India’s popcorn tax sparks memes and humour online

The Indian Finance Minister explains popcorn tax varies by type and preparation.

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Social media erupted with a wave of memes and humour after the Indian GST Council confirmed an 18% tax on caramelised popcorn, categorising it as sugar confectionery.

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman explained that caramelised popcorn is taxed differently from salted and plain popcorn due to the added sugar content. She clarified that the tax rates are determined by the preparation method and characteristics of each type.

Currently, unpackaged and unlabelled salted popcorn is taxed at 5%, branded popcorn at 12%, and caramelised popcorn at 18%. The differentiation has drawn sharp criticism for its complexity while providing meme creators with ample material.

This isn’t the first time India’s GST classifications have sparked controversy. Past disputes have included different tax rates for chapatis versus parathas, curd versus yoghurt, and cream buns versus buns with separate cream.

Memes flood social media platforms

The decision to impose varying GST rates on popcorn has sparked a wave of creativity on social media, with users sharing memes and humorous takes.

One user quipped, "Russia develops a cancer vaccine, the US creates AI robots, and India finds three tax components in popcorn!".

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Indian stand-up comedian and Bigg Boss winner Munawar Faruqui shared his witty take, asking if "sugarcoating our words" could soon be taxed, tagging it with #PopcornTax.

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One social media user likened the caramel popcorn tax to "cartoonishly evil" acts, sparking witty comparisons online.

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While another user joked about calculating the GST rate for "Himalayan Salt Caramel Popcorn," adding humour to the tax debate.

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