Temporary cessation of operations preserves tonnage tax continuity, but temporary loss of qualifying status suspends benefits for that period.
A company is deemed to be operating a qualifying ship for tonnage tax purposes during periods of temporary cessation of operations, so long as the cessation is not permanent; however, a ship that temporarily ceases to meet the statutory criteria of a qualifying ship is excluded from qualifying status for the period of non-qualification and cannot attract tonnage tax benefits during that time.

Tonnage tax compliance: separate books and certified accountant's report required or tonnage tax option lapses for the year.
Clause 232(21) makes the tonnage tax option contingent, each year, on maintaining separate books of account for qualifying ship operations and on furnishing a prescribed, duly signed and verified accountant's report before the specified filing date; failure of either requirement renders the tonnage tax option ineffective for that tax year.

Charter in cap limits chartered tonnage; breach triggers loss of tonnage tax benefit and possible scheme disqualification.
Clause 232(15)-(20) limits chartered in net tonnage for tonnage tax electors, requires assessment on average net tonnage with the averaging method prescribed in consultation with the Director General of Shipping, excludes bareboat charter cum demise vessels from charter in calculations, and prescribes loss of tonnage tax benefit for a year of breach and permanent cessation of the option after two consecutive years of breach.

Minimum training requirement - automatic loss of tonnage tax eligibility after consecutive noncompliance; annual certification required with tax return.
Companies opting for the tonnage tax regime must train trainee officers as per guidelines of the Director-General of Shipping and furnish an annually issued compliance certificate in the prescribed form with their tax return; sustained non-compliance over consecutive years results in automatic cessation of the company's option for the tonnage tax scheme from the year following the concluding year of default. Delegation to the Director-General allows technical adaptability but leaves open statutory ambiguities on thresholds, partial compliance and transitional treatment.

Tonnage Tax Reserve requirement ties tonnage tax access to reinvestment in qualifying shipping assets under the Bill.
Clause 232 conditions tonnage tax access on crediting a specified portion of book profit from qualifying shipping activities to a Tonnage Tax Reserve Account, usable within eight years for acquisition of a new ship or inland vessel; interim restrictions prevent distribution or foreign remittance, and proportional re taxation, carryforward rules, and cessation of the option after sustained default enforce compliance.