Category: India

India: Bombay High Court Quashes 197 Order Rejecting Mauritius Tax Treaty Benefits

High Court sets aside section 197 order due to absence of prima facie evidence of tax avoidance Rejects factors such as lack of business activities and administrative expenses as conclusive of sham transactions Holds that a detailed inquiry can be conducted during normal assessment Directs refund of withheld tax subject… – Continue reading

Revised tax treaties usher in a new era in investment, taxation

Policy tweaks  curb evasion,  show  India  can woo investments without  sops Singapore, another major FDI contributor to India, too, enjoyed the same tax sops under a similar treaty with India NEW DELHI: For about a decade-and-a-half, revenue authorities examining foreign investment proposals received by the erstwhile Foreign Investment Promotion Board… – Continue reading

Delta Corp. sees shares sell-off over possible government action

India gaming giant Delta Corp. saw a substantial selloff if its shares last week after reports started surfacing that the country’s government could be investigating the company for possible tax evasion. Only on Friday, the amount of shares dropped 12% as shareholders became nervous and started looking at ways to… – Continue reading

India notifies pact with US to check tax evasion by MNCs

As per the agreement, it is intended to provide relevant and reliable information to perform an efficient and robust transfer pricing risk assessment analysis. Aimed at providing relief to subsidiaries of US multinationals and ensuring a check on cross-border tax evasion, India has notified the inter-governmental agreement with the United… – Continue reading

MP CM’s nephew under fire for tax evasion

According to sources, the raids were conducted at Mr Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri’s company, Hindustan Powerprojects Pvt Ltd on April 7. New Delhi: The income tax department has detected tax evasion of more than Rs 1,350 crore during search and seizure operations conducted against Hindustan Powerprojects, a company owned by… – Continue reading

Income Tax Dept cannot probe Foreign Assets of Assessee after Six Years: Delhi High Court [Read Judgment]

The Delhi High Court, in its recent decision, quashed an order of the Income Tax department questioning the overseas earnings and assets prior to March 31, 2005. The earnings included money in tax-haven banks, overseas properties and interests in offshore trusts and applies to non-resident Indians as well. The assessee,… – Continue reading

Taxman starts questioning & issuing notices to BPOs

One month after the Authority of Advance Ruling (AAR) ruled that back office support services qualify as “intermediary” support services and not exports, officers of the indirect tax department have started issuing preliminary notices to captive units of multinationals and Indian companies exporting offshore support services. AAR’s directive meant several… – Continue reading

Avoidance of double taxation treaty between India, HKSAR comes into effect

A double taxation avoidance agreement between India and Hong Kong has come into effect from Friday, which officials say would stimulate more the two-way flow of investments and help curb fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. The agreement between India and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)… – Continue reading

India-China amends double taxation avoidance treaty

New Delhi, Nov 26 India and China have amended the bilateral tax treaty which will help prevent tax evasion by allowing exchange of information, the Finance Ministry said Monday. The Government of India and the People’s Republic of China have signed a protocol on November 26, 2018, to amend the… – Continue reading

A tax ruling just opened the Pandora’s box for India’s back offices

MUMBAI: Are India-based back offices of multinationals merely brokers? And, are Indian companies providing services to foreign firms just commission agents? Going by the tax department’s definition, it appears that they are so — and not exporters. Several back offices at multinationals now face 18% Goods and Services Tax (GST)… – Continue reading

Tax Planning for NRIs Returning to India

In general, investment and tax provisions relating to non-resident Indians (NRIs) returning to live in India are fairly generous. However, NRIs must carefully plan their return to India to ensure there are no surprises with respect to managing their overseas income and investments. In this article, we examine some of… – Continue reading

Rs 3,400-crore tax evasion’: I-T probing over 21,000 entities

The probe follows an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on 14,720 entities in a case related to alleged trading irregularities in that segment. THE INCOME-TAX (I-T) Department is probing at least 21,900 entities that have traded through 193 brokers and allegedly evaded taxes of about… – Continue reading

With a view to curb black money, India signs pact with Liechtenstein for account information swap

After Switzerland, Liechtenstein has also signed an agreement with India for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information, official sources here said. The agreement was signed in Vaduz on October 11. India sees Liechtenstein as an important partner in fighting overseas black money and is hoping the agreement will help it… – Continue reading

NRIs can be appointed as Trustees of valid Indian Trusts under Income Tax Act: ITAT [Read Order]

The New Delhi bench of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in Global Academy of Emergency Medicine versus CIT(E), held that under the Income Tax Act appointing of NRIs as trustees of valid Indian trusts are permissible. The sole issue in the instant case was CIT (E) held that the owner… – Continue reading

India planning to launch its own cryptocurrency?

