Construction service classification altered to include land value when charged, except if consideration follows completion certificate or occupation.
The opening paragraph of the earlier notification is amended to classify services of construction of a complex, building or part thereof intended for sale as covered where the amount charged includes the value of land or undivided share of land, except where the entire consideration has been received only after issuance of the completion certificate, where required, or after first occupation, whichever is earlier; the amendment is effective from 20th October, 2023.

Exemption scope for central government services revised to add Ministry of Railways to postal exemption and carve it out elsewhere.
Amends Notification No. S.O. 35/P.A.5/2017/S.9/2017 by inserting "and the Ministry of Railways (Indian Railways)" after "Department of Posts" in the relevant table entry and by adding "[excluding the Ministry of Railways (Indian Railways)]" to the entry for "Services supplied by the Central Government"; the amendment is deemed to have come into force on and with effect from 20th October, 2023.

Services to Governmental Authority added under Chapter 99 with nil tax entries; Ministry of Railways included alongside Department of Posts.
The amendment inserts Table entry 3B under Chapter 99 listing services to a Governmental Authority-water supply; public health; sanitation conservancy; solid waste management; and slum improvement and upgradation-with Nil shown in the relevant tax columns. It further inserts "and the Ministry of Railways (Indian Railways)" after "Department of Posts" in several existing Table entries and provisos; the notification is deemed to have come into force from the twentieth day of October, 2023.

TRQ access for India UAE CEPA enables notified holders to import gold and take delivery through IFSCA vaults.
The amendment substitutes Condition No. 2 to require that the IEC in a TRQ authorization be of nominated agencies (RBI notified banks; DGFT notified agencies), qualified jewellers notified by IFSCA through IIBX, or valid India-UAE TRQ holders notified by IFSCA through IIBX; such holders may obtain physical delivery via IFSCA registered vaults in SEZs per IFSCA guidelines. Importation must follow the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty or for Specified End Use) Rules, 2022, except where the importer and TRQ holder are the same entity.

Anti-dumping duty on industrial laser machines from China PR imposed with producer-specific rates and five-year validity.
Anti-dumping duty is imposed on industrial laser machines used for cutting, marking or welding, including fully assembled, SKD and CKD forms, falling under the specified tariff items and originating in or exported from China PR. The measure applies on the basis of final findings of dumped exports, material injury to the domestic industry, and causal link between the dumped imports and injury. The duty is producer-specific, includes a residual rate for other producers, is payable in Indian currency, and remains in force for five years unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier.

New ITR forms ITR 1 SAHAJ and ITR 4 SUGAM replace prior versions; effective April 1, 2024.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes issues the Income-tax (Thirtieth Amendment) Rules, 2023, effective April 1, 2024, substituting the existing APPENDIX II forms by replacing Form ITR-1 SAHAJ and Form ITR-4 SUGAM with new versions. The new ITR-1 and ITR-4 specify eligibility exclusions, collect PAN, Aadhaar and filing particulars, provide schedules for salary, house property, other sources, presumptive business computation, deductions, tax computation, TDS/TCS and advance tax, bank details for refunds, and verification requirements.

Impact Assessment terminology replaces social audit terms, expanding investor access and vesting issuance procedures with Board specified conditions.
The amendment replaces "Social Auditor" and social audit firm terminology with "Impact Assessor" and "Impact Assessment", broadens investor access by removing limiting language and adding retail investors, and substitutes references to institutional/non institutional investors with "eligible investors". It substitutes Regulation 292K to require the Board to specify procedure and conditions for public issuance of Zero Coupon Zero Principal Instruments by NPOs, substitutes Regulation 292M to require the Board to specify fund raising document contents, and omits Regulation 292N.

Social Impact Assessment requirement replaces Social Audit designation for specified listing disclosures, changing the responsible professional role.
Regulation 91E(2) of the Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements is amended by substituting the phrase requiring the social component to be "audited by a Social Audit Firm employing Social Auditor" with a requirement that it be "assessed by a Social Impact Assessment Firm employing Social Impact Assessor(s)"; the amendment takes effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Special Economic Zone notification designates area, establishes Approval Committee and deems zone an inland container depot.
Notification designates a Multi Sector Special Economic Zone at Panapakkam Village, Ranipet District, comprising specified survey parcels aggregating 52.2065 hectares, issues the land schedule for SEZ boundary and administration, constitutes an Approval Committee with identified ex officio members and state nominees for SEZ governance, and deems the SEZ to be an Inland Container Depot under the Customs Act to align customs status with SEZ operations.

