E-assessment scheme expanded to include best-judgement assessments and extend direction power through a temporary sunset period.
Amendment expands the E-assessment Scheme, 2019 to include best judgement assessment within the scope of the scheme-making power under sub-section (3A) of section 143, and permits the Central Government to issue directions under the provision for a prescribed limited period, effective from the commencement of the stated assessment year.

Commodity Transaction Tax expansion: new tax coverage for options in goods and derivatives tied to other derivatives.
Amendments expand the scope of Commodity Transaction Tax (CTT) to include sales of derivatives based on prices or indices of commodity derivatives and sales of an option in goods, and replace "recognised association" with "recognised stock exchange". The proposal allocates CTT liability by product and settlement mode-seller liability for derivatives based on derivatives' prices or indices, purchaser liability for exercised options in goods with different treatment for physical delivery versus non-delivery settlement-and updates statutory definitions, the CTT schedule, and value computation accordingly.

Employer contribution cap to retirement funds: excess employer contributions taxable and related accretions treated as perquisite.
A combined upper limit is proposed on employer contributions to the National Pension Scheme, superannuation funds and recognized provident funds; employer contributions exceeding the combined cap in a year will be taxable, and annual accretions to the fund relating to such employer contributions shall be treated as a perquisite to the extent included in total income.

Tax Collected at Source expanded to cover overseas remittances, tour packages and sales-based collections with specified exemptions.
Amendments expand Tax Collected at Source (TCS) under section 206C to require authorised dealers to collect TCS on specified overseas remittances under LRS and sellers to collect TCS on sale of overseas tour packages, both with higher rates for non-PAN/Aadhaar cases and specified exemptions. Separately, sellers with turnover above a prescribed threshold must collect TCS on sale of goods above a set consideration limit, subject to notification-based exemptions and exclusions for certain government and diplomatic entities. Provisions take effect from 1 April 2020.

TDS on e commerce transactions: operators must withhold on gross platform receipts and treat direct payments as operator credits.
A new provision imposes TDS on e commerce transactions by requiring the e commerce operator to deduct tax on the gross amount of sales or services when credited to or paid to an e commerce participant; direct payments by purchasers are treated as operator payments. Low volume individual and HUF participants who furnish PAN or Aadhaar are exempt from withholding. The provision overrides other TDS liabilities for the same transactions, excludes operator receipts for unrelated advertising services, and includes definitions and consequential amendments to align withholding and procedural provisions.

Tax deduction on interest income: large co-operative societies must withhold tax when turnover and per payee interest exceed specified thresholds.
The amendment narrows exemptions in section 194A(3) so that a co operative society otherwise exempt under clause (v) or (viia) must deduct tax at source if it exceeds a specified turnover threshold in the preceding year and if the interest credited or paid to a payee in the financial year exceeds specified per payee thresholds, with separate thresholds for senior citizens and others.

TDS on technical services adjusted to reduce classification disputes and align withholding with work contract payments.
To reduce classification disputes and litigation, the law prescribes a reduced withholding rate specifically for fees for technical services (other than professional services), aligning its TDS incidence more closely with that applicable to payments for execution of work contracts; withholding rates for other categories of fees remain unchanged and the amendment takes effect from the commencement date specified in the measure.

Deduction timing for Section 43B: insured business expenses disallowed earlier permitted when actually paid.
A proviso is proposed to Rule 5 of the First Schedule so that any sum added back under Section 43B in accordance with clause (a) of Rule 5 shall be allowed as a deduction in computing income under the rule in the previous year in which such sum is actually paid; the amendment takes effect from 1 April 2020 and applies to assessment year 2020-21 and onwards.

Attribution to Permanent Establishment now covered in safe harbour rules and advance pricing agreements, providing transfer pricing certainty.
Amendments expand Safe Harbour Rules to permit acceptance of declared transfer prices that address attribution of profits to a Permanent Establishment, and amend Advance Pricing Agreement provisions to allow APAs to determine or specify the manner of determining such attribution, thereby extending transfer pricing certainty to both safe harbour and APA mechanisms for future and rollback years.

Business trust definition modified: listing requirement removed so tax pass-through and regime apply to unlisted trusts.
The proposal amends clause (13A) of section 2 to remove the requirement that units be listed on a recognised stock exchange for a trust to qualify as a business trust, aligning the income tax definition with SEBI amendments that eliminated mandatory listing for InvITs; under section 115UA such trusts remain subject to taxation rules including pass through treatment for SPV interest and rent and filing and reporting obligations.