In the wake of blowing hot and cool on bitcoin, the government of India is thinking about drawing out its very own cryptocurrency. A board comprised by India’s finance ministry suggested that the nation launch a government-backed cryptocurrency. “We are assessing the government-backed cryptocurrency and crypto-token,” said a senior government… – Continue reading

Defying US, India inks $5 bn deal with Russia

NEW DELHI: India and Russia are exploring the option of trading in their local currencies and looking at signing agreements on investment protection and avoidance of double taxation, Russia’s minister for economic development Maxim Oreshkin said on Friday. The commerce ministry is considering the feasibility of a renminbi-rupee trade with… – Continue reading

Indian high commission seeks solution to tax-related problems

Indian high commission in Dhaka has requested different Bangladesh government agencies including National Board of Revenue to solve a number of tax-related ‘problems’ Indian chief executive officers-managed multinational companies are facing in the country. In a letter to NBR sent on September 10, the high commission said that Indian CEOs… – Continue reading

ICICI Bank to raise funds overseas this fiscal

MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 20 ICICI Bank plans to raise funds through overseas instruments this fiscal, for which its board will meet on September 24. “It will consider offshore fund raising in single or multiple tranches in any currency through public or private placement by way of issuances of debt instruments, certificate… – Continue reading

GST: E-commerce firms to collect 1% tax at source from October 1

Issue of multiple registration for foreign operators to be reviewed by panel NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 20 The Finance Ministry on Thursday notified that e-commerce operators shall collect an amount at the rate of one per cent as tax collected at source (TCS) under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on… – Continue reading

Investing in Guangdong Easier for Foreign Firms after New Incentives Announced

On September 13, South China’s Guangdong province announced a series of investment incentives and cost-cutting measures to offset the impact of the worsening trade war with the US. The measures, outlined in the Policy Measures for Expanding Opening-up and Using Foreign Investment, consist of a 10-point plan to attract foreign… – Continue reading

Income Tax Exemption to Interest Income on Specified Offshore Rupee Denominated Bonds

The Finance Ministry, last day informed that the Government is planning to introduce income tax exemption to the interest income on the specified Offshore Rupee Denominated Bonds. “Legislative amendments in this regard shall be proposed in due course”, the Ministry said. Interest payable by an Indian company or a business… – Continue reading

Delhi HC upholds Income Tax Notices against Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Oscar Fernandes [Read Judgment]

The Delhi High Court, last day dismissed petitions by the Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Oscar Fernandes challenging the income tax notices sent to them in connection with the National Herald case. On 16 August, the high court had reserved its verdict on the pleas of… – Continue reading

India Resident Foreign Companies to Pay 40 Percent Tax: Latest POEM Guidelines

In June this year, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) came out with final clarifications regarding the rules on Place of Effective Management (POEM). POEM is an internationally recognized test for determining the residence of a company incorporated in a foreign jurisdiction with a view to assessing its tax… – Continue reading

A Bird’s Eye View on General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation in European Law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union (EU). The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) superseded the UK Data Protection Act 1998 on May 25, 2018. Significant and wide-reaching in scope, the new… – Continue reading

New Threshold Limit for Tax Cases involving Foreign Black Money

The newly revised threshold monetary limits for the department to file appeals at various levels — appellate tribunals, High Courts and the Supreme Court will not be applied in cases where foreign black money is involved, said the tax department recently. As per a CBDT missive, cases involving undisclosed foreign… – Continue reading

Capital Gain Exemption can be allowed to House Property acquired in Foreign Countries: ITAT [Read Order]

The Bangalore bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) held that the assessee is entitled for capital gain exemption under section 54F of the Income Tax Act in respect of the properties acquired outside India. In the instant case, the Revenue approached the Tribunal contending that for granting benefit… – Continue reading

