To further streamline the remittance arrangement under the Speed Remittance Procedure and make remittances cost-effective, it has now been decided to do away with the mandated requirement of maintenance of collateral or cash deposits by the Exchange Houses with whom the banks have entered into the Rupee Drawing Arrangement.
In case the remittance is made in more than one instalment, the remittance of all instalments should be made through the same AD. Further, where the remittance is to be made from the balances held in the NRO account, the Authorised Dealer should obtain an undertaking from the account holder stating that the said remittance is sought to be made out of the remitter’s balances held in the account arising from his/ her legitimate receivables in India and not by borrowing from any other person or a transfer from any other NRO account and if such is found to be the case, the account holder will render himself/ herself liable for penal action under FEMA.
Stakeholders have sought clarifications with regard to the accounting period for which the accounts would need to be prepared using the Accounting Standards, as amended through the Companies (Accounting Standards) Amendment Rules, 2016. The matter has been examined in the Ministry and it is hereby clarified that the amended Accounting Standards should be used for preparation of accounts for accounting periods commencing on or after the date of notification.
A new composition scheme has been recently notified by the Government vide notification dated 18/03/2016 in exercise of powers conferred in section 16 (12), wherein the registered dealers whose annual turnover is upto ₹ 50 Lakhs and who makes sales of cooked food, snacks, sweets, savouries, juices, aerated drinks, tea and coffee etc. have an option to pay composition tax @ 5%.
Board had clarified that the relaxations are applicable to the vessels which exclusively carry coastal goods and ply as coastal vessels. It will not be applicable for vessels which convert the status from foreign run to coastal run and rice versa. The loading and unloading operation by coastal vessels must take place at separate and exclusive berths in the ports where both coastal and foreign traffic is handled.
oard has decided that in cases where the proof of present address is not available with the individual, the proof of identity collected at the time of delivery along with the address recorded for the delivery purpose by the courier companies would suffice for KYC verification.
The procedure for refund of tax deducted at source under section 195 of the Income tax Act, 1961, to the person deducting the tax is delineated in CBDT Circular No. 7/2007 dated 23.10.2007. Circular No. 7/2007 states that no interest under section 244A of the Act, is admissible on refunds to be granted in accordance with the circular or on the refunds already granted in accordance with Circular No. 769 or Circular 790 dated 20.4.2000.
It is a settled position that period of limitation of penalty proceedings under section 271D and 271E of the Act is governed by the provisions of section 275(1)(c) of the Act. Therefore, the limitation period for the imposition of penalty under these provisions would be the expiry of the financial year in which the proceedings, in the course of which action for the imposition of penalty has been initiated, are completed, or six months from the end of the month in which action for imposition of penalty is initiated, whichever period expires later.
It has been brought to notice of CBDT that there are conflicting interpretations of various High Courts on the issue whether the limitation for imposition of penalty under sections 271D and 271E of the Income tax Act, 1961commences at the level of the Assessing Officer (below the rank of Joint Commissioner of Income Tax.) or at level of the Range authority i.e. the Joint Commissioner of Income Tax./Addl. Commissioner of Income Tax.
Board had specified the following categories of cases which can be transferred to the Call Book, namely, i. Cases in which the department has gone in appeal to the appropriate authority, ii. Cases where injunction has been issued by Supreme Court/ High Court/ CEGAT, etc. iii. Cases where audit objections are contested. (stands rescinded vide Circular No. 1023/11/2016-CX, dated 8.4.2016)