Tax on investment income: enacted wording omits explicit treatment of long term capital gains on non specified assets, creating rate uncertainty.
Special tax rates apply to certain income categories of a non-resident Indian: a specified rate on income from investment, a separate concessional rate on long-term capital gains from a "specified asset," and general rates for residual total income; the enacted text omits an explicit allocation of long-term capital gains on non-specified assets into the investment-income category, creating uncertainty whether such gains attract the special investment rate or fall to residual rates.

Foreign exchange asset classification determines tax treatment of income from assets acquired in convertible foreign exchange.
Definitions for sections 213-218 tie asset status to acquisition in convertible foreign exchange: a foreign exchange asset is any specified asset acquired with convertible foreign exchange; investment income is any income from such an asset; long-term capital gains are capital gains on a foreign exchange asset that is not short-term; non-resident Indian is a person not resident who is either an Indian citizen or of Indian origin; specified asset lists shares, certain debentures, certain deposits and Central Government securities, with a government notification power and a changed statutory cross-reference for government securities between Bill and Act.

Taxation of foreign institutional investors' securities income: fixed-category rates apply and residual income taxed under general rates.
The provision creates a category-based tax regime for Foreign Institutional Investors and specified funds, requiring segregation of securities income and capital gains into prescribed heads and applying fixed tax rates to each head, with residual income taxed at general rates. Specified funds are taxed only on amounts attributable to units held by non-residents (attribution to be prescribed). Where gross total income is solely securities income, routine deductions are disallowed; where mixed, specified incomes are excluded for deduction computations. A specified loss-set-off mechanism is excluded for the listed capital gains.

Tax on foreign currency bonds and GDRs: clarified computation and fixed-source tax treatment for non resident incomes.
Non residents are subject to special tax treatment on interest from specified bonds and dividends on GDRs acquired in foreign currency through an approved intermediary, and on long term capital gains from transfer of those assets; the enacted section prescribes separate tax treatment for each income head, clarifies computation by requiring income tax be computed at the specified rate applied to the corresponding income, and conditions applicability on foreign currency acquisition, intermediary approval, specified deduction exclusions, return filing exceptions and transitional/amalgamation treatment.

Preferential tax regime for offshore fund income from foreign currency purchased units, segregating specified incomes and limiting deductions.
Section 208 creates a separate tax regime for overseas financial organisations investing in specified Indian units: income from units purchased in foreign currency and long term capital gains on transfer of such units are taxed at fixed rates while remaining income is taxed ordinarily. The provision restricts deductions when gross total income consists solely of those specified incomes and requires segregation of specified incomes so Chapter VIII deductions apply only to the residual income. Eligibility depends on arrangements with specified Indian entities and SEBI approval.

Head specific tax rates for cross border dividends, royalties and technical fees, with restricted deductions and targeted concessions.
A head specific source taxation regime imposes fixed tax rates on dividends, specified interest, distributed income, unit income, royalties and fees for technical services for non residents and foreign companies, aggregates tax as the sum of prescribed head rates plus tax on residual income, prescribes targeted preferential rates for certain investment vehicles, and restricts deductions in specified scenarios while relying on cross references to other provisions for definitions and exclusions.

Minimum tax regime deeming book profit/adjusted income taxable when regular tax is below prescribed minimum, imposing MAT/AMT.
Section 206 creates a minimum tax regime whereby, if tax under general provisions is less than a prescribed percentage of book profit (for companies) or adjusted total income (for others), that book profit/adjusted total income is deemed total income and taxed at the prescribed rate. The provision prescribes formulaic add backs and reductions to compute book profit, addresses IND AS transition adjustments, specifies exclusions and carve outs, mandates an accountant's certificate in prescribed form, and provides carry forward and credit rules for excess MAT/AMT paid.

Concessional tax computation limited by eligibility rules, asset provenance constraints, and AO power to recharacterise excess profits.
Clause 205 sets that, for specified concessional provisions, total income must be computed without certain listed deductions or exemptions, conditions eligibility on the origin and nature of the business and on limits for previously used plant, and empowers the Board (with Central Government approval) to issue guidelines subject to parliamentary laying. The Assessing Officer may determine and attribute profits reasonably deemed in excess of ordinary profits where arrangements inflate returns, applying the arm's length principle for specified domestic transactions.

Optional simplified tax regime limits specified deductions and restricts loss set-off, with timing and IFSC carve-outs.
The provision creates an optional simplified tax regime for specified persons applying preset slab rates while disallowing a defined list of exemptions, deductions and specified loss set offs; it operates irrespective of other provisions except where expressly carved out, contains deeming rules treating certain losses and depreciation as finally given effect to, provides limited exceptions for IFSC units, and requires taxpayers to elect or withdraw the option within prescribed timelines subject to procedural rules.

Concessional tax regime for new manufacturing companies: elective, time limited option with fixed-rate treatments and strict eligibility.
An elective concessional tax regime permits domestic manufacturing companies to compute tax under a standalone scheme with fixed tax treatments for defined income categories and specified exclusions. Eligibility hinges on incorporation/registration and commencement temporal thresholds, timely exercise of the option which, once exercised, is irrevocable and continues for subsequent years. Failure to meet conditions invalidates the option prospectively. Computation is constrained by sub-section rules that exclude certain deductions and bar set-off of losses or unabsorbed depreciation attributable to excluded deductions, while cross-references determine treatment of capital gains and deemed incomes.

