Appeals to Appellate Tribunal broadened to include penalties by Commissioner (Appeals) and revision orders by senior commissioners.
The amendment expressly permits appeals to the Appellate Tribunal against penalty orders imposed by Commissioner (Appeals) under recent penalty provisions, and permits appeals against revision orders by senior commissioners and related rectifications. It also broadens the right to file a memorandum of cross-objections so respondents may file cross-objections in all cases that may be appealed to the Appellate Tribunal, correcting the previous limitation to appeals originating only from Commissioner (Appeals).

Timeframe for transfer pricing document production shortened; limited extension remains to manage TP proceeding timelines.
The amendment reduces the period to furnish transfer pricing information or documents to ten days from the date of a notice, with an available extension on application by the taxpayer not to exceed an additional thirty days; the Assessing Officer or the Commissioner (Appeals) may require such production in proceedings concerning international transactions or specified domestic transactions. The change is aimed at streamlining timelines for examination of submitted material and takes effect from 1st April, 2023.

Joint Commissioner (Appeals) authority created to hear specified first appeals with transfer, rehearing and scheme-based procedural powers.
Introduction of a Joint Commissioner (Appeals) as a first appellate authority for specified orders of Assessing Officers below Joint Commissioner rank, vested with powers similar to Commissioner (Appeals). The proposal lists appealable orders (assessment, reassessment, withholding/collection intimations, penalty and rectification amendments), permits transfers of pending appeals between Commissioner (Appeals) and Joint Commissioner (Appeals) with rehearing rights, allows the Government to notify a Scheme to streamline procedures and remove direct interface technologically, and empowers the Board to exclude cases or classes; consequential definitional amendments align the new office.

Extension of time for settlement procedures to allow interim boards more time to dispose rectification applications.
The Finance Act, 2021 abolished the Settlement Commission retrospectively from 01.02.2021 and authorized Interim Boards for Settlement to handle pending applications; clause (iv) of sub section (9) of section 245D excluded the period from 01.02.2021 until constitution of the IBS from time limit computation and assured a minimum remaining period, and the Finance Bill, 2023 proposes substituting that clause to extend specified expiring time limits to 30.09.2023 with retrospective effect from 01.02.2021 to allow IBS additional time for disposing rectification and amendment applications.

Cost of acquisition deemed nil for certain intangible assets, altering capital gains computation and taxability.
Amendment treats the cost of acquisition and cost of improvement of capital assets that are intangible assets or other rights for which no consideration was paid as Nil for computing capital gains, clarifying that assets not covered by existing enumerated provisions shall have no cost basis, and thereby resolving judicial uncertainty about taxability of gains on such transfers. The amendment applies prospectively from the Bill's stated effective date and to subsequent assessment years.

Prevention of double deduction: interest claimed under house property or chapter VIA excluded from cost of acquisition for capital gains.
The Finance Bill proposes a proviso to section 48 that the cost of acquisition or cost of improvement shall exclude any interest amount claimed as a deduction under section 24 or under Chapter VIA, to prevent double deduction when computing capital gains.

Capital gains computation for joint development agreements clarified to include consideration received by any mode, aligning with TDS rules.
Amendment clarifies that for capital gains under section 45(5A) on transfers under joint development agreements, the full value of consideration equals the stamp duty value of the assessee's share increased by any consideration received in cash, by cheque or draft, or by any other mode, aligning the computation with the TDS treatment under section 194-IC and addressing taxpayer misinterpretation.

Taxation of high-premium life insurance policies: exempt on death, otherwise taxable under other sources with premium deduction available.
Policies other than unit linked insurance policies issued on or after 1 April 2023 will lose exemption under clause (10D) if premium payable in any previous year during the policy term exceeds the prescribed threshold; death receipts remain exempt. For multiple policies issued on or after that date, exemption applies only where the aggregate premium does not exceed that threshold in any year. Non-exempt sums (including bonuses) will be taxable under the head "Income from Other Sources" with computation rules and a deduction for premium allowed only if not earlier claimed.

Inventory valuation can be directed to a cost accountant, with mandated report, government-paid expenses, and hearing rights preserved.
Tax authorities may direct an assessee to obtain inventory valuation by a cost accountant nominated by the senior commissioner; the assessee must furnish a prescribed signed valuation report. Valuation expenses and incidental costs, including the cost accountant's remuneration, will be determined by the senior commissioner under prescribed guidelines and paid by the Central Government. Except for assessments under section 144, the assessee must be given an opportunity to be heard on material derived from such valuation. Consequentially, the valuation period is excluded from limitation computations and rules may prescribe the report form and particulars.

