Track and trace mechanism mandates unique identification marking and recordkeeping, with added penalties for noncompliance.
A statutory track and trace mechanism mandates affixation and electronic storage of a prescribed unique identification marking on specified goods, requires furnishing of records and machinery details, and payment for system costs; a new penalty provision imposes an additional monetary penalty for contravention, alongside existing penalties. Related amendments clarify definitions (including "plant and machinery"), expand cross references to IGST provisions, modify statement and return requirements, condition output tax reductions on recipient reversal of input tax credit, require partial prepayment to appeal penalty only orders, and amend Schedule III treatment of SEZ/FTWZ supplies.

Definition of specified premises revised; aligns with prior notification clause, amendment effective April 1, 2025.
The amendment substitutes item (c) in the Explanation to Notification No. 17/2017 - State Tax (Rate), redefining "specified premises" to have the meaning given in clause (xxxvi) of paragraph 4 of Notification No. 11/2017 - State Tax (Rate). The change is enacted under the power of sub-section (5) of section 9 of the Delhi GST Act, 2017 and takes effect from 1 April 2025.

Specified premises classification for hotel accommodation enables opt-in/out declarations governing GST treatment and filing obligations.
The notification redefines specified premises for hotel accommodation suppliers and inserts Annexures VII-IX prescribing opt-in and opt-out declaration forms. A premises qualifies as specified where prior-year accommodation exceeded the threshold, or where a registered person or registration applicant files the prescribed declaration within the specified filing windows. Declarations apply for the entire nominated financial year, continue into subsequent years unless changed, and must be filed separately for each premises; applicants must file within the short period after registration acknowledgement.

GST rate amendment expands concessional supply scope by including food inputs linked to fortified rice premix for ICDS.
The State Tax (Rate) notification is amended by inserting the clause "(c) food inputs for (a) above" in the Table against the entry for Fortified Rice Kernel (Premix) supply for ICDS or similar approved schemes, thereby extending the notification's coverage to include food inputs connected to that supply. The amendment takes effect immediately.

Common Adjudicating Authority appointment for adjudication of provisional assessment notices against M/s Angus Dundee India Pvt. Ltd.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, under sections 3, 4(1) and 5(1)/5(1A) of the Customs Act, 1962, appoints specified officers as Common Adjudicating Authorities to exercise the powers and discharge duties of the originally named adjudicating officers for adjudication of listed show cause notices against M/s Angus Dundee India Pvt. Ltd., assigning Principal Commissioner/Commissioner, Import ICD Tughlakabad and specified Assistant/Deputy Commissioners to finalize provisional assessment proceedings.

Corrigendum to foreign trade notification updates official file reference and reclassifies provision to Part II Section 3 subsection (ii).
A corrigendum to Notification No. 51/2024-25 amends the official citation and placement of a policy provision, directing that the prior file number 'F.No. M-5012/300/2002/PC-2(A)./E-1657' and 'Part-I, Section 1' be read instead as the replacement S.O. designation and as 'Part-II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii)'; the correction is issued under the authority of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act and promulgated by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Immovable property: corrigendum limits "any property" to "any immovable property" in a GST notification.
Corrigendum replaces "any property" with "any immovable property" in the table entry at serial 5AB, column (2) of G.O.Ms.No.266, Revenue (Commercial Taxes) Department, dated 7th November, 2024, as published in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, thereby confining the scope of the provision to immovable property.

Offshore derivative instruments and over-the-counter derivatives: new rules expand FPI inclusion and definitions in tax rules.
The amendment to rule 21AK inserts "over-the-counter derivatives" after "offshore derivative instruments", adds a "Foreign Portfolio Investor being a unit of an International Financial Services Centre" into sub-rule (1)(b)(i), inserts the Foreign Portfolio Investor after "offshore banking unit" in sub-rule (2), and revises the Explanation by rewording clause (v), adding "and" to clause (vi), and inserting clause (vii) to define "Foreign Portfolio Investor" as a person registered under the Foreign Portfolio Investors Regulations, 2019.

Corrigendum to Gazette Notification: replaces incorrect statutory order reference to clarify official S.O. citation in Foreign Trade Policy record.
Corrigendum to Gazette Notification No. 40/2024-25 amends the earlier notification by substituting the cited statutory order reference: the previous 'S.O. 7624(E)' is to be read as 'S.O. 5068(E)', the sole operative correction made under powers conferred by the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 and relevant Foreign Trade Policy provisions.

