Approval as Scientific Research Association requires dedicated research, audited separate accounts, and certified donation reporting.
SAMEER is approved as a Scientific Research Association for tax purposes subject to conditions: its sole objective must be scientific research conducted by the organization itself; it must maintain separate books of accounts and a separate statement of donations and sums applied to research; those accounts must be audited by a prescribed accountant and the audit report and certified donation statement furnished to the income tax authority by the return due date; approval may be withdrawn for failures on these compliance or genuineness grounds.

Authority specification allows a designated law-enforcement unit to receive tax information subject to necessity opinion and strict confidentiality.
A central notification designates a state economic offences and anti-corruption wing as a receiving authority for tax information and conditions disclosure on the income-tax authority to furnish only relevant and precise information after forming an opinion that such disclosure is necessary to enable the designated authority to perform its functions, while requiring the receiving authority to maintain absolute confidentiality regarding the information provided.

Capital gains taxation: treaty amended to allow source-state taxation for later-acquired shares with transitional relief, subject to anti abuse safeguards.
Article 9 requires appropriate transfer pricing adjustments and inter-competent authority consultation where one State includes in profits amounts charged to tax in the other State. Article 13 distinguishes capital gains taxation for shares by date of acquisition-pre-amendment gains taxable only in the alienator's residence while later-acquired share gains may be taxed in the company's residence subject to a limited transitional reduced source-state tax concession. A new anti abuse Article denies treaty benefits for arrangements whose primary purpose is to obtain the capital gains benefits and for shell or conduit companies unless listed or meeting substance expenditure thresholds.

Authentication of electronic notices: designated email and website criteria determine when tax communications are deemed authentic.
A new Rule 127A deems electronic communications by income-tax authorities authenticated when the name and office appear on the e-mail or attachment and the e-mail is issued from the authority's designated e-mail address, or when the name and office appear on an electronic record or its attachment displayed on the designated website; the systems head shall specify the designated e-mail address, website, and procedures, formats and standards to ensure authenticity, with IT Act definitions adopted for electronic mail and electronic record.

Deduction under Section 35AC clarified: corrigendum confirms corpus fund deduction permitted for Gandhi Research Foundation.
Corrigendum amends a prior Ministry of Finance notification to clarify that the maximum amount of cost allowed as a deduction under Section 35AC in favour of Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, is to be read as Rs. 42.57 crore and that this sum is a corpus fund.

Designation of Processing Centre jurisdiction: Commissioner, CPC Bengaluru now covers returns filed electronically and on paper for income-tax matters.
Amendment designates Commissioner of Income-tax, Centralised Processing Centre, Bengaluru as an income-tax authority responsible for all cases where the return of income has been furnished in electronic form and in paper form, replacing the prior table in the cited notification and taking effect from publication in the Official Gazette.

Section 35AC approvals: specified charitable projects approved for tax deduction in the notified financial year.
Notification under the Explanation to Section 35AC lists approved institutions and their eligible projects with estimated costs and the maximum deductible amounts for the specified financial year, records extensions or sanctioned-cost enhancements for earlier approvals as recommended by the National Committee, and states that contributions from Schedule VII/CSR funds are excluded from exemption under Section 35AC.

PAN application via SPICe enables newly incorporated companies to obtain PAN through a common electronic form and secure transmission.
Newly incorporated companies may apply for PAN using the SPICe form as the common application; filing requires the applicant's digital signature and, after CIN generation, the MCA will forward PAN data in Form 49A in xml format to the prescribed Income Tax authority by digital signature, with the Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) specifying applicable classes, form, format and secure transmission procedure.

Industrial park designation conditions access to tax incentives based on infrastructure, unit thresholds and ongoing compliance.
Notification designates M/s. Ascendas IT Park (Chennai) Ltd. as an industrial park under the relevant income tax clause, listing project particulars (location, area, NIC activities, allocable area percentages, minimum units, investment and commencement date) and annexed conditions. Key operative requirements: prescribed minimum infrastructure expenditure proportions (higher where built up industrial space is provided); infrastructure defined to include roads, water, sewerage, CETF, telecom, power and common facilities; single unit occupancy capped at half the allocable industrial area; separate regulatory approvals required; tax benefits conditional on locating the stipulated number of units and the notifying company's continued operation; transfer and non compliance rules specified.

Tax exemption for regulatory commission income: grants, licence and petition fees, and related interest subject to conditions.
Notification under Section 10(46) notifies Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission for exemption of specified income: government grants; licence fees, petition fees and fines; and interest earned on those amounts when kept as deposits or fixed deposits with banks. The exemption is subject to conditions that the Commission shall not engage in commercial activity, that the activities and nature of the specified income remain unchanged during the financial years, and that the Commission files returns of income as required by clause (g) of sub-section (4C) of section 139 of the Income-tax Act.