Exchange rate determination for customs conversion effective, setting distinct import and export currency conversion rates.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs determines rates for converting specified foreign currencies to Indian rupees for customs valuation of imported and export goods, effective from 22nd December, 2023, and superseding an earlier notification except for prior actions. Schedule I provides per-unit exchange rates with separate columns for imported and export goods; Schedule II provides exchange rates per 100 units for designated currencies, also distinguishing imported and export rates.

Extension of customs exemption period extends notification expiry to 31st March 2025 but excludes certain edible oils from April.
The notification substitutes the prior expiry date with 31st March, 2025 for the customs relief provided in the principal notification, and adds a proviso that the relief shall not apply to the goods specified at serial numbers 1, 2 and 3 of the Table on or after 1st April, 2024.

Passenger transportation services by omnibus distinguished under GST, with a company-ecommerce exception defining tax treatment.
Amendment removes omnibuses from the general motor vehicle clause by substituting language to read "or any other motor vehicle except omnibus" and inserts a new clause (ia) treating "services by way of transportation of passengers by an omnibus" as a distinct category, except where the service is supplied through an electronic commerce operator that is a company. The Explanation is expanded to define "Company" by reference to the Companies Act, 2013. The amendment takes effect from the twentieth day of October, 2023 and amends Notification No.17/2017-State Tax (Rate).

Cross-border payments must route through authorised banks with country-specific currency rules and ACU settlement options.
Regulations require receipts and payments between residents in India and non-residents to be made through an Authorised Bank or Authorised Person, with the Reserve Bank able to permit exceptions on application. Trade transactions have country-specific settlement rules: Nepal and Bhutan in Indian currency (with limited exceptions), ACU members via the ACU mechanism or RBI directions, and non-ACU countries in Indian currency or foreign currency. Non-trade transactions mirror these country-specific currency rules, and current account transactions with visitors must be in Indian currency; payments may also be by debit/credit to permitted bank accounts.

Specified actionable claim exemption extended to betting, gambling and online money gaming under GST notification amendments.
Insertion of Schedule entry 227A treats specified actionable claim as covered, defining it by reference to section 2(102A) of the Rajasthan GST Act to include betting, casinos, gambling, horse racing, lottery and online money gaming; prior Schedule entries 228 and 229 are omitted. An interpretive clause adopts Act definitions for undefined terms in the notification. The amendment takes effect on the first day of October, 2023.

Value of supply for online money gaming defined as total amounts paid or deposited, refunds not deductible.
The amendment requires registration and specified disclosures for suppliers of online money gaming and cross-border online information services, mandates FORM GSTR-5A returns for non-resident suppliers of such services, and prescribes valuation rules treating the value of online gaming and online money gaming (including actionable claims) as the total amount paid or deposited by or on behalf of the player, including virtual digital assets, with refunds or returned amounts not deductible and winnings retained for further play not treated as fresh consideration.

Composition levy exclusion: suppliers of specified actionable claims cannot avail the composition scheme, altering composition eligibility.
The notification inserts that, other than the registered person making supply of specified actionable claims as defined in the statute, the composition levy under section 10 shall not apply; this insertion, effective from 1st October, 2023, excludes suppliers of specified actionable claims from composition scheme eligibility.

Supply classification: online money gaming and related gaming supplies notified under valuation provision for tax.
Notification designates supply of online money gaming, supply of online gaming other than online money gaming, and supply of actionable claims in casinos as notified supplies under the valuation provision, with an operative commencement date making these categories subject to the valuation framework for taxation.

Commencement of Rajasthan GST Amendment Ordinance appointed as effective date, bringing specified amendments into force from October first.
The State Government, under sub section (2) of section 1 of the Rajasthan Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 (Ordinance No. 1 of 2023), appoints the 1st day of October, 2023 as the date on which the provisions of the Ordinance shall come into force, by notification of the Finance Department (Tax Division).

Extension of GSTR-3B filing deadline for taxpayers in specified Tamil Nadu districts to late December.
Extension of the due date for furnishing FORM GSTR-3B for November 2023 is granted for registered persons whose principal place of business is in the districts of Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram, moving the deadline to the twenty-seventh day of December, 2023, under powers conferred by the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 and pursuant to the Council's recommendation.

Online gaming taxation rules expand supplier liability and registration obligations under the Uttar Pradesh GST amendment.
The Uttar Pradesh Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Act, 2023 aligns the State GST law with Central GST amendments and regulates online gaming and specified actionable claims. It inserts definitions for online gaming, online money gaming, specified actionable claim, and virtual digital asset, and deems a person organising or arranging supply of specified actionable claims, including through a digital or electronic platform, to be a supplier liable under the Act. The amendment also extends registration obligations to suppliers of online money gaming from outside India to persons in India.