Extension of return filing deadline for quarterly VAT returns; tax payment obligation unchanged and digital filers exempt from hard copy.
The last date for submission of online or hard-copy second-quarter VAT returns for 2014-15 in Forms DVAT-16, DVAT-17 and DVAT-48, with required annexures, is extended; tax remains payable as provided by section 3(4) of the Delhi VAT Act, and dealers filing with digital signature need not submit a hard copy/Form DVAT-56.

Payment by cheque requirement: associations must use non-cash modes for large foreign contribution disbursements to ensure compliance.
Associations registered or granted prior permission under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 are advised that items of expenditure or payments amounting to Rs. 20,000/- or more should be made by account payee cheque or demand draft from FC designated bank accounts and Utilisation Accounts, and that cash payments of that magnitude are likely to attract more intensive governmental scrutiny of records and accounts.

Client code modification policy permits limited waiver for genuine errors and bars treating proprietary trades as client trades.
A stock exchange may waive penalty for a client code modification if the broker produces evidence satisfactory to the exchange that the change resulted from a genuine error, limited to one waiver per broker per quarter with an explanatory restriction on reciprocal code pairs. Proprietary trades cannot be converted to client trades and exchanges must report quarterly to the regulator all client code modifications for which penalties were waived. Exchanges must discipline frequent modifiers and put in place systems, rule amendments, member communications and report implementation status to the regulator.

Industrial licence validity extension and deregulation of defence capacity enable streamlined sales to government entities with limited approvals.
Press Note streamlines defence industrial licensing by permitting extensions of the initial three year licence through two successive two year extensions, removing the stipulation of annual production capacity while imposing half yearly production returns to the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion and the Department of Defence Production, and allowing sales without prior Defence Production approval to entities under the Ministry of Home Affairs, state governments, public sector undertakings and other valid defence licensed companies, with prior permission required for other buyers.

Place of removal requires transfer of property under the Sale of Goods Act, not merely transport or insurance claims.
The definition of place of removal in the CENVAT Credit Rules applies where credit is available up to that place; the place of removal is the place where sale occurs, determined by when property in goods passes from seller to buyer under the Sale of Goods Act, 1930. Transport payment, inclusion of transport in price, insurance payment, or who bears transit risk are not decisive; contractual terms, conduct of parties and statutory rules on appropriation and delivery must be used to ascertain the transfer of property and thereby the place of removal.

Confidentiality of tax information: clarify treaty privacy protections and limited disclosure only upon prima facie evidence of wrongdoing.
Government seeks clarification that treaty commitments to confidentiality of tax information remain permissible; that the right to privacy prevents disclosure of treaty-obtained tax information unless prima facie wrongdoing is shown via a complaint enabling prosecution in a competent court; and that information quoted in public court proceedings becomes public and may be accessed by other agencies or disclosed at the court's discretion.

Extension of TDS/TCS filing deadline for deductors and collectors in affected states due to natural calamities.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes ordered an extension of the filing deadline for TDS/TCS quarterly statements for deductors and collectors in Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha and Telangana due to recent natural calamities. The order distinguishes government deductors/collectors mapped to a valid AIN, who receive a short additional period beyond the original deadline, from other deductors/collectors, who are granted a separate extended deadline to file second-quarter statements for the financial year.

Extension of TDS/TCS filing deadline grants additional time for affected deductors and collectors to submit quarterly statements.
An administrative order extends the due dates for filing second-quarter TDS/TCS statements for deductors/collectors in Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha and Telangana due to natural calamities, providing differentiated short extensions for government deductors/collectors mapped to a valid Accounts Officer Identification Number and for other deductors/collectors, without changing substantive tax liabilities.

Withholding tax concession for foreign-currency long-term bonds: qualifying issues complying with FEMA and RBI conditions receive Central Government approval.
Concessional withholding under Section 194LC is available for long term bond issues by Indian companies that comply with FEMA borrowing regulations, have an RBI Loan Registration Number, and possess an original maturity of at least three years. The Central Government approves such bond issues and the applicable interest rate is any rate within the RBI's all-in-cost ceilings relevant to the bond's tenure. Approval avoids case-by-case clearances and existing approvals for loan agreements are extended to the revised concluding eligibility date.

