Restricted import license debiting: system blocks assessment until license debited; officers must ensure correct scheme code.
Imports of specified IT hardware are restricted and admission requires a valid restricted import license; ICES prevents assessment of a Bill of Entry filed under the restricted Scheme Code until the online license is debited. Officers must ensure Bills of Entry use the restricted Scheme Code and debit the license. APR and ACL role holders may add Scheme Code and license details if omitted. The instruction is issued as a Standing Order and a contact email is provided for difficulties.

Origin determination under FTAs: verification under CAROTAR governs acceptance of third-party invoicing and certificates of origin.
A Certificate of Origin establishes that goods meet an FTA's originating criteria while the seller's invoice is used for customs valuation; third party invoicing is permissible under some FTAs (e.g., AIFTA). If an officer doubts origin, the officer may seek importer information and, if inadequate, trigger verification under CAROTAR via the FTA Cell to contact the issuing authority. CAROTAR does not force disclosure of commercially confidential exporter/third party data or mandate a single currency for COO and invoice. Rule 5(5) allows denial on record information, but trade agreement provisions prevail; substantiated non compliance requires a speaking order respecting natural justice and the FTA's origin formula.

SGST reimbursement workflow under Assam industrial scheme moves online with portal-based filing, validation, scrutiny, and committee approval
Online claim filing for SGST reimbursement under the Assam Industrial Scheme, 2017 and 2021 is enabled through the State tax portal, with a software module for eligible units to apply for entitlement certificates and monthly reimbursement claims. The process includes portal signup, document upload in PDF format, validation against GST records, acknowledgement generation, status tracking, and mandatory chartered accountant certification above the prescribed threshold. Administrative scrutiny is carried out by tax through a staged workflow of verification, recommendation, approval, rejection with reasons, committee reference, and sanction order generation.

Use of linked trading demat bank accounts permitted for public issue applications, allowing online bid cum application submission.
SEBI clarifies that investors may continue to submit the bid-cum application form online using 3-in-1 type accounts (linked online trading, demat and bank accounts) for public issues of debt securities, non-convertible redeemable preference shares, municipal debt securities and securitised debt instruments, in addition to the modes specified in the Master Circular and notwithstanding the earlier SEBI circular dated September 24, 2024.

Seizure of illicit cigarettes prompts notice requiring owner response or departmental disposal under customs law.
Goods consigned to the same named sender and consignee were seized on reasonable belief of confiscation under Section 110 read with Section 111 of the Customs Act, 1962; the items are perishable and will be disposed of, including by destruction, in accordance with Para 2.3.1, Chapter 2 of the Disposal Manual, 2019. The named consignor/consignee or other claimant must submit a reply with supporting documents within ten days or the department will proceed to dispose of the goods without further notice.

Electronic submission of Appendix 4H certificates enables digitally signed certifier uploads, streamlining verification for Advance Authorization and DFIA redemptions.
DGFT has implemented an electronic system for Appendix 4H submission where exporters submit drafts online to registered Certifying Authorities, who may review, amend and digitally sign certificates (Aadhaar e-sign or DSC). Signed Appendix 4H certificates are automatically attached to AA/DFIA redemption applications, stored in a repository for tracking and download, and made accessible to DGFT Regional Authorities for verification.

Container compliance for petroleum imports: only approved container types permitted; flexi bags in general-purpose containers disallowed.
Imports of petroleum products must comply with the Petroleum Act, 1934 and Petroleum Rules, 2002 as amended; products are classified by flash-point into Class A, B and C and container specifications and approvals follow those classifications. Containers exceeding prescribed capacities require Chief Controller approval. PESO has clarified that flexi bags inside standard 20/40-foot general-purpose containers are not acceptable and permissions for such carriage will not be granted. Stakeholders must adhere to the Rules and notify the Deputy Commissioner of Customs of implementation difficulties.

