Tax deduction before remittance governs Form 129 applications to determine taxable income and treaty-based withholding for non-resident payments.
Form No. 129 is the electronic application used by a payer remitting sums, other than salary, to a non-resident individual or a foreign company to obtain a certificate determining the amount chargeable to tax before remittance and to authorise deduction of tax on that amount. The form applies before remittance, may be withdrawn before an order is passed, and requires payer and payee particulars, transaction details, supporting documents, and treaty-based or domestic taxability details for assessment by the Assessing Officer.

GST revenue collections and refund adjustments for March 2026 show provisional gross, net and cess figures across domestic and import streams.
Gross and net GST revenue collections for March 2026 are reported on a provisional basis, with separate disclosure of domestic and import collections, refunds, net revenue and compensation cess. The statement presents gross GST revenue by CGST, SGST and IGST, shows domestic refunds and export-linked GST refunds through ICEGATE, and derives net domestic revenue, net customs revenue and total net GST revenue after refund adjustments. It also notes that compensation cess is a transitory arrangement until the loan and interest liability is discharged, and that the figures may vary on finalisation.

Tax deduction at lower or nil rate through Form No. 129 for non-resident payments and remittances.
Form No. 129 is an online application by a payer to obtain a certificate for deduction of tax at a lower or nil rate on payments to a non-resident or foreign company. It is filed before remittance, requires supporting documents and verification through prescribed electronic methods, and may be withdrawn before the Assessing Officer passes an order. If eligibility and compliance requirements are satisfied, the Assessing Officer issues a certificate valid for the specified tax year; otherwise, tax is deducted at the applicable rate.

Income-tax simplification and modernisation as the new Act replaces the old regime with streamlined compliance measures.
The Income-tax Act, 2025 comes into force from 1 April 2026 and replaces the long-standing Income-tax Act, 1961. The reform is presented as a comprehensive simplification and modernisation of India's direct tax framework, aimed at improving clarity, ease of compliance, and reader-friendly presentation without altering the underlying tax policy. The Income-tax Rules, 2026 have been notified to operationalise the new Act, and the corresponding forms have also been issued to make compliance simpler.

Export obligation discharge certificates see accelerated disposal under a special drive to clear backlog and ease exporter compliance.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade conducted a time-bound special drive for expeditious issuance of Export Obligation Discharge Certificates under the Advance Authorisation and Export Promotion Capital Goods schemes, with daily monitoring by senior officials to accelerate closure of export obligations and improve trade facilitation. The drive was designed to support an exporter-friendly ecosystem by enabling release of bank guarantees and bonds, reducing grievance burden, and strengthening compliance monitoring under the foreign trade framework. In view of the campaign's results, the special drive was extended for a further two months with fresh guidelines. The extension continues the administrative effort to expedite EODC disposal, support timely closure of export obligations, and reduce the operational burden on exporters.

Conditional customs duty concessions for SEZ to DTA clearances impose value addition, cap limits, and anti-double-benefit safeguards.
Conditional customs duty concessions are notified for clearance of goods manufactured in Special Economic Zones to the Domestic Tariff Area, subject to a ceiling of 30 per cent of the highest annual Free on Board export value in the preceding three financial years. Eligible units must satisfy minimum 20 per cent value addition, obtain a Development Commissioner's certificate, and comply with audit requirements, while export benefits such as duty drawback on inputs are barred to prevent double benefits.

Lower or nil tax deduction certificate process under income tax law through electronic Form 128 filing and approval.
Form No. 128 is the electronic application under the Income-tax Act, 2025 for a certificate authorising lower or nil deduction of tax at source and lower collection of tax under section 395(1) and section 395(3). It may be filed by resident or non-resident applicants seeking reduced TDS or TCS on specified income, and requires applicant details, tax liability particulars, income estimates, supporting financial information, and payer/TAN details where applicable. The form is processed electronically, and any approved certificate can be shared with the payer for application of the authorised rate during its validity.

Lower or nil tax deduction certificate through TRACES requires advance electronic filing, PAN, and supporting documents.
Form No. 128 is the electronic application for a certificate authorising lower or nil deduction of income-tax and lower collection of income-tax under section 395(1) and section 395(3) of the Income-tax Act, 2025. The form is optional, must be filed through the TRACES portal before the relevant transaction, and cannot be processed once the TDS/TCS transaction is completed. It requires PAN, supporting documents, and electronic submission with e-verification.

Tax collection at source declaration for non-trading use of goods enables buyers to obtain goods without TCS.
Form No. 127 is the declaration required from a buyer to obtain goods without collection of tax at source where the goods are intended for manufacturing, processing, production, or generation of power and are not meant for trading. The buyer must furnish the declaration to the seller at or before the purchase or payment event, and the seller must verify the declaration, upload monthly details to the e-filing portal by the 7th of the following month, and forward the declaration to the tax authority.

TCS exemption declaration for specified goods requires PAN, timely filing, and seller reporting obligations.
Form No. 127 is a buyer's declaration under section 394(2) of the Income-tax Act, 2025 for obtaining specified goods without collection of tax at source. A resident buyer may furnish the declaration to the seller where the goods are intended for manufacturing, processing, producing articles or things, or generating power, and not for trading. PAN is mandatory, the declaration must be furnished on or before the date of transaction, and once received the seller must report the particulars and include the transactions in the quarterly TCS statement.

