Tax treaty succession: India-Czechoslovakia agreement remains applicable to residents of the Slovak Republic under Indian tax law.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes clarifies that, for the purposes of Section 90 of the Income-tax Act, the agreement between India and the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion continues to be applicable to residents of the Slovak Republic as a successor State under rules of state succession.

Authority for Advance Rulings benches established at NCR and Mumbai, expanding advance-ruling capacity under Income Tax statutes.
Notification establishes two additional benches of the Authority for Advance Rulings (Income Tax), one at the National Capital Region and one at Mumbai, under powers conferred by the Income Tax Act and Finance Acts; the benches take effect from the date of publication in the Gazette and expand the Authority's administrative capacity to process advance ruling applications.

Double taxation avoidance treaty framework allocating taxing rights and limiting source state withholding on passive income.
Treaty provides rules for residence, defines permanent establishment including exclusions, and allocates taxing rights: business profits taxed only in residence unless a permanent establishment exists, immovable property income taxable at source, international traffic profits taxable only in residence, and withholding limits apply to dividends, interest and royalties when the recipient is beneficial owner. It prescribes elimination of double taxation by credit/deduction limited to tax attributable to income taxed in the other State, supplies non discrimination, mutual agreement and exchange of information procedures, assistance in tax collection, and a protocol denying benefits to entities substantially owned by non residents unless substantive business operations exist or competent authorities agree otherwise.

Rollback provision in Advance Pricing Agreements permits retrospective arm's length determination subject to specified procedural conditions.
Amendments add a rollback provision to APA rules allowing an APA to determine or specify the method for ascertaining arm's length price for the same international transaction in specified prior years, subject to conditions including timely filing of returns and transfer pricing reports, a dedicated rollback application with payment of an additional fee, withdrawal of related appeals, prohibition where appellate disposal has occurred or where rollback would reduce declared income or increase loss, and procedural steps for filing modified returns and informing relevant authorities.

Research-donation approval status enables donor tax benefit subject to institutional compliance and audit conditions.
Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi is recognised as an approved organisation for donor tax benefit purposes in the category "University College and other Institution" from assessment year 2014 2015, subject to conditions: sums must be used for scientific research; research must be carried out by faculty or enrolled students; separate books of account for research receipts/expenditure must be maintained and audited by a qualified accountant with the audit report furnished by the income tax return due date; and a certified statement of donations and sums applied for research must accompany the audit report. Approval may be withdrawn for non compliance or if research is not genuine.

Tax exemption under section 10(46) for electricity regulatory commission conditioned on non-commerciality and filing requirements.
Central Government notifies the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission under section 10(46) as entitled to exemption in respect of specified income comprising government grants, license fees and fines, and interest earned on those amounts. The exemption is conditional on the Commission not engaging in commercial activity, filing returns per clause (g) of sub-section (4C) of section 139, and maintaining unchanged activities and the nature of the specified income for the relevant financial years.

Prescribed authority designation: Commissioner of Income-tax (Exemptions) authorised for clause (23C) functions, with transitional jurisdictional mappings.
Notification designates a single specified date for rule 2CA under the exemption provisions and authorises the Commissioner of Income-tax (Exemptions) to act as the prescribed authority for the relevant sub-clauses of the exemption clause with effect from that date. A transitional proviso preserves jurisdiction of previously authorised authorities for applications made before the specified date, subject to specified jurisdictional reassignments where offices were redesignated or ceased to exist, and provides a regional fallback to the Principal Chief Commissioner where necessary.

Prescribed authority designation: Commissioner of Income-tax (Exemptions) authorised for clause 23C exemption matters, with transitional mappings.
The Board specifies 15th November, 2014 as the specified date under rule 2C and authorises the Commissioner of Income-tax (Exemptions) to act as the prescribed authority for the relevant sub-clauses of clause 23C with effect from that date. The notification supersedes an earlier Board notification but preserves pending proceedings by allowing previously authorised authorities to continue subject to mapped jurisdictional modifications transferring certain former Director of Income-tax (Exemption) territories to designated Chief Commissioners or, where necessary, the Principal Chief Commissioner.

Corrigendum to income-tax notification correcting specified textual errors to update year reference and rule terminology.
Corrigendum directs substitution of the year reference "2014" with "2015" in the English version and replacement of the phrase "sub-rule " with "rule" in specified places of the English and Hindi versions of the earlier Gazette notification, leaving all other contents unchanged.

Research organisation approval under section 35(1) conditions tax exempt donations on strict accounting, audit and utilisation requirements.
Approval is granted to AcSIR as an approved organization under clause (ii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 read with Rules 5C and 5E, permitting receipts for scientific research subject to conditions: sums must be utilised for scientific research; research must be carried out through faculty or enrolled students; separate books of account for research receipts and expenditures must be maintained and audited by a qualified accountant with the audit report furnished to the tax authority by the return due date; and a separate auditor certified statement of donations received and amounts applied for research must accompany the audit report.