Carry forward of losses extended to statutory bank and government insurance company amalgamations under specified nationalisation schemes.
Section 72AA's allowance for carry forward of accumulated losses and unabsorbed depreciation is extended to include amalgamations of corresponding new banks under the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Acts and amalgamations of Government companies arising under the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act, with defined terms to be read from those enactments and the extension operating notwithstanding specified exclusions in the Act.

Deferral of TDS on ESOP perquisites allows employers to delay tax deduction until sale or employment cessation.
Amendments permit eligible start-ups to defer deduction or payment of tax on ESOP perquisites: tax must be deducted or paid within fourteen days of the earliest of (i) expiry of the prescribed post-allotment period, (ii) sale of the specified security or sweat equity share by the employee, or (iii) cessation of employment. Tax is computed using the rates applicable in the financial year when the security or share was allotted or transferred.

Non-resident return filing exemption extended to royalty and FTS when withholding tax is applied at prescribed rates.
A statutory amendment will exempt a non-resident from filing an income-tax return where the non-resident's total income consists solely of dividend or interest, or specified royalty or fees for technical services, provided that withholding tax on such income has been deducted under Chapter XVII-B at rates not lower than the rates prescribed for tax determination under section 115A(1); the amendment takes effect from the stated commencement date and applies to the relevant assessment year and subsequent years.

Optional 35AD deduction safeguards right to claim depreciation where assessee forgoes the investment allowance under amended rules.
The amendment makes the 100% capital expenditure deduction under section 35AD optional and restricts the sub section (4) non allowance rule so that other deductions, including normal depreciation, are disallowed only if the section 35AD deduction has been claimed and allowed; the change applies prospectively to the assessment year beginning 1 April 2020.

Safe harbour threshold for stamp valuation adjustments increased, reducing valuation-driven recharacterisation of consideration for transfers.
Increase of the safe harbour threshold from five per cent to ten per cent for valuation comparisons where declared consideration for transfer or receipt of immovable property is lower than the stamp valuation authority's value, so that a declared consideration within the safe harbour is treated as the full value for computing capital gains or income from other sources; effective from 1st April, 2021 and applying to the relevant assessment year and subsequent years.

Interest limitation carve-out excludes debt from permanent establishments of foreign banks from interest disallowance under amended rules.
The amendment provides that the interest limitation will not apply to interest paid in respect of debt issued by a lender which is a permanent establishment of a non-resident engaged in banking in India, thereby carving out loans from branches of foreign banks from the section 94B restriction and avoiding application of the earnings based disallowance to such debt.

Concessional withholding tax extended and applied to municipal debt, enabling foreign investor interest relief within a renewed operative window.
Amendment to section 194LD extends the concessional withholding tax regime and applies the concessional rate to interest on municipal debt securities by Foreign Institutional Investors and Qualified Foreign Investors, preserving the reduced TDS rate for eligible interest payments and changing the operative period so that interest paid within the newly prescribed window qualifies for the concession, with the amendment taking effect from the start of the specified fiscal period.

Concessional TDS rates on specified foreign borrowings extended and a lower rate introduced for IFSC listed bonds.
Amendment of section 194LC extends concessional withholding for interest paid to non residents on eligible foreign currency borrowings by a specified company or business trust, maintaining the concessional rate for approved loans, long term bonds and rupee denominated bonds within prescribed limits. It also establishes a lower withholding rate for interest on long term bonds and rupee denominated bonds issued from abroad that are listed solely on a recognised IFSC stock exchange, with the amendment operating from the commencement date specified in the Finance Bill.

Concessional tax for new manufacturers: generation of electricity treated as manufacturing allowing concessional rate subject to eligibility conditions.
The amendment clarifies that manufacturing or production for the concessional tax regime includes generation of electricity. Eligible new domestic manufacturing companies-set up on or after 1 October 2019 and commencing by 31 March 2023-that do not avail specified incentives or deductions may opt for the concessional tax provision. The change takes effect from 1 April 2020 and applies from the assessment year 2020-21 onward.

Offshore fund exemption relaxed: manager contributions initially excluded and corpus timing harmonised to reduce discrimination.
Amendments to section 9A relax two eligibility conditions for offshore funds' exemption from creating a business connection: contributions by the eligible fund manager during the first three years up to a capped amount will be excluded when calculating the aggregate participation of Indian residents, and funds established in the previous year must meet the monthly average corpus requirement within twelve months from the last day of the month of establishment or incorporation. The amendments take effect from 1 April 2020.