Suo moto payment of customs duty allows exporters to deposit self calculated duty and interest pending authority reconciliation.
A facilitation procedure permits authorization holders under Advance Authorization and EPCG to deposit self calculated duty and interest by cash challan or debit eligible duty credit scrips at the port of registration while Regional Authority calculations are pending; Customs will record these payments, subsequently reconcile them against the RA's detailed calculations, require payment of any balance, and on RA redemption initiate release of the Bond or Bank Guarantee.

Tax deducted at source credit should not trigger direct demand when the deductor fails to deposit, per administrative instruction.
Instruction addresses cases where Tax Deducted at Source has been withheld by a deductor but not deposited, resulting in denial of credit and demand; while credit is given only if paid into the Government account, the statute bars calling upon the assessee to pay tax to the extent it was deducted at source, and coercive enforcement of such mismatches should not be pursued. Assessing officers are directed to avoid causing inconvenience to assessees in such cases.

Redesignation of Commissioner (SAG) officers to Additional Director General across CBDT directorates, preserving rank and pay.
All officers serving at Commissioner (SAG) level in the specified CBDT directorates are redesignated as Additional Director General in their respective directorates, retaining their Commissioner/SAG rank and scale of pay (PB-4, Grade Pay of Rs. 10,000), by an administrative order issued with the approval of the CBDT.

Refund/rebate claims should be released unless a stay order is obtained; appeals must be filed expeditiously.
The Board declined to file a Special Leave Petition and ordered immediate implementation of the High Court order dated 11.03.2015. It reiterated that refunds or rebates granted by an order should not be withheld solely because an appeal is filed unless a stay order is obtained; appeals or stay applications should be filed early, and refunds remain subject to the outcome of any appeal. The Board directed strict compliance with Circular No. 572/9/2001 CX para (3) and its refund instructions.

Foreign exchange declaration now required in the Shipping Bill, replacing SDF to streamline export compliance obligations.
Exporters must furnish the statutory declaration of foreign exchange remittance as part of the Shipping Bill, replacing the Separate Declaration Form; the declaration undertakes compliance with the Foreign Exchange Management Act including realization and repatriation of foreign exchange, and must be provided with immediate effect pursuant to the Board notification implementing the RBI-endorsed change.

Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit increased to expand permitted current and capital account remittances under compliance safeguards.
The Liberalised Remittance Scheme for resident individuals is revised so authorised dealers may permit remittances up to USD 250,000 per financial year for any permitted current or capital account transaction or a combination thereof, subsuming current account facilities under this overall limit while allowing exceptions for emigration, medical treatment and studies where higher amounts are required. Remitters must submit an application-cum-declaration; authorised persons must apply KYC and AML measures; banks must not extend facilities to facilitate capital remittances; remittances to FATF non-cooperative jurisdictions are prohibited.

Paperless submission for EPCG authorisations now requires online applications with digitally uploaded documents; physical copies will no longer be accepted.
An online Beta version of ANF 5A permits filing EPCG authorisation applications and uploading supporting documents with digital signatures; uploaded documents obviate physical copies and RAs must not insist on paper where documents are submitted online, while during the trial phase applicants must submit a signed printout and physical copies only for documents not uploaded, after which only online submissions with uploaded documents will be accepted.

Quality complaints and trade disputes mechanism enables investigation, hearings and action for cross-border complaints under DGFT jurisdiction.
A Committee on Quality Complaints & Trade Dispute is constituted with specified membership to receive and investigate quality and trade disputes within the stated jurisdiction. Complaints must be filed in the prescribed ANF format with self-attested documents or online; online complaints will be forwarded by the nodal officer for examination. The committee will investigate, afford both parties an opportunity of hearing, conclude the inquiry and take appropriate action; domestic complaints against foreign exporters will be forwarded to the relevant trade division for diplomatic follow-up.

Extension of filing deadline for profession tax returns: electronic and paper submission dates postponed with late fee provision applied.
The order extends deadlines for filing profession tax returns in Form-III for year ending 31 March 2015: payment due 30 April 2015; electronic transmission now due 30 June 2015; paper submission now due 15 July 2015. The proviso on assessment of late fees in the applicable rules applies mutatis mutandis to these extended-due returns.

Special Currency Basket valuation revised; authorised banks must apply the new rupee value and notify constituents promptly.
The Reserve Bank fixed a revised rupee value for the Special Currency Basket, superseding the prior notified value, to be applied from the circular's effective date for transactions under the Deferred Payment Protocols with the erstwhile USSR; Authorised Dealer Category I banks must apply the revised valuation and notify their constituents, with directions issued under FEMA without prejudice to other legal permissions.

