Shrimi Choudhary &Amp;Amp; Nikunj Ohri

Stories by Shrimi Choudhary &Amp;Amp; Nikunj Ohri

Profiteering Charges In GST Leave Companies Perplexed

Profiteering Charges In GST Leave Companies Perplexed

Rediff.com   13 Jul 2022

Provisions in the Central GST Act say reduction in GST rates or the benefit of ITC must be passed on to consumers.

Centre should privatise all PSBs, except State Bank of India: NCAER

Centre should privatise all PSBs, except State Bank of India: NCAER

Rediff.com   12 Jul 2022

The Centre should privatise all public sector banks (PSBs), except the State Bank of India (SBI). This is because private banks have emerged as a credible alternative to PSBs with substantial market share. Also, government ownership hinders the ability of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to regulate the sector, according to a report by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER).

'GST collections will be Rs 1.3 TRILLION'

'GST collections will be Rs 1.3 TRILLION'

Rediff.com   6 Jul 2022

'We revolutionised the system in a manner so that the chances of leakage will be much lower than it was in the beginning.'

IRDAI mulls linking insurance frauds with individuals' credit score

IRDAI mulls linking insurance frauds with individuals' credit score

Rediff.com   27 Jun 2022

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is considering a proposal to make insurance frauds a parameter for calculating credit scores in an attempt to put a lid on the increase in such activity. The proposal, which is a part of the recommendations made by a working group formed by Irdai and the General Insurance Council, suggests that insurance frauds should feature when the risk profiles of individuals are evaluated and should be used to calculate their credit scores. A poor credit score can deprive a person of financial services such as loans and credit cards, and deter him from indulging in fraud.

Taxmen clear the air on TDS levy on cryptos

Taxmen clear the air on TDS levy on cryptos

Rediff.com   23 Jun 2022

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued detailed guidelines on facilitating tax deducted at source (TDS) on virtual digital assets (VDA) or crypto assets, under which date of transfer and mode of payment will have to be specified. From July 1, TDS of 1 per cent will be levied on payments towards virtual digital assets or cryptocurrencies beyond Rs 10,000 in a year, as the Finance Act 2022 has introduced Section 194S in the income tax (I-T) Act. The department has explained different scenarios through six questions to remove difficulties.

NRI taxpayers cannot seek MAP if they opt for Vivad se Vishwas: CBDT

NRI taxpayers cannot seek MAP if they opt for Vivad se Vishwas: CBDT

Rediff.com   21 Jun 2022

Authorities will allow the country's taxpayers to access the mutual agreement procedure (MAP) for cross-border disputes. This is even if they had settled the case under the direct tax dispute resolution scheme - Vivad se Vishwas - without deviating from the outcome of the scheme, said the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Monday. However, non-resident taxpayers, who opted for the resolution scheme, cannot go for MAP on the same issue, it clarified. MAP is an alternative dispute resolution mechanism under the tax treaties where competent authorities of two countries enter into discussions to resolve tax-related disputes.

Ministers' group on GST agrees to disagree on pruning exempted items list

Ministers' group on GST agrees to disagree on pruning exempted items list

Rediff.com   18 Jun 2022

The GoM is likely to submit an interim report to the Council on pruning the list of items that at present do not attract the levy.

TDS imposed on gifts to social media influencers, free samples to doctors

TDS imposed on gifts to social media influencers, free samples to doctors

Rediff.com   17 Jun 2022

According to the CBDT, if a social media influencer retains a product from the manufacturing company after using for the purpose of rendering service, then it will be treated as a benefit/perquisite under newly-introduced Section 194R of the IT Act.

Support Agniveers with jobs after tenure, govt tells public sector banks

Support Agniveers with jobs after tenure, govt tells public sector banks

Rediff.com   17 Jun 2022

Department of financial services secretary Sanjay Malhotra held a meeting with heads of PSBs, insurance companies and financial institutions for identifying ways to support Agniveers on completion of their tenure of duty.

Fired fund managers of Axis Mutual Fund could be banned from markets

Fired fund managers of Axis Mutual Fund could be banned from markets

Rediff.com   10 Jun 2022

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) could soon issue interim orders imposing a market ban on the two former fund managers of Axis Mutual Fund (MF) for suspected front-running of trades, said people with knowledge of the development. "The market regulator has gathered prima facie evidence that demonstrates that the duo has violated the integrity of the market. "While a detailed investigation is still pending in the matter, Sebi could take action under Section 11 (4) to prevent further harm to the investors and the securities market," said a source.