Compounding of tax offences: streamlined guidelines set eligibility, procedure, authority and computation of compounding charges.
Guidelines set a consolidated framework for compounding offences under the Income Tax Act: they apply from issuance to new and pending applications, require a prescribed affidavit, payment of a non refundable application fee, and settlement of all outstanding tax, interest and penalties. The jurisdictional Principal CCIT/CCIT/Principal DGIT/DGIT is the Competent Authority; certain high gravity or specified cases require prior Board approval. Procedure, timelines, electronic processing, and computation rules for compounding charges (based on tax excluding interest) are specified, including multiplicative increases for repeat or delayed applications and provisions for co accused and consolidated filings.

Liquidity Window facility via issuer put options enhances secondary market liquidity by enabling periodic investor redemptions.
Issuers may optionally offer a Liquidity Window allowing investors to exercise put options for early redemption on pre specified dates or intervals after one year from issuance; the facility requires board approval and oversight, must be nondiscriminatory, be made available to demat holding eligible investors (all or retail only), and have a disclosed aggregate limit and possible per window sub limits with proportionate acceptance when limits are exceeded. Operational, valuation, settlement, reporting and disclosure procedures are prescribed, and issuers may resell or extinguish purchased securities within specified timelines.

Recognition of foreign official control allows BFDA Health Certificate to enable customs clearance when uploaded and verified electronically.
Recognition of official control by the Bhutanese food authority permits consignments from listed Bhutanese establishments to be cleared on the basis of a BFDA-issued Health Certificate; importers/customs brokers must upload the Health Certificate to the electronic records system and enter its particulars on the bill of entry, and out-of-charge/TSK officers must verify the certificate before NOC is granted, with specimen signatures provided for verification and Customs officers acting as authorised food-safety officers ensuring compliance.

Retrospective Certificates of Origin preserve preferential tariff entitlement when validly issued, enabling post-import claims for refunds.
Rule 15(11) permits issuance of a Certificate of Origin retrospectively in exceptional cases with the words "ISSUED RETROSPECTIVELY" and written reasons by the issuing authority, preserving origin status if authenticity is not disputed. Rule 21(3) allows importers, under domestic law, to apply for refund of excess duties where preferential treatment was not extended at import but a valid COO later establishes originating status. Minor clerical discrepancies shall not invalidate a COO if they do not affect authenticity or product correspondence, and import-time procedural formalities do not defeat a legitimately issued retrospective COO.

Position limits revised and monitoring tied to prior-day open interest; passive breaches exempt from penalties and forced unwind.
Aggregate Trading Member position limits for index futures and index options are raised to a higher fixed threshold or market-share percentage and remain applicable separately by contract type. Market open interest for monitoring will be measured using the prior trading day's closing open interest; passive breaches arising solely from a decline in market open interest will not be penalised or require unwinding. Exchanges and clearing corporations must amend their bye-laws, implement the changes, and notify participants.

GST regularisation accepts qualifying lower-rate or exempt positions as full tax discharge, while barring refunds and preserving recovery for non-payment.
GST regularisation on an "as is" or "as is, where is" basis treats lower-rate GST payments or a nil-rate exemption position, adopted amid genuine interpretational doubt and reflected in filed returns, as full discharge of liability for the specified past period. No differential tax is recoverable from qualifying taxpayers, and no refund is available to taxpayers who paid at a higher rate. The regularisation does not extend to non-payment where the issue involved competing taxable rates rather than a genuine exemption or nil-rate position.

GST classification clarifies treatment of extruded snacks, railway air-conditioners, and vehicle seats, with specified prospective rate alignment.
Savoury or salted extruded or expanded food products, excluding un-fried or un-cooked extruded snack pellets, receive prospective rate treatment comparable to ready-to-consume namkeens, while the earlier period remains subject to the previously applicable higher rate. Railway RMPU air-conditioning machines are classified as air-conditioning machines rather than railway parts. Two-wheeler seats are classified as vehicle parts and accessories, whereas car seats are classified as motor-vehicle seats; the revised rate for car seats applies prospectively to align with motorcycle seats.

