Home False: Government plans to impose 18% GST on sending good morning messages on WhatsApp.

False: Government plans to impose 18% GST on sending good morning messages on WhatsApp.

By: Ishita Goel J

October 14 2020

Share Article: facebook logo twitter logo linkedin logo
False: Government plans to impose 18% GST on sending good morning messages on WhatsApp.

Fact-Check

The Verdict False

This is a fake message. There are no government orders on GST being imposed on Whatsapp messages.

This is a fake message. There are no government orders on GST being imposed on Whatsapp messages.In January 2018, The Wall Street Journal published a report on the number of good morning messages sent in India. The report revealed in the last five years, there had been a 10-fold increase in the number of Google searches for images for wishing 'Good Morning'. In March 2018, an image of the clipping of a newspaper article was circulated in social media. It stated that the Government of India would impose 18% Goods and Service Tax (GST) on sending and forwarding good morning messages on WhatsApp from the following month. It was found that the article was from Navbharat Times' March 2, 2018, Delhi edition. The story carried the advisory 'Bura na mano Holi hai!' (Do not feel bad since it is Holi.), implying that the article was published in jest by the media organisation on the occasion of Holi.

Would you like to submit a claim to fact-check or contact our editorial team?

0 Global Fact-Checks Completed

We rely on information to make meaningful decisions that affect our lives, but the nature of the internet means that misinformation reaches more people faster than ever before