Taxation of Market Linked Debentures reclassified as short-term capital gains taxed at applicable rates under new provision.
The proposal inserts a new provision treating gains on transfer, redemption or maturity of Market Linked Debentures as short-term capital gains taxable at applicable rates by treating the full consideration received, reduced by cost of acquisition and transfer-related expenditure, as capital gains from a short-term capital asset; it also defines Market Linked Debentures as debt-principal securities with returns linked to market returns or so classified by the market regulator and makes the change prospective.

Limit on rollover benefit under sections 54 and 54F restricts excessive deductions for high-value residential purchases.
The Finance Bill proposes a deemed cost cap so that where the cost of a new residential asset exceeds ten crore rupees, the cost for computing the deduction under the rollover relief provisions will be treated as ten crore rupees, limiting the maximum deduction. A proviso confines the Capital Gains Account Scheme deposit provision to capital gains or net consideration up to that cap. The amendments are prospective, effective 1 April 2024 and applicable to the assessment year 2024 25 and thereafter.

TCS increase on foreign remittances: higher withholding expands coverage and raises compliance burden for remitters.
Increase in the rate of TCS is proposed by amending sub section (1G) of section 206C to raise withholding on certain foreign remittances and sales of overseas tour packages; education and medical remittances retain prior treatment under specified conditions, while tour packages and other remittances become subject to higher rate without threshold, effective from the stated date in the Finance Bill.

TDS on online game winnings restructured: withholding on net account winnings and withdrawals under new targeted provisions.
Amendments require TDS on winnings to be applied to amounts or aggregates exceeding the threshold in a financial year; section 194B is expanded to include gambling and excludes online games from 1 July 2023. A new section 194BA mandates TDS on net winnings in user accounts at year-end and on withdrawals, with prescribed computation and payer obligations where winnings are in kind. Administrative guidelines may be issued to resolve implementation issues. Definitions for computer resource, internet, online game, online gaming intermediary, user and user account are prescribed. Section 115BB is amended to exclude online-game winnings and a new section 115BBJ establishes a separate tax computation for net winnings from online games integrated into overall tax liability.

Presumptive taxation restrictions: bar on set off of carried forward losses and unabsorbed depreciation when presumptive profits are declared.
The Bill proposes that where an assessee declares profits under the presumptive taxation scheme for specified non resident activities, no set off of unabsorbed depreciation or brought forward business loss shall be allowed for that previous year, notwithstanding the general set off and carry forward provisions; the amendment is prospective and will apply from the notified effective date.

TDS exemption removal on interest requires withholding for payments on listed dematerialized debentures to resident holders.
The Finance Bill proposes deletion of the proviso clause that exempted TDS on interest paid to resident holders of listed dematerialized debentures, thereby requiring tax deduction at source on interest payments to such resident holders; the amendment addresses under-reporting of interest income and takes effect from 1 April, 2023.

Taxation of business trust distributions: non-characterised payouts to unit holders treated as taxable income from other sources.
Proposed amendments tax sums received by unit holders from business trusts that are not interest, dividend or rental receipts and not chargeable under the pass-through provisions by treating them as income from other sources. Where sums represent redemption of units, the receipt is reduced by the cost of acquisition to the extent of the amount received. Amendments also exclude such sums from the trust pass-through subsections and expand the definition of income to include them, with prospective application.

Tax exemption for notified news agencies withdrawn, ending clause-based relief and effective from the assessment year starting April 2024.
The finance bill withdraws the tax exemption available to notified news agencies under clause (22B) of section 10 by inserting a proviso excluding any income of such agencies for the previous year relevant to the assessment year beginning on or after 1 April 2024; the amendment takes effect from 1 April 2024 and applies to assessment year 2024-25 and subsequent years.

Deeming provision for gifts extended to not ordinarily residents, bringing certain inbound gifts within the Indian tax net.
Clause (viii) of sub section (1) of section 9 is proposed to be amended to extend the deeming rule so that sums received without consideration by a not ordinarily resident from a person resident in India are treated as income deemed to accrue or arise in India; the change is intended as an anti abuse measure to capture gifts not presently within the scope of the existing deeming provision and will apply prospectively to specified assessment years.

Certificate for lower or nil tax deduction extended to business trust interest, enabling reduced TDS where exemptions justify it.
The amendment extends eligibility for a certificate for deduction of tax at a lower or nil rate to sums on which tax is required to be deducted in relation to business trust interest income, enabling reduced deduction where exemptions (for example, for certain sovereign wealth and pension funds) justify such reduction; the change applies prospectively from 1 April, 2023.

Presumptive taxation thresholds increased for businesses and professionals, conditional on low cash receipts and audit exemption.
Eligibility thresholds for presumptive taxation schemes are increased for businesses and professionals on the condition that cash receipts do not exceed a prescribed low percentage of total turnover or gross receipts; cheques and non-account-payee bank drafts are deemed cash for this purpose. Persons declaring profits under the presumptive schemes and meeting the cash-receipt condition are exempt from the statutory audit requirement, with the amendments effective from the stated assessment year.