Import verification of pesticide formulations: consignments must be tested to confirm match with submitted technical grade.
Technical grade/material supplied for analysis before registration need not be furnished with every imported consignment of a pesticide formulation. Nonetheless, each consignment must be verified and tested on import to confirm that its specification and quality match the previously supplied technical grade/material. The earlier circular is modified accordingly and public guidance should be issued.

CDR code migration: assessees must continue using existing CDR codes for duty payments pending ACES migration completion.
Until migration to new CDR (Commissionerate, Division, Range) codes on ACES is completed, assessees must continue to pay duty using their existing CDR code; stakeholders are asked to publicise this transitional arrangement and consult the Commissionerate website for related notices.

Objections to registration cancellation now to be heard by zonal in-charges, superseding prior orders with immediate effect.
Objections to cancellation of registration are to be heard by the concerned Zonal In-charges for their zones, superseding all prior orders and taking immediate effect, issued with the prior approval of the Commissioner (VAT) and instructing administrative circulation and IT system update.

Delegation of compounding powers expanded so regional and New Delhi offices may compound specified FEMA contraventions.
Delegation of compounding authority under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and the Compounding Rules, 2000 is extended so Regional Offices (except Kochi and Panaji) may compound delays in submission of Form FC TRS and taking on record transfers without certified FC TRS without limit; Kochi and Panaji may compound such contraventions below a specified monetary threshold while higher value matters and all other FEMA contraventions remain with CEFA, Mumbai. FED, CO Cell, New Delhi officers are authorised to compound contraventions relating to immovable property acquisitions/transfers, establishment of branch/liaison/project offices, and deposit regulations, with applications to be filed to the appropriate office by territorial jurisdiction.

CDR code migration ensures assessees continue paying duty under existing codes until migration completes; online updates issued.
Allocation of CDR code and migration of assessees on ACES will be undertaken by the Directorate of Systems; until migration is completed assessees shall continue to pay duty using existing CDR codes and revenue will be reported under old Zones and Commissionerates. Show Cause Notices will follow new jurisdictions as they take effect. After migration, assessees will receive automated notifications and can check new location codes on ACES/EASIEST; in-person visits to range superintendents must not be required.

Refund address update promptly enables displaced taxpayers to secure cheque delivery and expedited refund processing.
Taxpayers affected by flood related dislocation may secure cheque delivery and facilitate expedited processing of refunds by updating their mailing address on the e filing portal (Profile Setting My Profile Address) or by contacting the Centralised Processing Centre helpdesk to furnish an updated address for refund cheques.

Review committee panels under Customs law establish paired Chief Commissioner jurisdictions to conduct statutory review of customs orders.
Constitution of regional Review Committees composed of two Chief Commissioners to exercise statutory review under the Customs law. The Board has paired Committees and assigns each Committee defined commissionerates and operational jurisdictions-ports, airports, preventive formations, zones and LTUs-listed in a table. An explanation clarifies that 'Chief Commissioners of Customs' includes specified Chief Commissioners of Central Excise.

Review Committee constitution: paired Chief Commissioners assigned territorial jurisdictions to perform statutory review functions.
The Board, exercising statutory authority, designates paired Chief Commissioners to form a Review Committee for specified commissionerates, assigning each Committee the listed territorial jurisdictions to perform review functions under the statute; references to Chief Commissioners include Chief Commissioners of Customs as notified, thereby expanding eligibility for Committee membership.

Constitution of Review Committee establishes joint two-member committees to review service tax matters within specified jurisdictions.
The Board, exercising powers under the Finance Act, constitutes Review Committees each of two Chief Commissioners (Central Excise and Customs) to carry out review functions for designated Commissioners of Central Excise/Service Tax; the Table assigns territorial jurisdictions to each Committee and clarifies that the term Chief Commissioners of Central Excise includes notified Chief Commissioners of Customs.

Export warehousing expanded to include Bhuj Taluka, enabling establishment and registration of export warehouses and facilitating trade.
The Board has amended the list of places under sub rule (2) of rule 20 to include Bhuj Taluka in Kutch District, Gujarat, so that warehouses may be established and registered there for storage of excisable goods for export; field formations are to be informed and acknowledgements obtained, with a Hindi version to follow.

Director disqualification immunity limited to prospective defaults for companies filing before the CLSS 2014 launch.
The Ministry clarifies that for companies that filed balance sheets and annual returns on or after 01/04/2014 but prior to launch of CLSS 2014, disqualification under clause (a) of sub section (2) of section 164 shall apply only to prospective defaults by such companies.