The removal of foreclosure charges/prepayment penalty on home loans will lead to reduction in the discrimination between existing and new borrowers and competition among banks will result in finer pricing of the floating rate home loans. Though many banks have in the recent past voluntarily abolished pre-payment penalties on floating rate home loans, there is a need to ensure uniformity across the banking system. It has, therefore, been decided that banks will not be permitted to charge foreclosure charges/pre-payment penalties on home loans on floating interest rate basis, with immediate effect.
‘Orphan life insurance policies’for the purpose of these Guidelines, means the policies initially effected by an individual insurance agent whose services were subsequently terminated or removed or deleted from the rolls of the insurer excluding those policies to which the effecting agent is entitled to renewal commission under provisions of Section 44 of the Insurance Act. The policies that are considered eligible under section 40(2A) of Insurance Act also do not fall under the purview of this definition.
Services becoming taxable w.e.f. 01.07.2012- advisable to pay and to receive evidence of payment before 30.06.2012 to avoid extra liability, contingency and disputes. -Many services will become taxable w.e.f.01.07.2012:- On new regime of taxable services based on negative list and deemed service etc. coming into force or becoming effective w.e.f. 01.07.2012 many services shall become taxable which are not taxable under existing service tax provisions.
The Union Budget 2012 has proposed multiple changes in Service Tax. One of the important aspects of burden of tax liability under Reverse Charge concept has also been proposed to be replaced from existing provisions. Applicability of New Reverse Charge Mechanism -According to Notification No 15/2012-ST dated 17.03.2012, which supersedes notification no. 36/2004-ST dated 31.12.2004, the proposed Reverse Charge Mechanism will be made applicable from the date on which Section 66B of the Finance Act,1994 comes into force i.e. 1-7-2012.
Service tax payable by builders – Composition scheme of 25% available to builders done away with?: As per Rule 2A of Service Tax (Determination of Value) Rules, as amended on 17-3-2012 composition scheme of payment of tax @ 25% on value of works contract of construction available to builder, where the total amount charged includes value of land. This rule is amended on 6-6-2012, which is to be effective from 1-7-2012, and provision relating to tax @ 25% of gross value has been deleted. It will be a big blow to builders. Service tax payable on flats will go up considerably.
Works contract is a deemed sale which involves the transfer of property in goods (whether as goods or in any other form) involved in the execution of the works contract. The concept of taxation of goods transferred during the execution of works contract has been a matter of great litigation over the period.
There may be cases where expenditure, even if incurred for obtaining advantage of enduring benefit, may, none the less, be on revenue account and the test of enduring benefit may break down. It is not every advantage of enduring nature acquired by an assessee that brings the case within the principle laid down in this test. What is material to consider is the nature of the advantage in a commercial sense and it is only where the advantage is in the capital field that the expenditure would be disallowable on an application of this test.
The impugned show cause notice dated 02.02.2010 could not have been issued under Section 46 of the Delhi Sales Tax Act, 1975. However, even if it is assumed that the impugned show cause notice was issued in exercise of the powers of revision under Section 74A of the DVAT Act, the period of limitation would be that which was in vogue when the said notice was issued. The period of limitation that would apply would, therefore, be the one prescribed under Section 74A(2)(b) of the DVAT Act. And, that being the case, as we have mentioned above, the impugned show cause notice dated 02.02.2010 is barred by time.
Notification No. 23/2012-Income Tax In exercise of the powers conferred by the clause (22B) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Government hereby specifies the The Press Trust of India Limited, New Delhi as a news agency set up in India solely for collection and distribution of news, for the purpose of the said clause for two assessment years 2012-2013 to 2013-2014.
Notification No. 51/2012-Customs (N.T.) In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (2) and (3) of section 75 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962), sub-sections (2) and (2A) of section 37 of the Central Excise Act, 1944 (1 of 1944), and section 93A read with sub-sections (2) and (3) of section 94 of the Finance Act, 1994 (32 of 1994), read with rules 3, 4 and 5 of the Customs, Central Excise Duties and Service Tax Drawback Rules, 1995, the Central Government, hereby makes the following amendments in the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), No.68/2011-Customs(N.T.), dated the 22nd September, 2011 published vide number G.S.R. 712 (E) dated the 22nd September, 2011, namely:-