Deduction for agricultural extension projects: approval granted with audit, beneficiary no charge and reimbursement exclusion conditions.
Approval is granted for Godrej Agrovet Limited's notified agricultural extension project to claim tax deductions for eligible expenditures incurred wholly and exclusively for the project, excluding cost of land or building and excluding any expenditure reimbursed by third parties. Conditions include maintaining separate project accounts, annual audit with auditor's comments on genuineness and compliance, furnishing audited accounts and a Ministry of Agriculture certificate with the income-tax return, prohibition on charging beneficiaries, product neutral training, sharing extension worker database with the District Agricultural Committee, and withdrawal of approval for cessation, lack of genuineness or non compliance.

Agricultural extension project deduction approved subject to strict audit, separate accounts, no beneficiary charges and compliance requirements.
Approval under section 35CCC for the Animal Feed Extension Project allows deduction of expenses wholly and exclusively incurred (excluding land or building) subject to maintenance of separate books of account, an auditor's report confirming genuineness and compliance, and exclusion of reimbursed or reimbursable expenditure. Beneficiaries must not be charged, training must be product-neutral, and the assessee must file audited accounts, a project note with financial allocation, and a Ministry of Agriculture certificate by the return due date. Approval may be withdrawn for cessation, lack of genuineness, or non-compliance.

Tax deduction for agricultural extension projects approved for oil palm training, subject to audit, reporting and no beneficiary charges.
Notification approves Godrej Agrovet Limited's Oil Palm Extension Project as eligible for deduction under Section 35CCC, effective from the notification date through assessment year 2016-17, with no beneficiary charges. The approval conditions require separate project accounts, an auditor's report confirming genuineness and compliance, submission of audited accounts, deduction amount, project notes and Ministry of Agriculture certificate, and provision of beneficiary data. Eligible expenses exclude land or building costs and any reimbursed amounts; deductions claimed here cannot be claimed elsewhere. Approval may be withdrawn if activities cease, are not genuine, or breach conditions.

Section 35AC eligible project extension: continuation of specified social welfare scheme for an additional three financial years.
The Central Government has notified continuation of an eligible project under Section 35AC executed by Shree Brahma Samaj Seva Trust-covering residential care for mentally challenged persons, disability aids distribution, water tank repairs, educational aids for child labourers, vocational training, rural women microfinance, medical camps and HIV screening-at the previously approved cost, for a further three-year period commencing 2014-15, following recommendation by the National Committee for Promotion of Social and Economic Welfare.

Tax exemption eligibility extended for Siva Sakhti Sathya Sai Charitable Trust's corpus fund for three financial years.
The Central Government has notified extension of eligibility under the Explanation to section 35AC for the Corpus fund for Siva Sakhti Sathya Sai Charitable Trust, on the National Committee's recommendation and without change to the approved project cost, for a further three financial years commencing 2014-15.

Deduction under section 35AC: project cost increase permits higher eligible deduction for specified integrated rural development scheme.
The Central Government, on the National Committee's recommendation under the Income tax Rules, amends the earlier notification to increase the maximum allowable project cost for the integrated rural development programme executed by Lupin Human Welfare & Research Foundation, thereby raising the ceiling against which expenditure qualifies for deduction under section 35AC of the Income tax Act.

Section 35AC extension of eligible charitable medical project notified for a further three financial years following committee recommendation.
The Central Government, under the Explanation to Section 35AC and following a recommendation by the National Committee for Promotion of Social and Economic Welfare under the Income-tax Rules, has notified continuation of the "Mobile Charitable Dispensary and Medical Aid Project" carried out by Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Kolkata, as an eligible project for a further three financial years beginning 2014-15, without any change in the approved project cost.

Eligible project under Section 35AC: extension granted for rehabilitation/welfare activities for leprosy-cured patients, cost unchanged.
Notification under the Explanation to section 35AC extends the project "Running of Rehabilitation/Welfare activities for leprosy cured patients at Sindhrot, Vadodara" by Shram Mandir Trust as an eligible project for a further three years beginning with financial year 2014-15, with the approved project cost remaining unchanged at the enhanced amount.

Section 35AC eligible project corpus increased to expand approved project cost for free cancer treatment at Cancer Institute.
The Central Government, exercising powers under sub-section (1) read with the Explanation to Section 35AC, amends the prior notification to substitute the previously specified corpus fund with an increased corpus fund for the Cancer Institute (WIA) Trust, Chennai, implementing the National Committee's recommendation to enhance the approved project cost for its free-food and anti-cancer-drug scheme.

Tax exemption eligibility under Section 35AC extended for 'Plantation against global warming' project, maintaining original approved cost.
The Central Government, under sub-section (1) read with clause (b) of the Explanation to Section 35AC, has notified that the project "Plantation against global warming" by People Unity Trust is specified as an eligible scheme for a further three-year period on the National Committee's recommendation under sub-rule (5) of rule 11M, without any change to the previously approved project cost.