Empanelment of Chartered Engineers extended for valuation of second hand machinery; services to continue at airport air cargo complex.
Empanelment of Chartered Engineers for valuation of imported second hand, old and used machinery and goods, constituted by Public Notice No.48/2012, is extended for a further one year tenure following a performance review. The empanelled engineers' services will continue to be utilized by the Airport and Air Cargo Complex Commissionerate, Bengaluru, and Public Notice No.48/2012 is modified to that extent.

Auditable cases MIS enables CsIT(CO) to generate structured scrutiny-case lists and export detailed reports for audit use.
An IT-enabled Management Information System function allows CsIT(CO) to extract auditable-case lists from the Income Tax Database for scrutiny-completed cases within a recent rolling period; detailed reports may be exported in CSV and PDF, summary reports in PDF only, accessible via AST Reports Scrutiny MIS Reports using CsIT(CO) login, with procedure documented in the i-Taxnet user manual.

Importer-Exporter Code online filing mandatory; regional authorities to decide applications promptly and communicate outcomes within a short working period.
The amendment replaces ANF 2A with a new form and mandates online filing of new IEC applications with all requisite documents; Regional Authorities must decide and communicate grant or refusal within two working days, and online filing will also be available via the e-biz portal after integration with DGFT systems.

Reconciliation return filing: Form 9 deadline extended for dealers with interstate sales and specified statutory forms compliance.
Under the powers of Rule 49A of the Delhi VAT Rules, 2005 read with section 9(2) CST Act, the Commissioner extended the last date for online filing of the reconciliation return in Form 9 for 2013-14 to 09/01/2015, applicable only to dealers who made interstate sales or claimed deductions against specified statutory forms; dealers without such transactions need not file.

Export iron ore valuation practices require strict compliance with circulated customs instructions, with implementation difficulties promptly reported.
Export iron ore valuation and assessment practices are addressed through circulation of an enclosed customs circular for the information, guidance and strict compliance of trade participants and clearing agents. Any difficulty in complying with the circular's instructions is to be promptly reported to the customs office. The notice itself does not specify the substantive valuation or assessment requirements.

All Industry Duty Drawback Rates require trade participants and clearing agents to follow circulated customs instructions strictly.
All Industry Rates of Duty Drawback effective from 22 November 2014 were circulated for the information, guidance and necessary action of trade participants and clearing agents. The notice requires strict compliance with the instructions contained in the relevant customs circular and directs that compliance difficulties be reported to the customs office without delay.

PSR transmission to CEIB discontinued; officers must instead supply specified data for suspected tax evader database and REIC shares.
Directive to cease routine forwarding of Preliminary Search Reports (PSRs) to the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB); the revised PSR proforma removed the endorsement requirement, and CBDT directs that PSR copies not be sent to CEIB while officers may still supply information/data to CEIB for a suspected tax evader database. Information shared in the REIC forum must also be sent separately to CEIB.

Validation between CTH and CETH: mismatched import declarations will be rejected at bill of entry submission.
Validation between CTH and CETH will be applied to bill of entry submissions such that B/Es where the declared CTH does not match the CETH for the item will be rejected at submission. This follows a CAG audit noting mismatches. Abatement rates have been entered for applicable CETHs; importers who find missing abatement entries should inform the System Manager, JNCH with a copy to the specified email for updation. Importers and CHAs are advised to ensure correct declarations to avoid rejection.

Service tax exemption procedure: SEZ units may route authorization and reporting via the SEZ specified officer for processing.
SEZ units and developers may route applications for departmental authorization and quarterly Form A-3 statements through the specified officer in the SEZ rather than submitting directly to the department; field formations should not object to such routed submissions, while the notification's procedural framework for accounting, monitoring and compliance verification remains operative.

Service tax exemption to SEZ: units may route exemption applications and quarterly statements through specified SEZ officer.
SEZ units and developers may route applications for departmental authorization and quarterly statements through the specified officer in the SEZ instead of submitting directly to the department; Notification No. 12/2013 as amended does not restrict this routing, and field formations should not object to such requests or intimations.

Restriction on guarantees for overseas borrowings prevents channeling foreign-raised funds into India without regulatory permission.
Indian companies and their Authorised Dealer Category - I banks are prohibited from issuing direct or indirect guarantees, creating contingent liabilities, or offering security for borrowings raised abroad by overseas holding, associate, subsidiary or group companies except as explicitly permitted; funds so raised cannot be used in India unless they conform to general or specific permissions under the relevant regulations, and contravening structures attract penal consequences.