Line of Credit local sourcing requirement: exporters must supply majority of contract value from India; EDF/SDF declarations required.
Notification of a government backed Line of Credit by Exim Bank for a Mali power transmission project sets sourcing rules requiring at least 75% of goods and services (excluding consultancy) to be supplied from India, prescribes EDF/SDF shipment declarations, disbursement and letter of credit cut off timelines, and disallows agency commission under the LOC while permitting exporters to use own funds or EEFC balances for commission subject to AD Category I bank realization and prevailing instructions; directions issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of FEMA.

Service tax exemption withdrawal makes construction and related services to government taxable under amended rules.
Withdrawal of exemption on specified construction and allied services supplied to government entities was effected by the Union Budget 2015, rendering such services taxable with effect from 01.04.2015. The change removes the earlier exemption for services to the Government, a local authority or a governmental authority consisting of construction, erection, commissioning, installation, completion, fitting out, repair, maintenance, renovation or alteration.

Master Circular consolidates SEBI circulars for stock exchanges and clearing corporations, standardising trading, settlement, risk and governance.
A Master Circular compiles SEBI circulars applicable to stock exchanges and clearing corporations into thematic chapters-trading, technology, settlement, risk management, exchange-traded derivatives, administration, and depository connectivity-and supersedes the prior master circular, serving as the single reference of regulatory instructions for those operational domains.

Special Notified Zone for rough diamond trading permits regulated import, viewing, auction and re-export under customs control.
Creation of a Special Notified Zone at Bharat Diamond Bourse permits regulated import, storage, viewing, auction and sale of rough diamonds under customs supervision; imports are by air cargo only and must be accompanied by invoice, packing list, insurance and Kimberley Process Certificate, with customs examination, tallying and sealing before transfer to the SNZ strong room. Sales require a sale invoice that serves as the declaration of value and buyers clear purchases by filing a bill of entry; unsold lots must be re-packed and exported under a shipping bill within prescribed timeframes.

Importer-Exporter Profile update enables paperless document submission and linking of RCMC for streamlined authorisations and procedures.
Importer Exporter Profile holders must upload and maintain basic details and supporting documents on the DGFT portal, update the profile immediately on change and at least annually, and use a digital signature; documents in the profile need not be filed again with each application for authorisations or scrips under the Foreign Trade Policy. Export Promotion Councils must record and link RCMC details with member profiles to enable paperless application filing.

Foreign exchange declaration incorporated into Shipping Bill; exporters must include remittance undertaking in export documentation.
Exports through EDI ports no longer require a separate SDF form; the Shipping Bill must now include the prescribed declaration undertaking compliance with the Foreign Exchange Management Act and obligations regarding realisation or repatriation of foreign exchange. The Shipping Bill declaration text and a list of supporting documents to be submitted with export goods in the warehouse are reproduced, and exporters, customs brokers and trade participants are instructed to comply with the revised Shipping Bill format when filing Shipping Bills.

Dispensing with SDF form: include foreign exchange declaration in Shipping Bills; exporters must follow amended filing procedure.
Dispensing with SDF form: exporters must include the foreign exchange declaration previously made via SDF within the Shipping Bill declaration, including an undertaking to comply with foreign exchange realisation and repatriation obligations. The Shipping Bill must be accompanied by prescribed supporting documents (entitlement certificates, invoices, quota/inspection certificates or other documents) submitted with the export goods in the warehouse. Exporters and customs brokers are required to adopt the amended procedure when filing Shipping Bills.

Served From India Scheme SFIS application ANF3B-2 notified for 2014 15 net foreign exchange entitlement calculation.
Notification mandates filing ANF 3B-2 to claim SFIS benefits for 2014 15, prescribes Annexures A-E to compute foreign exchange receipts and service sector expenses, requires Customs notified exchange rates for conversion (with a field for rate as on 01.04.2015), sets entitlement at 10% of Net Foreign Exchange, and requires CA/ICWA/CS certification plus documentary evidence and signed submission.

Electronic collection of lighthouse dues: online payments accepted and customs to verify digital receipts and notify trade.
Electronic collection of lighthouse dues will use DGLL and Syndicate Bank online portals; Customs officers will receive user IDs and passwords to verify online payment receipts produced by shippers or agents, with supporting email notifications to Customs Houses on icegate. Chief Commissioners are to sensitize staff, issue Public Notices to trade and shipping agents, and follow the enclosed draft notification and Standard Operating Procedure for detailed implementation and verification procedures.

Track and Trace for export drug formulations requires standardized barcodes on secondary and tertiary packaging and central data upload.
Manufacturers or exporters of drug formulations must apply standardized barcodes by packaging level (primary, secondary, tertiary), maintain parent-child packaging relationships, and upload prescribed packaging and serialization data to the Government of India central portal before release for sale or distribution. Responsibility for data correctness and timely upload lies with the manufacturer or exporter, subject to limited exemptions for importing-country barcode requirements and consignments manufactured before the implementation cutoff.