Receipts from Web Hosting Services to Indian Entities can’t be treated as FTS under Indo-US Tax Treaty: ITAT [Read Order]

The Mumbai bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal ( ITAT ) has held that the income earned from the web hosting services cannot be treated as fee within the meaning of Article 12 of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between India and US. In the instant case, the… – Continue reading

Switzerland forced to share information on HSBC Indian clients

Switzerland’s Supreme Court has ordered the country’s authorities to turn over information on HSBC accounts with the Indian government regarding two of its citizens. Both clients had fought the release on the grounds that India’s request for assistance in a tax-dodging probe arose from stolen bank data. The case involved… – Continue reading

Switzerland To Hand Over HSBC Data To India

India is to receive bank account information from HSBC, after Switzerland’s highest court ruled that the bank is obligated to provide data requested where the leaked data has not been purchased. The information was leaked in 2008 by Herve Falciani, who worked for HSBC’s Swiss private bank. The Indian authorities… – Continue reading

Which Countries is The Cryptocurrency Taxed In?

The cryptocurrency industry is still at a very early stage of its development, so there are no single international rules yet. The governments of individual countries independently try to regulate digital assets. The tax on the cryptocurrency varies in different countries. Within the framework of this article, we will try… – Continue reading

Rs. 2,476 cr collected as Tax and Penalty under Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, says MoS Shiv Pratap Shukla

The Government has collected Rs. 2,476 as Tax and Penalty under Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 said Minister of Finance for State Shiva Pratap Shukla in the Rajya Sabha. The Government of India has taken various steps for curbing the black money… – Continue reading

India’s sweeping anti money laundering agenda comes under scrutiny

Money laundering and abuse of sophisticated financial instruments have come under increasing scrutiny from regulators. However observers warn high-profile initiatives often act as a distraction from a lack of genuine political will to tackle global financial crime. For example, India’s leading stock exchange, the BSE, de-listed 222 dormant shell companies… – Continue reading

More Information… More Intense Transfer Pricing Disputes?

The Central Board of Direct Taxes has recently issued guidance on the appropriate use of the ‘Country-by-Country Report’. The CbC filing was introduced as a result of the OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project. India also introduced the requirement to file CbC reporting recently with the completion of the… – Continue reading

Transfer pricing disputes: Interest payout relief coming for MNCs

CBDT issues draft notification on interest computation NEW DELHI, JUNE 20 The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) proposes to provide a relief to MNCs on the interest payable by them on the untaxed profits stashed abroad, requiring to be repatriated back to India under the transfer pricing regime. It… – Continue reading

Why Singapore is a Hub for Indian Businesses

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a three day official visit to Singapore late last month. The trip was his first since November 2015, and followed quick visits to Indonesia and Malaysia. The three-nation tour, touted to be part of India’s Act East Policy, laid clear emphasis on closer Southeast… – Continue reading

Aramco India would not create a PE for Saudi Arabian Oil Company as per Treaty b/w India and Saudi Arabia: AAR [Read Order]

The New Delhi Bench of the Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR) in the application filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company held that Aramco India would not create a PE for Saudi Arabian Oil Company as per Treaty b/w India and Saudi Arabia. The applicant is a state owned oil company… – Continue reading

Non-Competent Fee not Taxable in India without PE as per Indo-UK Treaty: AAR [Read Order]

The New Delhi Bench of the Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR) in the application filed by the applicant HM Publishers Holdings Limited held that the receipts arising out of a negative covenant not to carry on a business is taxable as business income under Section 28 (va) of the Income… – Continue reading

Membership Fee and Contribution Received by IZA Belgium from the Indian members not Taxable in India: AAR [Read Order]

The New Delhi Bench of the Authority of Advance Rulings (AAR) in the application filed by International Zinc Association held that membership fee and contribution from members received by the applicant from the Indian members would not be liable to Income-tax in India under the provisions of the Income Tax… – Continue reading

Switzerland set to amend anti-money laundering law

Stepping up efforts to curb illicit fund flows, Switzerland plans to amend its anti-money laundering law wherein financial intermediaries will be required to verify information on beneficial owners. The Alpine nation, known for its banking secrecy practices, has been taking various measures in the fight against black money amid intense… – Continue reading