No Recommendation To Bring Aviation Fuel Under GST, Clarifies Civil Aviation Minister; Highlights Price Reduction Efforts

The Centre in response to tax treatment of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), has clarified that the GST Council, in which the states are also represented, has not made any recommendation for inclusion of ATF under GST.As for taxation on ATF, the Centre put forth that issue of high Value Added Tax (VAT) levy on ATF ranging from 0% to 29% in some States and Union Territories was addressed, resulting...

Delhi High Court Restores Trader's GST Registration After 3-Year Delay; Says Medical Issue, Dispute With CA Justified Relief

In a rare instance of relief, the Delhi High Court has directed the GST Department to restore the registration of a trader, cancelled over three years ago, citing the medical issues and dispute with the Chartered Accountant which prevented it from acting earlier.Section 107 of the GST Act prescribes a strict timeline of three months to prefer an appeal from an order of the GST Department,...

Sales Tax Discharged At NPV Under State Incentive Scheme Not Addable To Transaction Value For Excise Duty: CESTAT Mumbai

The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Mumbai has held that sales tax deferred under a State incentive scheme and later discharged at Net Present Value (NPV) cannot be treated as “sales tax not paid” for the purpose of including it in the transaction value for levy of Central Excise duty. A Division Bench of C.J. Mathew (Technical Member) and Ajay...

Revisional Power U/S 263 Income Tax Act Cannot Be Upheld By Tribunal On Grounds Not Taken By Commissioner: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that a tribunal cannot travel beyond the grounds not cited by the commissioner while exercising jurisdiction under Section 263 Income Tax Act.Justices A. Muhamed Mustaque and Harisankar V. Menon stated that only one reason was highlighted by the Commissioner for exercising the power under Section 263 of the Act and the Tribunal having found the said reason as not...

Customs Can't Make Passengers/Lawyers Sign Waiver Of SCN Or Hearing At Goods Appraisement Stage: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has made it clear that the Customs Department cannot make a passenger or his lawyer sign an undertaking for waiver of show cause notice or personal hearing, when they appear for appraisement of seized articles.A division bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Renu Bhatnagar made the observation while dealing with an NRI's plea, whose gold chain was seized by the Customs...

Centre Defends GST Hike On Coal, Says It Cuts Power Generation Cost By 17–18 Paise/Unit

The Centre in response to estimated impact of GST reforms on domestic coal producers and import substitution, has clarified that by increasing GST rate on coal from 5% to 18%, the inverted duty structure has been corrected.“GST has rationalized the tax burden across various coal grades, as the previous GST regime led to higher effective tax incidence on low grade coal and low...

DGFT Allows Personal Carriage Of Gems & Jewellery Parcels Through Ahmedabad Airport Under FTP 2023

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has amended Paragraphs 4.87(a) and 4.88 of the Handbook of Procedures (HBP) 2023 under the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023. The amendment now allows import and export of gems and jewellery parcels for personal carriage through Ahmedabad Airport, in addition to the previously listed international airports such...

Delhi High Court Imposes Costs On Party For Misrepresenting New Gold Jewellery As 'Old'; Orders Release Subject To Payment Of Duty

The Delhi High Court has imposed costs on two Petitioners who falsely claimed that their old gold jewellery was seized by the Customs Department upon their arrival from Dubai.On production of the gold items before it, a division bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Renu Bhatnagar observed,“it is clear that the gold items are not used gold jewellery of the Petitioners, and the same...

Extended Limitation Cannot Be Invoked Without Proof Of Intent To Evade: CESTAT Delhi Sets Aside Service Tax Demand On Car Parking Charges

The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Principal Bench, New Delhi has held that the extended period of limitation under the proviso to Section 73(1) of the Finance Act, 1994 cannot be invoked in the absence of clear evidence of suppression of facts with intent to evade service tax. A Division Bench comprising Justice Dilip Gupta (President) and P.V. Subba...

Centre Expands Collateral-Free MSME Financing To ₹10 Crore Under Revamped CGS; Clarifies Subsidy, Equity Support Figures

The Central Government in response to details of financial support and credit facilitation for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has clarified that effective April 01, 2025, the Ministry of MSME has expanded collateral-free financing by enhancing CGS coverage up to Rs. 10 crores with reduced guarantee fees. Under the credit-linked subsidy schemes, tabulated...

'Invested Substantial Savings': Delhi High Court Permits Redemption Of Labourer's Gold Bar Seized By Customs

The Delhi High Court recently permitted a labourer, working in the middle-east, to redeem gold bars confiscated by the Customs Department, after a four-year delay.In doing so, a division bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Renu Bhatnagar took note of the Petitioner's financial status, which purportedly prevented him from paying the redemption fine in time.“Bearing in mind the fact that...

NRI Entitled To Bring Personal Jewellery/Watch For Re-Export: Delhi High Court Orders Release Of Rolex Seized At Airport

The Delhi High Court has ordered the Customs Department to release the high-value Rolex watch of a NRI, citing Supreme Court's ruling in Directorate of Revenue Intelligence v. Pushpa Lekhumal Tolani (2017).In the said judgment, the top court had held that foreign tourists are allowed to bring into India jewellery even of substantial value provided it is meant to be taken out of India with...