Place of supply: data hosting services to overseas cloud providers governed by recipient location, permitting export treatment.
Data hosting providers in India supply comprehensive hosting services on a principal-to-principal basis, owning or operating premises and infrastructure and not acting as intermediaries for end users. Such services are not in relation to goods "made available" by the recipient nor directly in relation to immovable property. Therefore, none of the specific place-of-supply rules for intermediaries, goods made available, or immovable property apply, and the place of supply defaults to the location of the service recipient; if the recipient is outside India, the supply qualifies as export of services subject to export conditions.

Input tax credit on demo vehicles allowed when used to promote further supply; blocked for unrelated transport or agency use.
Demo vehicles used by authorised dealers to provide trial runs and demonstrate features promote sale of similar vehicles and therefore are to be treated as used for making further supply of such motor vehicles; accordingly, input tax credit on their purchase is not blocked under the exclusion for further supply. If demo vehicles are used for unrelated purposes or the dealer merely acts as an agent providing test-drive services on behalf of the manufacturer without supplying the vehicle, ITC is blocked. Capitalisation does not preclude ITC, subject to disallowance where depreciation on the tax component is claimed and to adjustment on subsequent sale.

Place of supply for advertising services: supplier acting on its own account leads to export classification when recipient is abroad.
Clarification: where an Indian advertising company contracts comprehensively with a foreign client, procures media space from media owners on its own account, invoices the foreign client and receives payment in foreign exchange, the company is a principal (not an intermediary), the recipient is the foreign client located outside India, and the place of supply is the recipient's location, making the service an export of services; by contrast, if the Indian company merely facilitates a direct contract between foreign client and media owner, it is an intermediary and place of supply for its facilitation services is the supplier's location.

Wastage norms for jewellery exports revised and input-output norms updated, changing permissible metal content calculations.
The amendment revises permissible wastage percentages for gold, silver and platinum jewellery exports by category and by handcrafted versus mechanised processes, and excludes imported mountings and findings from net content calculation. It also updates SION M-1 to M-8 to set input-to-output ratios for gold, platinum and silver per kilogram of exported jewellery or articles, aligned with the new wastage rates and differentiated by production method.

Abeyance of public notice restores prior wastage norms and SIONs for jewellery exports during interim period.
Public Notice No. 05/2024 modifying wastage and Standard Input-Output Norms for precious-metal jewellery is placed in abeyance until 31st December 2024 under powers of the Foreign Trade Policy. During this interim, pre-existing wastage norms in the Handbook of Procedures and the earlier Standard Input-Output Norms for jewellery items are restored pending finalisation of revised SIONs.

Digitization of customs bonded warehouse procedures enables online licensing, bond-to-bond transfers, and electronic monthly returns uploads.
Digitization implements an online Warehouse License application and backend processing on ICEGATE, including officer query and response workflows, warehouse code generation and license issuance; it also enables electronic processing of bond-to-bond transfers across three scenarios with validation, recording of parties, reconciliation of quantity and value, and requirement of the warehousing (triple duty) bond, while retaining the existing physical transfer Form until integration; scanned Monthly Returns (Form A and Form B) can be uploaded, and prescribed security in addition to the bond must be furnished at the Port of Import.

Export testing requirement for rice removed; sampling obligation withdrawn and risk management checks remain mandatory under revised export policy.
The requirement to draw and test routine samples for rice consignments under Public Notice No. 37/2023 is withdrawn following removal of export duty entries and the liberalisation of Non Basmati White Rice export policy; routine live consignment sampling is no longer required, but compliance with RMS instructions and immediate reporting of any discrepancies to the Export Section remains mandatory, and implementation difficulties should be notified to the Principal Commissioner.

Disposal of seized gold: mapping revised so Telangana and Andhra Pradesh consignments are processed at IG Mint Mumbai.
Seized or confiscated gold of 24 carat purity will be processed under existing procedures, with seized gold from Customs Zones in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh now to be lifted and processed by IG Mint, Mumbai in place of IG Mint, Hyderabad; the Instruction updates the FCC-to-IG Mint mapping table accordingly while leaving all other aspects of the prior instructions unchanged.

Synthetic or reconstructed diamonds must include declared production method in import/export filings to improve customs assessment and clearance.
Mandatory additional qualifiers for synthetic or reconstructed diamonds require traders to declare the method of production (e.g., Chemical Vapour Deposition, High Pressure High Temperature, Other) in import/export declarations under the Bill of Entry and Shipping Bill electronic declaration regulations; these qualifiers are to be enabled in systems and made mandatory at filing from 01.12.2024 to improve assessment, technical certification and reduce clearance queries.

Condonation of delay under section 119 extended to AY2023 24 for returns claiming deduction under section 80P.
Condonation of delay under clause (b) of sub section (2) of section 119 is extended to returns claiming deduction under section 80P for assessment year 2023 24 where delay arose from delayed statutory audits; Circular No.13/2023 is applied to such returns, subject to its conditions, so they may be treated as returns furnished on or before the due date under sub section (1) of section 139 if conditions are met.

