The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) has issued disclosure norms for insurance companies, mandating them to publish accounts on a half-yearly basis. The disclosure norms are seen as a precursor to allowing insurance companies to hit the primary market.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes have decided that any instalment of advance tax paid in respect of fringe benefits for assessment year (AY) 2010-11 shall be treated as advance income tax paid by assessee for AY 2010-11. The assessee can adjust such sum against its advance tax obligation in respect of income for Financial Year (FY) 2009-10. The unadjusted amount, if any, may be claimed as refund in the return of income for AY 2010-11 to be filed later this year.
One of the most favoured duty reimbursement schemes among exporters – the Duty Entitlement Passbook (DEPB) scheme – is likely to be scrapped, as the government gears up to introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from April 1. The scheme, which was extended till December 31 in the Foreign Trade Policy 2009-2014, is widely viewed as one of the best incentive schemes by exporters.
Dismissing the notion that Mauritius is a tax haven, the island nation’s Vice Prime Minister Ramakrishna Sithanen on Tuesday said he has not received any complaints from India about routing investments via his country to evade taxes. However, Sithanen, who is also the finance and economic development minister, promised to cooperate with Indian authorities to check tax evasion in case of complaints, but added his country would not welcome ‘fishing expeditions’.
RBI has increased cash reserve ratio by 75 bps to 5.75 Percent , the hike would happen in two stages, the first stage of hike of 50 bps will be effective from February 13 and the next 25 bps from February 27. RBI has not touched the the reverse repo rate which is at 3.25 percent and repo rate which is at 4.75 percent. CRR hike would suck out Rs 36,000 crore liquidity from the system.
It is official. The much-anticipated Goods and Services Tax (GST), which will replace most of the indirect taxes levied by the Centre and states, will not be introduced from the targeted date of April 1. The Bills pertaining to the introduction of a new law and amendment to the Constitution will not be tabled in the coming Budget session of Parliament. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and state finance ministers will meet in April to decide a new date for the GST rollout.
Department of Revenue has agreed to most of the recommendations put forward by Empowered committee in FDP on GST relating to harmonious structure of rate, taxation base, exemptions, chargeability, definition of taxable event, taxable person, valuation, classification etc.However, there are certain areas where Department of Revenue has suggested changes or deviated from FDP. The said areas of differences are discussed below:
An attempt by the state government to regulate non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) operating in the state failed when justice Jayant Patel of the Gujarat high court ruled that NBFCs can’t be put under the purview of the Money laundering act (ML Act). The judgment is significant in the present scenario as scores of NBFCs in the state and thousands of people are getting advances through such companies regularly. The NBFCs were irked when the registrars of the co-operative department had issued them notices in 2009.
Interest rates may remain soft even if the central bank were to withdraw its accommodating stance and tighten monetary policy, which will be reviewed on Friday. The good news for home loan borrowers is that retail loans are the only form of credit showing some decent growth and bankers are unlikely to jeopardise this demand by raising rates. Corporates, who in any case have not been big borrowers, may also not see an increase in rates as banks have said they are unlikely to increase their benchmark lending rates this fiscal.
The government is likely to extend the 2 per cent interest subsidy given to exporters on rupee export credit from March 31 to December 2010. The announcement is expected in the upcoming Budget. Although India’s exports have started growing again after several months of decline, commerce ministry sources told that the extension is being considered to sustain growth and stabilise it at 15 to 20 per cent.
