Tax Law

The Supreme Court, on August 5, 2026, held that mere grouping and fitting together of imported photocopier modules for dispatch to customers does not amount to "manufacture" under the Central Excise Act, 1944, and therefore does not attract excise duty. A bench of Justice S.V.N. Bhatti and Justice N.V. Anjaria dismissed the Revenue's appeal in Commissioner of Central Excise, Hyderabad-IV v. M/s Xerox India Ltd. and Others [2026 LiveLaw (SC) 767], upholding the CESTAT order th

Donating to charitable causes not only supports social welfare but can also provide significant tax benefits under Indian income tax law. Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961 allows taxpayers to claim deductions for donations made to specified funds, institutions, and charitable organizations. The deduction ranges from 50 percent to 100 percent of the donated amount, depending on the type of recipient, and may be subject to a qualifying limit based on the taxpayer's adjust

Filing an appeal before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) often involves a significant financial obligation. Under Section 254(2A) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, as amended by the Finance Act 2020, an assessee seeking a stay of the disputed tax demand must deposit at least 20 percent of the demand amount or furnish equivalent security. However, in cases of genuine financial hardship, the ITAT has the power to waive or reduce this requirement. This article explains the le

When a customs officer assesses a higher duty on your imported or exported goods than you believe is correct, the law provides a structured appellate mechanism to challenge such assessments. The Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) is the specialised quasi-judicial body that hears appeals against orders passed by customs authorities across India. Whether the dispute involves classification of goods, valuation, rate of duty, or the legality of confiscati

The Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) is the specialised appellate body that hears second appeals arising from orders passed under the Customs Act, 1962, the Central Excise Act, 1944, and the service tax provisions of the Finance Act, 1994. Filing an appeal before CESTAT requires careful compliance with prescribed forms, limitation periods, and mandatory pre-deposit requirements. This guide explains the complete process for filing an appeal before CE

An e-stamp certificate is a digitally generated document that serves as proof of stamp duty payment for legal and financial transactions. Introduced as part of India's push towards digitisation of government services, e-stamping has largely replaced the traditional system of physical stamp papers in most states. The system is operated by the Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), which functions as the authorised Central Record Keeping Agency. Each e-stamp certif

The Supreme Court of India, in M/S Birla Corporation Limited v. The State of Madhya Pradesh (2026 INSC 738), has ruled that stamp duty payable on mining lease agreements executed in statutory Form K must be calculated on the basis of anticipated royalty, and not on the dead rent specified in the lease deed. The judgment, delivered by a Bench of Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Augustine George Masih, resolves a long-standing dispute over the correct method of computing stamp

Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on fixed deposit interest is one of the most common concerns for individual investors in India. If your interest income from fixed deposits exceeds a certain threshold, the bank or financial institution is required to deduct TDS before crediting the interest. However, if your total income falls below the taxable limit, you can submit a self-declaration form to avoid this deduction. For FY 2025-26, this is done through Form 15G or Form 15H. From FY

On July 10, 2026, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) issued Notification No. 80/2026, exempting 14 categories of International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) units from tax deduction at source (TDS) on specified payments made to them. The notification, issued under Section 400(1) read with Section 147 of the Income Tax Act, 2025, has retrospective effect from April 1, 2026, and is a significant step in India's strategy to make GIFT City a globally competitive financia

Filing your income tax return is only the first step. If you later discover a mistake, an omission, or a wrong claim in your original return, Indian tax law gives you a second chance: the revised return under Section 139(5) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Whether you entered the wrong bank account number, forgot to report interest income, or claimed the wrong deduction, a revised return lets you correct the record before the tax department raises a demand. This guide walks you t

Filing GST Returns in 2026: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide Every registered taxpayer under the Goods and Services Tax regime in India is required to file periodic returns on the GST portal (gst.gov.in). These returns report outward supplies (sales), claim input tax credit (ITC), and declare the net tax liability for each period. Missing a return or filing it late attracts penalties, interest, and can even result in suspension of the GSTIN. This guide explains the types of GST

A Complete Guide to GST Registration in India for 2026 Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration is the foundational step for any business operating in India that crosses the prescribed turnover threshold or falls into a category that mandates compulsory registration. Without a valid GSTIN (Goods and Services Tax Identification Number), a business cannot collect GST, claim input tax credit (ITC), or comply with the invoicing and return-filing requirements under the GST law. T

12A and 80G registration under the Income Tax Act 1961 are the two approvals that make an Indian NGO financially viable. Registration under Section 12A, now granted under the Section 12AB regime, exempts the NGO's own income from tax, while 80G approval lets donors claim a deduction for their donations, which dramatically improves fundraising. Both are applied for online through the income tax e-filing portal. This guide explains the current process: provisional registration

Wondering how to reply to an income tax notice in India? Most notices are routine and can be answered online within minutes through the e-Proceedings facility on the income tax portal. What matters is identifying which section the notice is issued under, because that determines what the department wants and how much time you have to respond. Ignoring a notice is the one option that always makes things worse, since it can lead to a best judgment assessment, penalties or an inv

The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) is implementing Input Tax Credit (ITC) locking in GSTR-3B from around July 2026, marking a significant change in how businesses claim GST credits. Once this feature goes live, the ITC values auto-populated in Table 4A of GSTR-3B from GSTR-2B data will become non-editable for business-to-business (B2B) supplies. This means businesses can no longer manually override their ITC claims and must ensure that their purchase invoices are prope