Place of supply for unregistered persons: delivery address on the invoice determines place of supply when billing and delivery differ.
Where goods are supplied to an unregistered person, the place of supply is the location shown by the recipient's address recorded on the invoice; if the invoice lacks the recipient's address, the supplier's location applies. If billing and delivery addresses differ, the place of supply shall be the delivery address recorded on the invoice, and suppliers may record the delivery address as the recipient's address to determine place of supply.

Digitization of bonded warehouse procedures enables online licensing, transfer processing, and electronic submission of monthly returns.
Digitization implements an online Warehouse Module on ICEGATE enabling authorised signatories to file warehouse license applications and upload supporting documents, permitting backend processing by proper officers including queries and issuance of a warehouse code upon acceptance. The module also handles online transfer requests across ownership and warehouse-change scenarios with validation of parties, reconciliation of quantity and value, and requirement of the warehousing (triple duty) bond. Scanned monthly returns may be uploaded and web-form filing will follow; prescribed security must continue to be furnished at the port of import alongside the warehousing bond.

Centralized listing and auction platform mandates public asset listings to enhance transparency and improve liquidation recoveries.
A centralized electronic listing and auction platform on eBKray will host continuous public listings of assets under liquidation with detailed data (photographs, videos, geographical coordinates) to improve transparency and recoveries. Insolvency professionals must list unsold assets and upload all assets within seven days of submitting the asset memorandum for new liquidations; use of the platform for ongoing cases is permitted. Deployment begins as a pilot, accessible via IBBI logins, and is issued under the Board's statutory power.

As is where is regularization accepts lower or nil GST as full discharge and prevents refunds to higher-rate payers.
The Circular defines "as is/as is, where is" regularization to mean that when competing GST entries or interpretational doubts led to different taxpayers paying different rates (including nil), payment at the lower rate or claiming exemption shall be accepted as full discharge of tax liability for the regularized period, with no refunds to those who paid the higher rate; however, where no tax was paid and the clarified applicable rate is higher, tax shall be recovered.

GST classification changes: reclassification of extruded snacks, railway rooftop AC units, and motor vehicle seats alters applicable tax treatment.
Clarification addresses GST classification and rates: extruded savoury snacks under HS 1905 90 30 are aligned with ready to consume namkeens and receive a reduced rate prospectively; un fried or un cooked extruded pellets retain the lower existing rate. RMPU air conditioning machines for railways are classified under HS 8415, excluded from Chapter 86 parts. Seats for two wheelers fall under the two wheeler parts heading, while car seats fall under the motor vehicle seating heading and have been reclassified to the higher rate prospectively.

GST on affiliation and ancillary services clarified, with exemptions and historic regularisation for specified education, transport and utility services.
Clarifies GST treatment for specified services: affiliation services by universities to colleges are taxable; affiliation by boards to schools is taxable except for government schools, with historic liabilities regularised; DGCA approved flying training courses with mandated completion certificates are exempt; helicopter passenger seat share transport is subject to a reduced rate while charter remains taxable; preferential location charges form part of composite construction supply; GTA ancillary services in the course of road transport are part of composite supply unless separately provided and invoiced; import of certain airline-related services without consideration is exempt and historic liabilities for several categories are regularised on an "as is where is" basis.

Revised list of high end medical equipment narrows used/refurbished import scope and reiterates stringent import and compliance conditions.
The instruction revises and enforces a consolidated list of High End and High Value used/refurbished Medical Equipment other than critical care medical equipment, effective from issue, and reiterates that import of listed equipment is subject to prescribed conditions including Form 5 compliance, residual life and functionality certification by a Chartered Engineer or accredited agency, OEM warranty and maintenance assurances, statutory import authorisations, SPCB/PCC acknowledgement, and customs document verification with enforcement under hazardous waste and customs laws.

Modification of SION for Shea Stearine: revised import entitlements tied to Shea Nut oil content adjustments.
Modification of SION E-125 prescribes the imported inputs and quantities allowed per 1 MT export of Shea Stearine, provides an oil-content based pro rata adjustment to permitted Shea Nut import quantities, requires Customs to sample and endorse oil content on each bill of entry with regional redemption of authorizations based on weighted averages, and states that import clearances must not be held pending test results; the SION is issued with a defined validity period pending reassessment.

Extension of return filing due date for specified category of assessees under section 139(1) to a later deadline.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes, invoking powers under section 119, grants an extension of the due date under sub-section (1) of section 139 for furnishing return of income for the Assessment Year 2024-25 for assessees referred to in clause (a) of Explanation 2 to that sub-section, moving the earlier deadline to a later date specified in the circular.

Periodic reporting obligations for research analysts and proxy advisers require standardized half yearly submissions to designated supervisory bodies.
The circular prescribes standardized half yearly reporting obligations for research analysts and proxy advisers: RAs must submit reports in the Annexure I format to the recognised RAASB and PAs must submit reports in the Annexure II format to SEBI within thirty days of the reporting period end. Annexures require detailed entity, governance, personnel, certification, bank, client and fee data, complaint and inspection records, advertising and activity metrics. RAASB is directed to operationalise receipt, publication and related rule amendments; the circular is immediately applicable under SEBI's regulatory powers.