COMPLIANCE AND REGULATORY
GSTN Asks Taxpayers To Seek Rectification Where Adjudication Order Reflects NIL Demand Due To Portal Glitch
The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has advised taxpayers to approach adjudicating authorities for issuance of a rectification order in cases where they are unable to file appeals on the GST portal due to a “NIL” demand reflected in adjudication orders. In an advisory dated April 3, 2026, GSTN noted that taxpayers are facing difficulties in filing appeals in such cases despite underlying disputes on tax liability. The issue arises where taxpayers have made payments towards tax, interest,...
CBDT Clarifies Principal Commissioner Can Condone Delay In Filing Form 10A
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has clarified that the jurisdictional Principal Commissioner of Income-tax or Commissioner of Income-tax may condone delay in filing Form 10A for registration of trusts and institutions under the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Board issued the clarification through Circular No. 01/2026 dated 23 March 2026 to resolve ambiguity regarding the competent authority to condone such delay. Section 12A of the Act prescribes the conditions for claiming tax exemption...
Finance Bill 2026: 12% Surcharge on Buybacks Applies Only to Additional Tax on Promoters'; Income Tax Dept. Clarifies
The Income Tax Department has clarified that the proposed 12% surcharge in the Finance Bill, 2026 will apply only to the additional income-tax payable by promoters on capital gains arising from buybacks, and not on the entire gains. In a clarification issued on March 26, 2026, the Department explained that the amendment relates to taxation of capital gains earned by promoters when companies buy back their own shares under section 68 of the Companies Act, 2013, which governs share...
No Pre-Deposit For Revenue In GSTAT Appeals; Principal Bench Issues Instructions For Filing Appeals
The Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT), Principal Bench has clarified that appeals filed by the Revenue will not require payment of pre-deposit or court fee while issuing instructions on the documents that must accompany appeals filed before the Tribunal under Section 112 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act. In instructions dated March 10, 2025, the tribunal stated that appeals filed through Form APL-05 (appeal filed by Revenue) must include soft copies of the Show Cause...
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Launches PRARAMBH 2026, Unveils Income Tax Website 2.0
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday (March 20) launched the Income Tax Department's nationwide outreach campaign 'PRARAMBH 2026' in New Delhi and also inaugurated the revamped Income Tax Website 2.0 as part of efforts to prepare taxpayers for the new Income Tax Act, which will come into force from April 1, 2026. The upgraded e-filing portal has been designed to provide improved usability, simpler navigation, and more efficient service delivery to taxpayers as part of the...
CBIC Issues Simplified Procedure For Export Cargo Returning To India After Strait Of Hormuz Closure
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has issued a circular prescribing a simplified procedure for handling export cargo that is returning to Indian ports after vessels were unable to reach their destinations due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted amid ongoing conflict in the Gulf region, forcing several commercial vessels to turn back before reaching their destination ports.CBIC said it received representations from...
Central Bank Digital Currencies Not 'Relevant Crypto-Assets' For CRS Reporting: CBDT
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has amended the Income Tax Rules, 1962, to clarify that Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) will not fall within the definition of “relevant crypto-assets” for Common Reporting Standard (CRS) framework.The amendment forms part of the Income-tax (Amendment) Rules, 2026 notified on March 5, 2026 and the changes introduce new definitions and reporting provisions relating to crypto-assets, electronic money products and digital currencies under the Common...
GSTN Activates Withdrawal Facility For Small Taxpayers To Opt Out Of Simplified Registration Option
As of 21 February 2026, the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has activated the facility to file Form GST REG-32 for taxpayers who wish to opt out of registration under Rule 14A of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Rules.To mitigate compliance burdens, as part of the 'Next Generation GST Reforms', a Simplified GST Registration Scheme for Small and Low-Risk Businesses under Rule 14A was introduced in 2025.Rule 14A provides a simplified registration option for small and low-risk...
SEBI Mandates 2x Peak Load Capacity For Commodity Derivatives Exchanges, Clearing Corporations
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently directed stock exchanges and clearing corporations in the commodity derivatives segment to maintain installed system capacity at least twice their projected peak load. This effectively requires exchanges in the segment to prepare their systems for traffic levels well above expected peak volumes. SEBI noted that Clause 16.1.2 of Chapter 16 of its Master Circular for Commodity Derivatives Segment dated August 4, 2023, requires stock...
No GST Dues Pending For Release To States, Centre's Response Informs Lok Sabha
In a written response to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary clarified that the government has released Rs. 2,01,195 crore of GST compensation to States and Union Territories for the period 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2022. He further confirmed that no GST dues are currently pending for release to the States, except for Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, where final payments remain on hold due to the non-receipt of the required Accountant General (AG) certificates. The...
DGFT Invites Comments On Draft Digital Trade Facilitation Bill, 2026
On Monday, 9 February, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a trade notice inviting stakeholder comments on the draft Digital Trade Facilitation Bill, 2026, which aims to give statutory recognition to electronic trade documents and regulate digital identity and trust services for cross-border trade. The notice follows the Union Budget announcement on implementing BharatTradeNet as a digital public infrastructure for trade. The Ministry of Commerce noted that the current legal...