Limit on tax audit assignments set for practising chartered accountants, with per-partner aggregation and specified exclusions from reckoning.
Imposes a binding cap on the number of tax audit assignments a practising Chartered Accountant may accept and sign in a financial year, applied to individuals and per partner in firms with aggregation across multiple firms or individual acceptances; treats head office and branch audits of the same entity as one assignment, excludes specified presumptive-tax-related audits and revised reports from reckoning, excludes part-time practising partners from firm counts, requires maintenance of Council-prescribed records, and empowers the Council to issue clarifications, effective from the stated commencement date.

Anti dumping duty scope broadened by corrigendum to replace specific country entries with inclusive territorial wording.
Corrigendum corrects the TABLE of Notification No.18/2025 Customs (ADD) by replacing country specific references in column (5) for S.No.1 and S.No.4 with the inclusive wording "Any country including [country name]", broadening the territorial description without changing other provisions.

Scientific Research approval granted: IQRAA Hospital recognised as Other Institution under section 35 for tax research purposes.
Approval is granted to IQRAA International Hospital And Research Centre, under J D T Islam Orphanage Committee (PAN noted), as an Other Institution for Scientific Research under clause (ii) of sub section (1) of section 35 of the Income tax Act read with the Income tax Rules, with the notification specifying applicability across a stated sequence of assessment years and recording that retrospective effect does not adversely affect any person.

Recognition as Social Science or Statistical Research institution secures research-related tax treatment for a limited assessment-year period.
Gitarthganga, Ahmedabad is approved as an institution engaged in Social Science or Statistical Research and classified as an Other Institution for purposes of research-related provisions of the Income-tax Act and applicable rules; the approval is time-bound and applies for a defined set of assessment years, and the issuing authority certifies no adverse effect from retrospective operation.

Tax exemption for welfare board: specified cess, fees and interest exempted subject to non commercial and filing conditions.
Notification under clause (46) of section 10 exempts Puducherry Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board from tax on specified income-cess received, registration and renewal fees, and interest on bank deposits-subject to conditions that the Board shall not engage in commercial activity, that its activities and nature of specified income remain unchanged, and that it files returns as required by the proviso to clause (g) of sub section (4C) of section 139. The exemption is applied retrospectively to specified earlier financial years and prospectively to subsequent years, subject to those conditions.

Income tax exemption for welfare board's specified receipts permitted subject to non-commercial and filing conditions
Notification exempts specified receipts of the Andhra Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board under clause (46) of section 10, namely cess, registration and renewal fees from building and other construction workers, and interest on bank deposits. The exemption is subject to conditions that the Board shall not engage in commercial activity, the activities and nature of the specified income remain unchanged, and the Board files returns as required by clause (g) of sub section (4C) of section 139. The notification is given retrospective effect for the stated assessment years.

Income tax exemption under section 10(46A) applies to specified urban development authorities subject to purpose and constitution conditions.
Notification grants an income tax exemption to Moradabad Development Authority, an authority constituted under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning & Development Act, 1973, on the condition that it continues to carry one or more of the specified purposes required by the relevant provision; the notification is made effective from the stated assessment year and the memorandum certifies that no person is adversely affected by retrospective effect.

Tax exemption under section 10(46A) granted to Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority, effective from the specified assessment year.
Notification designates Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority as eligible for the tax exemption under clause (46A) of section 10, effective from the assessment year 2024-2025, conditional on its continuing constitution under the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995 and its continued fulfillment of one or more purposes specified in sub clause (a) of clause (46A); explanatory memorandum certifies no person is adversely affected by retrospective effect.

Customs exemption removal: omission of 'horses for polo' from the notification, revoking that import exemption under section 25 authority.
Exercising the power under section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962, Notification No. 34/2025 Customs omits S. No. 10A and the related entries from the TABLE of Notification No. 146/94 Customs, thereby removing the exemption entry for "Horses for polo" from the principal customs exemption notification.

Exemption from TDS provisions: payments to ICRISAT exempted, subject to UN privileges and immunities conditions.
Central Government excludes the application of TDS provisions in Chapter XVII to payments received by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), subject to the conditions in the United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act, 1947 read with the Ministry of External Affairs notification dated 28th October, 1972, and effective from publication in the Official Gazette.

Import exemption for polo horses subject to eligibility, Sports Ministry certification and DGFT licensing conditions
Provides a customs exemption for Horses for polo (HS 0101 29 10) when imported by specified military, police, recognized civilian teams and qualifying individual IPA members; requires a certificate from a Deputy Secretary-ranked officer in the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports confirming importer, goods details and compliance with prescribed quantity and periodicity limits; and makes imports subject to Directorate General of Foreign Trade licensing conditions.