Composite supply treatment governs GTA ancillary services, while GST clarifications address educational affiliation, aviation training, utilities and property charges.
GST is clarified for affiliation, aviation training, helicopter transport, GTA ancillary services, foreign airline imports, preferential location charges, electricity utility support services and film distribution rights. GTA loading, unloading, packing, transshipment and temporary warehousing supplied in the course of road transport are composite transport supplies despite separate invoice entries. Preferential location charges collected with pre-completion construction consideration form part of the composite construction supply. Specified electricity utility support services and gratuitous foreign airline service imports receive exemption from 10 October 2024, with designated past liabilities regularized on an 'as is where is' basis.

Waiver of interest or penalty requires full tax payment by the notified date and prescribed electronic application to qualify.
Section 128A waiver applies to demands under section 73 for specified past periods provided the taxpayer pays the full tax demanded (after permitted deductions for amounts no longer payable due to retrospective amendments to Section 16) and files the prescribed electronic application (FORM GST SPL 01 or FORM GST SPL 02) within notified timelines. Payments for pending notices are to be made via FORM GST DRC 03 and demand orders against ELR Part II (with adjustment via FORM GST DRC 03A where applicable). ITC may be utilised subject to exceptions; interest/penalty already recovered is not adjustable. Processing, hearing, and final orders are to follow specified forms and timelines, and any departmental enhancement on appeal must be paid within the stipulated period or the waiver will lapse.

Retrospective input tax credit entitlement extended; taxpayers may seek electronic rectification under prescribed procedure, refunds restricted.
Clarifies implementation of retrospectively inserted sub-section (5) and sub-section (6) of section 16 of the CGST Act extending entitlement to input tax credit for specified past years and revoked-registration cases; directs authorities to recognise these provisions at investigative, adjudicatory, revisional and appellate stages and to pass appropriate orders. Introduces a special rectification procedure under section 148 via Notification No. 22/2024 for affected taxpayers to apply electronically within six months, requires prescribed annexure details, mandates decision by the original officer (ordinarily within three months) with natural justice safeguards, and reiterates that section 150 of the Finance Act bars refunds of tax paid or credits reversed, subject to refund of successful appeal pre-deposits.

Dispute settlement scheme: declarants may file declarations and pay prescribed percentages to secure full and final tax settlement.
The Guidance Note sets out the Direct Tax Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme, 2024 as a statutory settlement mechanism whereby an eligible appellant may file a declaration, pay prescribed percentages of the disputed tax or disputed interest/penalty as determined by the Designated Authority, and obtain a Form 4 order recording full and final settlement; it specifies eligibility limits, excluded categories (including search based assessments, prosecutions and undisclosed foreign income/assets), prescribed Forms and timelines, non refundability of payments, and collateral effects on TDS/TCS and prosecution immunity.

Regulatory corrigendum: MIIs must follow master circular references and face accountability for technical glitches, with submission opportunity.
Corrigendum aligns the SEBI circular on payment of Financial Disincentives by MIIs for Technical Glitches with specified provisions of the Master Circular for Commodity Derivatives Segment, mapping particular paragraphs to para 16.8, para 16.8.1 and Clauses 3-8 of Annexure ZF. It inserts provisions requiring SEBI to afford MIIs an opportunity to submit facts on identified technical glitches and obliges MIIs to carry out internal examinations to determine individual accountability and record outcomes in performance appraisals, while preserving SEBI's right to initiate enforcement action.

Monitoring shareholding of MIIs enforces shareholding limits, fit-and-proper criteria and triggers freezes on excess holdings.
MIIs must disclose category-wise shareholding publicly, appoint a Designated Depository (DD) to monitor paid-up equity and breaches on an End of Day basis, and inform exchanges of threshold breaches. The DD will generate daily aggregate reports, alert on caution and breach levels, coordinate with other depositories, and on breaches apply ISIN-level freezes, disable e-voting for excess holdings, and freeze corporate benefits directing them to investor protection or settlement guarantee funds; listed excess holdings are divested via a special trading window, unlisted divestment follows regulator directions.