Tax notification: National Iranian Oil Company designated as foreign company, limited to receipt of income under the agreement.
The Central Government has notified the National Iranian Oil Company as a foreign company and recognised the Memorandum of Understanding (as modified) as the agreement for purposes of clause (48) of section 10 read with section 295 of the Income-tax Act, subject to the condition that the company shall not engage in any activity in India other than receipt of income under that agreement, with the notification deemed effective from 16 August 2016.

Disclosure of tax information clarified: statutory provisions govern permitted disclosures, removing prior ambiguity and restoring scope.
The amendment clarifies that disclosures of taxpayer information by income-tax authorities are governed by the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 138 of the Income-tax Act, substituting the earlier reference to notifications under section 138 so as to remove ambiguity that limited disclosures only to authorities named in subsequent notifications. The substitution is retrospective to the original notification date, thereby harmonizing the notification with the Act's categories of permitted disclosure and removing any perceived restraints.

Research approval for tax benefit: donations must be used exclusively for core scientific research with audit and reporting compliance.
Approval for JIPMER as a research institution under clause (ii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 is conditional on exclusive use of received sums for core scientific research, research being carried out by faculty or enrolled students, maintenance of separate books and donation statements, furnishing an auditor's report by the return due date, and provision of an annual research summary; approval may be withdrawn for failure to comply, cessation or non genuine research activity, or diversion of funds.

Limitation of Benefits: treaty restricts treaty access and expands exchange of information affecting cross border capital gains taxation.
The Amending Protocol broadens capital gains taxation by allowing a State to tax gains from alienation of shares or interests when more than 50% of their value is derived from immovable property in that State, strengthens Exchange of Information obligations requiring competent authorities to exchange foreseeably relevant tax information subject to confidentiality and limited exceptions (notwithstanding bank secrecy or fiduciary status), and introduces a Limitation of Benefits clause denying treaty benefits where obtaining treaty advantages is a main purpose and requiring beneficial ownership for entitlement; it enters into force upon mutual notification and applies in India from the fiscal year beginning on or after the first April following entry into force.

Common application for PAN and TAN enabled; authorised officials to specify classes, forms and secure transmission procedures.
The rules allow application for allotment of Permanent Account Number through a common application form notified in the Official Gazette, and authorize the Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or Director General of Income-tax (Systems) to specify classes of persons, applicable forms and formats, and procedures for safe and secure transmission of such forms and formats in relation to furnishing the permanent account number; a corresponding provision applies to application for allotment of a Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number.

Scheme deposits may be made on multiple occasions but must be paid before filing the related declaration.
The substituted provision permits deposits under the Scheme to be made on one or more occasions and clarifies that such deposits shall be made before filing the associated declaration under the Scheme's declaration provision.

Tax deduction under Section 35AC: approved charitable projects listed with sanctioned costs, extensions and CSR exclusion clarified.
Notification designates specified charitable institutions as approved for tax-deductible project expenditure under Section 35AC, specifying for each institution the approved project, sanctioned cost and maximum deductible amount for the stated financial year. It further authorises extensions of approval periods and enhancements of sanctioned costs for certain projects as recommended by the National Committee, and excludes funds received under Schedule VII of the Companies Act and the Companies (CSR) Rules from deduction eligibility under the provision.

Approval under section 35 research recognition subject to exclusive research use, audit, donation reporting and annual research disclosure.
Approval under section 35(1)(ii) was granted to M/s Christian Medical College Vellore Association as an institution engaged in research, subject to exclusive use of donations for core scientific research, research to be carried out by faculty or enrolled students, maintenance of separate books and a separate donations statement, mandatory audit by a qualified accountant with submission of the audit report and certified donations statement to the tax authorities by the return due date, and annual reporting of research activities, publications, patents, and planned projects with financial allocations; failure on specified compliance points may lead to withdrawal of approval.

Scientific Research Association approval requires separate audited accounts, certified donation statements, and genuine research to retain tax benefits.
CIAB is approved as a Scientific Research Association under section 35 from assessment year 2016 17, subject to conditions: sole objective of scientific research; research carried out by the organization itself; maintenance of separate books of accounts for research receipts and applications; furnishing an auditor's report and a certified statement of donations and amounts applied for research by the return filing due date; and risk of withdrawal of approval for failure to comply or if research is not genuine.

Tax exemption for welfare board specified income permitted subject to non-commercial and return-filing compliance.
Central Government notifies Punjab Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board for tax exemption of specified income comprising labour cess collection and interest on deposits. The exemption is conditional on the Board not engaging in commercial activity, maintaining unchanged activities and income character across the relevant years, and filing returns of income as required. The concession is time-bound and applies for the financial years 2016-17 through 2020-21.