Tax deduction relief for non-resident branch operations through a unified Form No. 126 compliance framework.
Form No. 126 is a unified self-declaration and treaty-benefit request for specified non-residents carrying on business or profession in India through a branch to obtain a certificate for receipt of certain sums without deduction of tax at source. Banking companies and insurers, and other eligible non-resident persons, must satisfy the conditions in Rule 209, including tax compliance, branch-based receipt on own account, and, for non-banking applicants, continuous business in India for five years and prescribed fixed assets. The application is filed electronically, processed by the Assessing Officer, and the certificate remains valid for the relevant tax year unless cancelled earlier.

Rupee recovery follows RBI cap on banks' net open position amid capital outflows and crude-driven pressure.
Rupee recovered in early trade after the Reserve Bank of India capped banks' net open position in the onshore forward delivery market and required compliance by April 10, 2026. The currency remained under pressure from foreign capital outflows, a stronger dollar, rising crude oil prices, geopolitical volatility, widening trade deficit, declining remittances and sustained foreign portfolio investor selling.

Customs duty exemption on critical petrochemical imports aims to stabilise supply chains and ease cost pressures.
Full customs duty exemption has been granted on specified critical petrochemical imports as a temporary and targeted measure to protect supply stability amid disruptions in global supply chains caused by the West Asia crisis. The exemption is intended to ensure continued availability of essential petrochemical inputs for domestic industry, reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors, and provide relief to consumers of final products. The exemption remains valid until June 30 and covers Methanol, Anhydrous ammonia, Toluene, Styrene, Dichloromethane, Vinyl chloride monomer, Poly butadiene, Styrene butadiene and Unsaturated polyester resins.

GST fraud through fake firms and fake invoices exposed alleged illegal input tax credit claims and circular trading.
GST fraud involving fake firms, shell companies, fake invoices and circular trading was detected during a police investigation. The alleged racket used fake Aadhaar and PAN details to unlawfully avail input tax credit and underreported sales in GST returns, causing an estimated loss of around Rs 3 crore to the government exchequer, with the total involvement suspected to be higher. One accused was arrested, while efforts continued to trace other persons involved.

GST revenues rise on stronger imports and domestic sales, marking one of the highest monthly collections this fiscal.
GST revenues rose about 9 per cent in March to over two lakh crore rupees, reaching the third highest monthly collection in the 2025-26 fiscal. The increase was supported by higher receipts from imports as well as domestic sales and purchases, reflecting a recovery in tax mop-ups after earlier tax cuts.

State GST collection growth in Haryana leads the country, driven by stronger compliance, economic activity and taxpayer base expansion.
State GST collection growth in Haryana was reported as the highest among all states in FY26, with post-settlement SGST collection rising to Rs 48,289 crore from Rs 39,743 crore in FY25. The increase of 21.5 per cent exceeded the national average SGST growth of 5.7 per cent. Total GST collection in the State also grew by 8.6 per cent, placing Haryana fifth among states and Union Territories in gross domestic GST collection.

Insolvency resolution framework tightened to speed up admissions, reduce delays, and support rescue of viable businesses.
Parliament has amended the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code to speed up admission and resolution of insolvency cases, reduce backlog, and preserve enterprise value. The changes introduce stricter timelines, greater reliance on information utilities, stronger liquidation oversight, and an enabling framework for group and cross-border insolvency. The bill also replaces the underused fast-track process with a creditor-initiated framework, exempts MSMEs from disqualification under specified provisions, and requires insolvency applications to be admitted within 14 days once default is established.

Tax devolution dispute intensifies as Karnataka alleges unfair GST returns, denied compensation, and shrinking fiscal share.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that the Union Government's tax devolution and fiscal policy towards Karnataka amounted to tax terrorism or tax plunder, saying the state receives only a small share in return for its tax contribution. He said Karnataka has repeatedly raised concerns about unfair distribution of taxes, cess, surcharge revenues, GST compensation, and central funding, and claimed these issues have weakened the state's finances and increased dependence on borrowing. He also described GST implementation as flawed and unscientific, leading to significant financial losses.

Money laundering probe leads to searches, cash seizure and firearm recovery in Kolkata-linked premises.
Money laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act led to searches at multiple premises in Kolkata linked to an alleged criminal syndicate, including the residence and commercial premises of an accused history-sheeter, a business entity, and associated persons. During the raids, the Enforcement Directorate seized about Rs 1.2 crore cash from a location linked to one associate and recovered a country-made pistol from the accused's premises.

Corporate resolution under insolvency law gains faster admission, stronger creditor oversight, and MSME promoter participation safeguards.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code is presented as a framework for corporate resolution and banking-sector improvement through asset recovery, with liquidation remaining a residual measure where resolution fails. The current amendments focus on expeditious admission based on the existence of default, greater reliance on information utilities, statutory timelines, stronger liquidation oversight, and a creditor-initiated insolvency framework with out-of-court initiation, debtor-in-possession structure, and defined timelines. The amendments also enable group and cross-border insolvency and exempt MSMEs from specified disqualifications so that existing promoters may participate in resolution.