CBDT Notifies 2026 Income Tax Rules Introducing 'Tax Year' System, Streamlines Compliance Framework

Today, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) notified the Income Tax Rules, 2026, which will come into force from 1 April 2026. The draft rules were published on 9 February 2026 for public consultation, inviting suggestions and feedback.The rules establish the procedural framework for implementing the Income Tax Act, 2025, which repeals the Income-tax Act, 1961. Also Read: CBDT Issues Draft Income Tax Rules And Forms For New Act With 34% Fewer Rules [Read Draft Rules Here]The repeal...

ITAT Upholds Allowance Of Foreign Travel Expenses, Says No Income From Visited Countries Alone Cannot Justify Disallowance

The Mumbai Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has upheld the deletion of disallowance of foreign travel expenses made against a company engaged in global management and financial consultancy services.The court held that in the facts of the case, the expenditure could not be disallowed merely because no income was directly earned from certain countries visited during the relevant year where the taxpayer had produced material showing business purpose and nexus with its activities. The case...

ITAT Ahmedabad Grants Partial Relief To Arrow Clothing In Demonetisation Cash Deposit Addition Case

The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) at Ahmedabad partly allowed an appeal of Arrow Clothing Pvt. Ltd, holding that addition for unexplained cash deposits during demonetisation was justified, but the taxpayer was entitled to credit for opening cash balance and prior bank withdrawals. A coram of Judicial Member Sanjay Garg and Accountant Member Annapurna Gupta held that anomalies were found only in the explanation relating to cash sales and not in the opening cash balance or bank withdrawals...

Escaped Income Must Include Real Taxable Income, Not Aggregate Value: ITAT Ahmedabad

The Ahmedabad Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) on 16 March, held that the expression “income chargeable to tax which has escaped assessment” under Section 149 of the Income Tax Act refers to the actual taxable income sought to be brought to tax, and not the gross value of underlying transactions. A Bench comprising Judicial Member T.R. Senthil Kumar quashed the reassessment proceedings for Assessment Year 2017–18, holding that the assumption of jurisdiction under Section 148 was...

Karnataka High Court Frames Guidelines On Calling For Production Of Spouse's Income-Tax Returns In Maintenance Cases

The Karnataka High Court has framed detailed "gender-neutral" guidelines regulating the procedure to be followed by matrimonial courts when applications are made seeking production of income tax returns and other financial records in maintenance and alimony proceedings, in order to ensure uniform practice while safeguarding the confidentiality of personal financial information. A single bench of Justice Suraj Govindaraj held that the Right to Information Act is not the proper mechanism for...

RTI Cannot Be Used To Obtain Spouse's Income Tax Returns In Maintenance Dispute Without Larger Public Interest: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court, in a recent noteworthy ruling, has held that income tax returns and financial details of a spouse constitute “personal information” under the Right to Information Act, 2005, and cannot be disclosed in the absence of a demonstrable larger public interest, even in maintenance disputes. Observing that private matrimonial disputes do not by themselves satisfy the statutory requirement for disclosure, a single bench, Justice Suraj Govindaraj, held, "While the need for a...

Allahabad High Court Allows Anand And Anand Firm's Writ, Holds Favorable Findings Prevent Remand

The Allahabad High Court on 16 February held that once a finding is recorded in favour of a party, the appellate authority cannot remand the matter back to the original assessing authority to redetermine the issue. A Single Judge Bench of Justice Vikas Budhwar allowed the writ petition filed by Anand and Anand Law Firm, holding: “Apparently, the writ petitioners herein are questioning the appellate order dated 30.04.2024 passed by the Joint Commissioner, GST (Appeals) for various periods....

Delhi High Court Quashes Order Requiring OYO Parent Oravel Stays To Deposit 20% Tax Demand During Appeal

The Delhi High Court has quashed an order directing Oravel Stays Limited, the parent company of OYO, to deposit 20% of the outstanding tax demand as a condition for the grant of a stay during the pendency of its appeal.A division bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vinod Kumar set aside the order passed by the Commissioner of Income Tax which had disposed of the company's stay application by directing payment of 20% of the total demand while keeping the remaining demand stayed.In its petition,...

Income Tax Assessment Order Against Amalgamated Boeing Entity Is Void: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has reiterated that an income tax assessment order passed in the name of a company that had ceased to exist following amalgamation is void ab initio and cannot be sustained in law.A division bench of Justices V. Kameswar Rao and Vinod Kumar thus dismissed an appeal filed by the Income Tax Department against Boeing India.For context, Boeing International Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. (BICIPL) had originally filed its return declaring an income of ₹60.55 crore. Subsequently, the...

Delhi High Court Sets Aside Rejection Of MakeMyTrip's NIL TDS Certificate, Calls Order Non-Speaking

The Delhi High Court has recently set aside an order of the Income Tax Department rejecting online travel company MakeMyTrip's application for a NIL or lower withholding tax certificate for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27) under Section 197 of the Income Tax Act.A division bench of Justices V. Kameswar Rao and Vinod Kumar observed that the impugned order was a non-speaking one and failed to provide reasons for the rejection. It observed,“...in the past, withholding certificates were issued at rates...

Search Year Must Be Included While Computing 10-Year Block For Reassessment: Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court on 9 March, held that while computing the extended ten-year block period for reassessment in search cases, the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which the search is conducted (search assessment year) must be included in the computation. The Division Bench comprising Justice A. S. Supehia and Justice Pranav Trivedi quashed the notice issued to Dilipbhai Prabhudas Patel (petitioner) under Section 148 of the Income Tax Act. The Bench held: "The statutory...

Supreme Court Upholds Quashing Of Income Tax Reassessment Against BPCL Over ₹37.10 Crore Dividend Income

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court's order quashing income tax reassessment proceedings initiated against Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) for AY 2013-14 in relation to Rs 37.10 crore dividend income received through a trust structure.A bench of Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok Aradhe dismissed the Special Leave Petition, after being informed by the counsels that a previous matter on the same subject was dismissed by the supreme...