Finance Act, 2000—Explanatory notes on provisions relating to direct taxes

Tax reform reshapes direct tax rates, incentives and compliance, introducing venture capital pass through and targeted infrastructure roll over.

The Act revises the direct tax framework by specifying income tax and TDS rate structures with surcharges, rationalising TDS thresholds, creating targeted exemptions and incentives (notably a venture capital pass through regime with reporting obligations, expanded infrastructure definitions, and designated bonds for capital gains roll over), substituting and time limiting export tax holidays, restructuring MAT to apply uniformly to companies with book profits, and clarifying demerger, amalgamation, cost inflation index and slump sale valuations, alongside procedural reforms to advance rulings, appeals and identification requirements.