Indirect tax mop-up may fall short of target

Indirect tax mop-up may fall short of target

Rediff.com   10 Jun 2022

The government expects indirect tax collection to be lower than the Budget Estimate (BE) of Rs 13.38 trillion this fiscal year, despite prospects of netting goods and services tax (GST) in large amounts, Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj has said. "Indirect tax collection may see lower realisation than budgeted on account of cuts in excise and customs duties. "We could see a shortfall of about Rs 1.5 trillion on account of those," he told Business Standard.

Clarity likely on taxing NFT as virtual digital asset

Clarity likely on taxing NFT as virtual digital asset

Rediff.com   6 Jun 2022

Ahead of the first due date of advance tax payment on June 15, the government is likely to release guidelines on what will be covered within the ambit of virtual digital assets (VDA). To remove any ambiguity in the recently established tax framework for asset holders, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is currently preparing guidelines, said government officials in the know. The apex direct tax body will define non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and whether or not they fall within the purview of VDA.

New Body to Appoint PSB, PSI Heads

New Body to Appoint PSB, PSI Heads

Rediff.com   3 Jun 2022

The Centre is looking to continue maintaining an arms length in financial sector appointments.

Centre hikes premium for flagship insurance schemes as claims rise

Centre hikes premium for flagship insurance schemes as claims rise

Rediff.com   1 Jun 2022

The Centre has increased the premium rates for its flagship insurance schemes, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), for the first time in seven years due to "long-standing adverse claims experience", and to make them economically viable. The premium for PMJJBY would increase from Rs 330 to Rs 436 a year effective June 1, and the PMSBY premium would rise from Rs 12 to Rs 20, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement. PMJJBY provides life insurance cover worth Rs 2 lakh to all account holders aged 18-50 years.

Taking on Google, FB, Apple: CCI seeks more teeth to tackle Big Tech

Taking on Google, FB, Apple: CCI seeks more teeth to tackle Big Tech

Rediff.com   31 May 2022

Ashok Kumar Gupta, chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has never minced words while talking about the giant technology companies, referring to them on multiple occasions as "centres for entrenched and unchecked dominance". The anti-trust regulator has, in fact, been cracking down on big technology companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook, and others, after they were hauled up by regulators and lawmakers in Europe and Australia. However, in several instances, existing regulations have prevented the CCI from going all out against these companies for anti-competitive activities.

States seek legal views on SC ruling before GST Council meet

States seek legal views on SC ruling before GST Council meet

Rediff.com   31 May 2022

Some states are taking a legal view on the state GST rate and the compensation rules ahead of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting, which is likely to be held in mid-June, said people in the know. While the agenda is still being finalised, several states are likely to take up the matter related to GST compensation and may pitch for its continuation beyond the June 30 deadline. States would like to know how they would divide the compensation collected after June 2022 for payment of principal and interest of compensation shortfall borrowing and arrears to states, sources said.

16 'suspected entities' searched in Axis MF front-running case

16 'suspected entities' searched in Axis MF front-running case

Rediff.com   28 May 2022

According to sources, the two fund managers allegedly made illicit gains worth Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore through front-running.

How NITI Aayog got 5 cities to agree to new purchase model of e-buses

How NITI Aayog got 5 cities to agree to new purchase model of e-buses

Rediff.com   26 May 2022

Five cities -- Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Surat -- ceded their power of procurement and agreed to a different procurement model to operate state-run buses.

Sebi scanner on more front-running ops by fund managers

Sebi scanner on more front-running ops by fund managers

Rediff.com   17 May 2022

Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is examining allegations of front-running and other irregularities against a host of domestic fund managers across the asset management industry, said people in the know. Developments at Axis Mutual Fund have prompted the regulator to speed up probe to ensure that there is no drop in confidence in the Rs 39-trillion mutual fund (MF) industry. "We have received complaints against a few fund managers and are looking into possible violations, including those related to code of conduct," said a regulatory source, refusing to divulge names of fund houses as things are at a preliminary stage.

How govt will judge the performance of PSUs

How govt will judge the performance of PSUs

Rediff.com   11 May 2022

The number of times public sector undertakings (PSUs) have held conference calls with investors, their capital management, and debt financing are among the parameters that the Centre will use to judge their performance for the first time, a senior official in the know said. The government will evaluate PSUs for FY22 based on new parameters that were finalised by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) in consultation with the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) last year, the official said. The government had included more conditions in the memorandum of understandings (MoUs) - used to set annual targets - that public sector enterprises sign with the DPE every year. These included a consistent dividend policy, which seeks to transfer dividends by PSUs every quarter; and market capitalisation or share price improvement over the sectoral index on an annual average basis for listed companies.