Despite the Centre's GST 2.0 guidelines aiming to facilitate provisional refunds within seven days for low-risk cases, many large taxpayers are still encountering significant delays in obtaining Goods and Services Tax (GST) refunds under the inverted duty structure (IDS), with experts citing inconsistent state-level scrutiny and subjective interpretations.
Providing comfort to the government on the revenue front amid fiscal stress, direct tax collection is moving closer to the revised Budget target for 2021-21 and may get a further thrust from the last instalment of the advance tax payment, the deadline for which ended on Monday. The contraction in net direct tax collection narrowed to 5 per cent year-on-year as on March 15 compared to a 9 per cent decline seen in January. In absolute terms, net collection stood at Rs 8.2 trillion against Rs 8.67 trillion in the same period last year, according to the provisional numbers shared by a government official.
CBDT asks for urgent action, especially with respect to recovery of arrears and current demand, to achieve the collection target.
As much as Rs 61,920 crore of tax refunds have been issued during April-July
As per the latest data, the number of taxpayers getting refunds is up by 62 per cent from 1.22 crore refunds in the corresponding period of the last fiscal.
The income tax department will allow people to file 'belated return' until December 31.
The Income Tax department will start sending SMS/emails to about 25,000 individuals, who are part of the "high-risk" cases identified for non-disclosure of foreign assets in the income tax returns (ITRs) filed for Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26, sources said.
Revenue intelligence and customs officers are set to intensify surveillance and increase vigilance on international borders to combat potential gold smuggling following a significant increase in customs duty on gold.
March requires 20% jump to meet year's goal; CBDT chief tells staff to sweat it out to meet target
The reduced growth is largely because of consumption slowdown and tax rate cuts.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has reported significant financial irregularities in the Union government's FY25 accounts, including ~12,754.47 crore in misclassification and ~54,282.32 crore in outstanding utilisation certificates, with some dating back to 1985-86.
The Central Information Commission has ruled that the Board of Control for Cricket in India does not qualify as a 'public authority' under the Right to Information Act, effectively placing it outside the scope of RTI disclosures.
The Income Tax Department has clarified that income from the transfer of investments made before April 1, 2017, is excluded from the scope of the General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR), addressing industry concerns about retrospective application.
However, from April 1, 2026, transactional forms such as tax deducted at source statements, remittances, Form 60, and Form 15G/15H would operate under the new simplified framework.
The new Income Tax Bill, passed by Lok Sabha on Monday, has retained the provisions regarding ITR filing for TDS claims and tax exemptions for anonymous donations made to all religious-cum-charitable trusts, as in the existing tax laws. The original Income Tax Bill, which was brought in Parliament in February, had done away with this exemption and the ITR filing flexibility for claiming TDS refunds.
'We want to clear these pending refunds so that no issues arise once the new I-T Act takes effect.'
Kerala police have arrested four individuals in connection with the violent attack on vehicles carrying Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials who raided former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's rented house. The arrests followed a stand-off with CPI(M) party workers and leaders.
The Central Information Commission has ordered the disclosure of an investigation into a retired IRS officer's alleged acquisition of assets under different identities and subsequent name change to claim ownership, deeming the case a potentially significant revelation.
They are not just underreporting income; they are reshaping what the income tax system perceives, says study.
'If a charitable or religious trust sells a capital asset -- such as land, buildings, shares -- and makes a capital gain, it can avoid paying tax on that gain if it reinvests the proceeds in another capital asset for its charitable purposes.'
Central Board of Direct Taxes on Tuesday said stakeholders can send their inputs for drafting Income-tax rules and related forms pertaining to the proposed Income Tax Bill, 2025. The Income Tax Bill, 2025 was introduced in Parliament last month and is currently under examination by the Select Committee for detailed consideration.
The time taken by the income-tax department to process refunds has dropped sharply from 93 days in 2013.
'As a result of delays, the desired reliefs are not coming for taxpayers.'
The UK High Court has rejected Nirav Modi's attempt to reopen his extradition case, citing the Indian government's comprehensive assurances against torture as sufficient to allow his transfer to India.
'We kept this Budget on a larger plank, rather than on one incident, however serious.'
'...so cases that arose under the existing Act will be adjudicated under the old provisions.' 'Care has been taken to ensure that the new I-T Act does not give rise to interpretational issues.'
The income tax department has also launched a faceless e-assessment scheme to eliminate interface between an assessing officer and a taxpayer.
The CBDT is investigating Jane Street for possibly misusing the India-Singapore tax treaty.
The Income Tax department on Monday invited public inputs for review of the six-decade old I-T Act with regard to simplification of language, litigation reduction, compliance reduction, and obsolete provisions. Pursuant to the Budget announcement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for a comprehensive review of the Income-tax Act, 1961, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had set up an internal committee to oversee the review and make the Act concise, clear, and easy to understand, which will reduce disputes, litigation, and provide greater tax certainty to taxpayers.
The Income Tax department is working on simplified I-T forms and aims to notify new rules by December-end to give effect to the new I-T Act, which will come into force from April 1 next year, a senior tax official said on Monday.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea challenging the validity of a provision of the Income Tax Act that allows political parties to receive "anonymous" cash donations below Rs 2,000.
Kerala's voters are sophisticated, educated, and unforgiving. They have once again made it clear that no government is entitled to remain in power. The Congress would do well to remember this, points out Ramesh Menon.
The return filed could be treated as defective, invalid, or even be considered as not filed at all.
As on April 1, income tax arrears have increased to Rs 43 trillion from Rs 24 trillion on April 1, 2023.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes has advised its field formations to scrutinise all cases in which companies have amortised foreign exchange losses under the one-time discretion allowed by the government through an amendment to Accounting Standard 11 (AS-11).
Mumbai, which adds 37 per cent to the total direct tax mop-up, has reported tax collection of Rs 4.93 trillion so far, against the full-year target of Rs 5.35 trillion.
Avoid donating without checking the receipt proforma showing the political party's ECI registration number and PAN.
The government on Monday extended the due date for filing income tax returns (ITRs) for Assessment Year 2025-26 by a day to September 16 as technical glitches disrupted filings on the last day. A record over 7.3 crore ITRs were filed till September 15, surpassing last year's 7.28 crore, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in a post on X.
A decision by P Chidambaram in his last days as finance minister has annoyed the revenue department.
'With new technology and stricter checks, cheating on taxes is just not worth it anymore.'