Optional concessional tax regime: companies forgo specified deductions to access a lower flat tax rate, with strict irrevocable election rules.
An optional concessional tax regime permits a domestic company to elect a lower flat rate if it forgoes specified deductions and certain carry-forward reliefs; losses and unabsorbed depreciation attributable to excluded deductions cannot be set off and are deemed given full effect. The election must be made in a prescribed manner by the return due date, is irrevocable and applies to subsequent years, with failure to meet requirements invalidating the option. IFSC Units receive a limited modification preserving certain deductions subject to that provision's conditions.

Concessional tax rate for qualifying manufacturing companies restricted by disallowed deductions and binding election requirement.
An elective regime permits a domestic company incorporated on or after 1 March 2016 and engaged solely in manufacture/production (including related research and distribution) to compute tax at a flat 25% rate if it validly exercises the option in the prescribed manner. The option excludes specified deductions (notably sections 45(2), 47(1)(b), most of Chapter VIII-C except section 146, and sections in section 205(1)(a)-(g)) and bars set-off of earlier losses attributable to those deductions; the provision contains a non-obstante clause while preserving interplay with specified Parts and sections.

Long-term capital gains tax restructured: LTCG segregated and taxed separately while preserving basic exemption and transitional relief.
Clause 197 prescribes segregation of long-term capital gains from other income, taxing non-LTCG income under the normal progressive regime while subjecting LTCG to a separate rate; resident individuals/HUFs may reduce LTCG to preserve the basic exemption to the extent reduced total income falls short of that threshold. A transitional relief for resident individual/HUF transfers of land or building acquired before a specified cutoff requires dual computation-new LTCG method versus an indexed-cost prior-rate computation-and ignores any excess new-regime tax up to the calculated difference. The enacted Act adds a carve-out for non-resident/foreign-company disposals of unlisted or private-company shares excluding section 72(6) set-off.

Tax on GDR income segregates dividend and long term gain streams, taxes them at specified concessional rates.
The provision creates a special tax regime for resident employees of specified knowledge based companies (or their subsidiaries) who receive GDR linked income acquired in foreign currency: dividends on qualifying GDRs are taxed at a prescribed concessional rate, long term capital gains on transfer of such GDRs are taxed at a separate prescribed concessional rate, and the balance of the individual's income is taxed at prevailing rates. GDR income is excluded from gross total income for computing deductions, sole GDR dividend income precludes other deductions, and section 72(6) does not apply to these LTCG computations.

Electronic payment acceptance requirement mandates prescribed digital channels for businesses and professions exceeding the turnover threshold.
The Act mandates that every person carrying on business or profession whose total sales, turnover or gross receipts exceed the turnover threshold in the immediately preceding tax year shall provide facilities to accept payments through prescribed electronic modes in addition to any other electronic modes offered, with specific modes and operational details to be specified by subordinate legislation.

Deeming rule for dividends: economic owner taxed where transfers separate entitlement from legal receipt.
Section 175 deeming rule attributes interest and dividends to the original owner or beneficial holder when securities transactions separate economic entitlement from legal receipt, applies on day to day accrual where beneficial interest existed during a year, operates irrespective of other charging provisions, allows the Assessing Officer to require ownership details, and includes a business of dealing carve out and short term record date anti arbitrage rules that ignore specified losses and adjust cost of additional securities.

Reference to Transfer Pricing Officer centralises arm's length price determination, binding assessments and enabling validated multi year application.
An Assessing Officer, with prior supervisory approval, may refer determination of the arm's length price for international or specified domestic transactions to a designated Transfer Pricing Officer who issues a written order after notice and hearing; that TPO order is binding on the Assessing Officer for computing total income, and an opt in permits validated application of the TPO's determination to the two immediately following tax years subject to prescribed conditions and recomputation procedures.

Arm's length price determination allows limited acceptance of actual transaction price; AO may redetermine ALP after show-cause.
Arm's length price must be determined using specified transfer pricing methods or other Board prescribed methods, selecting the most appropriate method based on transaction nature, functions and prescribed factors. If a single method yields one price that price governs; a notified tolerance permits acceptance of the actual transaction price in specified cases. The Assessing Officer may determine the arm's length price during assessment where documentation, reliability, or compliance with notice requirements is deficient, but must first give the taxpayer a show cause notice before recomputing total income on that basis.

Specified domestic transaction definition narrows domestic related party scope and imposes an aggregate threshold triggering special anti avoidance rules.
Section 164 defines specified domestic transaction for the Chapter on avoidance of tax by enumerating categories of domestic dealings (cross referencing sections 122, 140(9), 140(13), Chapter VIII, section 144 and section 205(4)) and by permitting additional prescribed transactions; each item is subject to exclusion of international transactions and to an annual aggregate materiality threshold that determines applicability.

Associated enterprise definition expands to objective participation and dependence tests, broadening related party compliance risks.
Clause 162 defines associated enterprise by a general participation test (direct, indirect or through intermediaries in management, control or capital, or common persons participating therein) and a non exhaustive deeming list operative at any time during the tax year that includes objective thresholds and indicia such as minimum shareholding, reciprocal holdings, loan exposure relative to book assets, guarantee exposure, appointment control, IP dependence, supply/purchase dependence, family/common control and a residual mutual interest relationship subject to prescription; for specified domestic transactions the definition is expanded to include other units of the assessee and cross referenced persons or enterprises.