Direct bank credit for customs refund claims requires nominated account details and replaces cheque issuance to expedite payments.
Applicants for customs refunds must submit complete bank details and an original cancelled unsigned cheque when filing claims. Claims will be processed subject to eligibility and a speaking Order will be issued sanctioning or rejecting the claim. Sanctioned refund amounts will be disbursed by direct credit into the claimant's nominated bank account; issuance of physical cheques is discontinued to expedite payments. Other existing instructions in Facility Order No. 10/2013 remain applicable except as amended.

Offshore derivative issuance eligibility limited to eligible subscribers meeting regulator signatory and AML criteria; non compliant ODIs barred from renewal.
FPIs may issue ODIs only to subscribers who satisfy FPI eligibility criteria, including regulator MoU membership, BIS membership for banks, and exclusion of FATF identified jurisdictions, and only to subscribers without opaque structures. Investment restrictions applicable to FPIs apply to ODI subscribers, with aggregation of holdings where common beneficial ownership exists and where investors hold both FPI and ODI positions. FPIs must implement systems to ensure compliance; existing non compliant ODI positions may continue until expiry but cannot be renewed, and fresh issuance is permitted only to eligible subscribers complying with regulatory norms.

Mismatch of Annexure cases to be resolved by authorised ward SOHAs via system with limited adjournments and online filing.
Designated ward officers are authorised as ward Special Objection Hearing Authorities (SOHAs) to dispose of objections arising from mismatch between Annexures 2A and 2B for AY 2012 13 through the department's computer application, record orders in Form DVAT 40, accept fresh online objections, require only limited adjournments, and follow prescribed case transfer, scheduling and monitoring arrangements as set out in the annexure and accompanying administrative directions.

Correction of member designation: CIT four posting changed to Ahmedabad in the DRP entry, other order terms unchanged.
Corrigendum to Order No.15/FT&TR/2014 corrects the DRP, Ahmedabad table entry at serial number 11, column (3), replacing the panel member designation CIT-4, Pune with CIT-4, Ahmedabad, and confirms all other contents of the Order remain unchanged.

Transaction certificate requirement for organic exports: provisional TC must accompany shipment and be finalized by the accredited certifier.
Export of organic products requires a Transaction Certificate from an NPOP accredited certification body confirming production, processing and packing as per NPOP standards. Exporters must obtain a provisional Transaction Certificate via APEDA Tracenet before shipment, which must accompany the consignment and is valid only until shipment; the accredited certification body must issue a final export Transaction Certificate to the exporter within thirty days of the provisional TC upon receipt of the original provisional TC and shipping documents.

Customs baggage declaration implementation requires strict compliance with Board instructions and prompt reporting of operational difficulties.
Implementation of the Customs Baggage Declaration Regulations, 2013 was directed through circulation of the Board's customs instructions to officers, staff and field formations. The instructions were issued for guidance and strict compliance, with implementation difficulties to be promptly reported to the office.

Dispute Resolution Panels under section 144C constituted to allocate members and reserve members for statutory income-tax dispute resolution.
Dispute Resolution Panels are constituted under section 144C of the Income-tax Act for specified jurisdictions, each comprising three Commissioners of Income-tax as Members and one Reserve Member under the Income-tax (Dispute Resolution Panel) Rules, 2009; the order supersedes earlier constitutions and takes effect from 15-11-2014, with Members to perform Panel duties in addition to regular functions and issuance approved by the Chairperson of the Board.

Default authorised services: SEZ units need not reapply where the UAC has already approved a service.
Directs uniform application of the Department's default list of authorised services for Special Economic Zones and clarifies that SEZ Developers and Units are not required to submit fresh applications for services already approved by the Unit Approval Committee (UAC); recalls an initial list of fifty eight services and eight subsequently added services, and mandates Development Commissioners to follow Instruction No. 79 to prevent repeat approval demands.

Release of foreign exchange for pilgrimage: authorised dealers and money changers may disburse full BTQ cash entitlements.
Authorised Dealers and Full Fledged Money Changers may release the full Basic Travel Quota entitlement in cash, or cash up to the Haj Committee of India's specified limit, to Haj and Umrah pilgrims; authorised persons must notify their customers, and the directions are issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, subject to other legal permissions as applicable.