate on common items like umbrellas, combs, hair shampoo, toothpaste, and feeding bottles with other countries.!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}})}();GST Blow: Lakhs Of Delivery Workers Likely To Be Hit As Zomato, Swiggy Stare At Rs 400 Crore Tax OutgoWhen comparing these India GST rates with tax rates in other countries, India’s reduced rates stand out as noticeably lower:United Kingdom: Umbrellas are generally taxed at the standard VAT rate of 20%. This is substantially higher than India’s 5% GST, indicating a heavier tax burden on such items in the UK. Other personal care items like shampoo and toothpaste are likewise subject to the standard VAT rate, which keeps their overall cost relatively higherUnited States: The US does not have a nationwide sales tax; instead, sales tax rates vary widely by state, typically ranging between 5% and 10% on personal care products, such as shampoo and toothpaste. Some states exempt essential items from sales tax, but generally, these products carry a tax burden comparable or sometimes higher than India’s 5% GST, depending on the state.Australia: Australia levies a 10% GST on most household items including toothpaste and shampoo, which is double the recent lowered Indian GST rates. This highlights India’s progressive tax cuts aiming at consumer relief.Japan: Same as Australia, Japan's tax structure is called Japan Consumption Tax, which levies 10% GST on most household items. As of 2019, JCT rate is 10% for most goods and services, with a reduced rate of 8% for certain food, beverage and newspaper sales.UAE: Value Added Tax or VAT in the UAE has a standard rate of 5% which applies to almost all goods and services supplied within the country. However, some key sectors like healthcare, education, and exports are either exempted or not taxed at all.GST 2.0: What Gets Cheaper, What Gets Expensive? Full List For The Common Man. Read more on Economy & Finance by NDTV Profit.