Cost of acquisition rules: cutoff date advanced, altering use of prior fair market value for long-term capital assets.
Amendment to section 55 advances the statutory cut-off date used to compute cost of acquisition and cost of improvement for long-term capital assets: where an asset was acquired before the new cut-off date, its cost of acquisition is to be treated as the asset's value on that cut-off date and cost of improvement is recognised only if incurred after that date, with fair market value at the cut-off date available as the basis. The amendment is effective from 1st April, 2018 and applies to the assessment year 2018-2019 onwards.

Capital gains exemption expanded to include government notified bonds, widening eligible investments for deferring tax on long term gains.
Amendment to section 54EC broadens the definition of qualifying instruments by allowing the Central Government to notify additional specified bonds beyond the previously listed redeemable bonds, thereby expanding the range of investments that can be used to claim the capital gains exemption; the amendment takes effect from the stated commencement and applies to the indicated assessment year and subsequent years.

Fair market value deemed consideration for unquoted share transfers, altering capital gains valuation under prescribed rules.
The fair market value of unquoted company shares, determined in the prescribed manner, is to be deemed the full value of consideration for computing capital gains on transfer; a statutory definition of "quoted share" is to be provided and the rule applies prospectively from the stated effective date.

Deemed cost of acquisition set as fair market value where accreted income is taxed under Chapter XIIEB.
Where capital gain arises from transfer of an asset held by a trust or institution for which accreted income has been computed and tax paid under Chapter XIIEB, the cost of acquisition of that asset shall be deemed to be the fair market value taken into account for computing accreted income as on the specified date referred to in sub section (2) of section 115TD.

Cost of acquisition tied to stamp duty value for land pooling allotments determining capital gains computation.
Where capital gains arise from transfer of a specified capital asset received under the Andhra Pradesh Capital City Land Pooling Scheme and transferred after two years from the end of the financial year in which possession was handed over, the cost of acquisition shall be deemed to be the stamp duty value of the asset as on the last day of the second financial year after the end of the financial year when possession was handed over; the amendment also defines "stamp duty value."

Cost of acquisition set as deemed full value of consideration for project-share transfers under development agreements, effective 2018-19.
The amendment provides that the cost of acquisition of a share in a project consisting of land or building, given as consideration under specified agreements (for example, joint development agreements), shall be the amount deemed as the full value of consideration under the related provision, subject to the proviso excluding certain capital assets, and applies prospectively from the effective date for subsequent assessment years.

Deemed cost of acquisition: equity received on conversion of preference shares treated as costing the original preference shares.
A new deeming provision treats the cost of acquisition of equity shares received in consideration of a transfer under clause (xb) of section 47 as the cost of the preference shares in relation to which those equity shares are acquired, thereby carrying over the preference share cost for computing capital gains.

Cost of acquisition rule: consolidated-plan unit transfers deemed to carry forward cost from consolidating-plan units, affecting capital gains.
The amendment deems the cost of acquisition of a capital asset comprising unit(s) in a consolidated mutual fund plan to be the cost of acquisition of the corresponding unit(s) in the consolidating plan when the consolidated units were obtained by a specified transfer, thereby fixing the cost basis for capital gains computation.

Cost basis for demerger transfers: previous owner's acquisition cost to determine transferee's cost for share transfers.
Where shares in an Indian company are transferred in a demerger, the transferee's cost of acquisition shall be the cost for which the previous owner acquired those shares, increased by any cost of improvements, by virtue of the Clause 25 amendment; the change takes effect from 1 April 2018 and applies to assessment year 2018-19 onward.

Indexed cost base changed for capital gains computation, altering base-year reference and effective assessment period.
Amendment revises the benchmark year used in the computation of the indexed cost of acquisition by replacing the earlier base-year reference with a more recent base year, with consequential changes to the mode of computation and prospective application to the stated assessment year and subsequent years, thereby altering the use of the Cost Inflation Index in proportionately adjusting cost of acquisition for capital gains.

Capital gains computation: rupee appreciation on redemption of rupee bonds held by non-residents excluded from full value.
Amendment clarifies that for a non-resident holder of a rupee-denominated bond of an Indian company, any gain arising from appreciation of the rupee against a foreign currency at redemption shall be ignored in computing the full value of consideration for capital gains; the change substitutes "held by" for "subscribed by" and operates prospectively from the notified effective date.

Conversion of preference shares into equity not treated as transfer, changing capital gains treatment from assessment year 2018-19.
The Finance Bill, 2017 adds a new clause excluding conversion of preference shares into equity of the same company from the definition of transfer for capital gains purposes. This amendment, aligning preference-share conversion with existing non-transfer treatment for bond or debenture conversions, takes effect from 1 April 2018 and applies to assessment year 2018-19 onward.

Capital gains exemption for non resident rupee bonds: transfers outside India between non residents not treated as transfer.
The Bill inserts a provision that any transfer made outside India of a capital asset consisting of a rupee denominated bond of an Indian company issued outside India, where both transferor and transferee are non residents, shall not be regarded as transfer for capital gains purposes; this change complements existing non recognition for conversion of bonds into shares and applies prospectively from the operative year specified in the Bill.

Capital gains timing under specified development agreements: tax charged when project completion certificate is issued, using stamp duty value.
Section 45 is amended by inserting section 45(5A) to tax capital gains of individuals and HUFs from transfers of land or building under specified agreements in the previous year when the competent authority issues the project completion certificate; the stamp duty value of the assessee's share on that date, increased by any cash consideration, is deemed the full value of consideration. If the assessee transfers the share on or before that certificate date, capital gains are taxable in the year of that transfer and general provisions (excluding section 45(5A)) apply to determine full value. The amendment defines key terms and takes effect from 1 April 2018.

Deemed profit rule change - lower presumptive rate for receipts received through banking channels, other receipts remain at higher rate.
Amendment inserts a proviso reducing the deemed total income rate under the presumptive taxation regime for the portion of turnover or gross receipts received by account payee cheque, account payee bank draft or electronic clearing through a bank account during the previous year or by the return due date; the original rate continues to apply to receipts received by other modes. The change takes effect from the fiscal start date and applies to the specified assessment year and subsequent years.

Audit threshold increase for presumptive taxation reduces audit applicability where turnover does not exceed prescribed limit.
A proviso to the tax audit requirement exempts persons who declare profits under the presumptive taxation scheme and whose total sales, turnover or gross receipts do not exceed the revised turnover ceiling, thereby narrowing the class required to obtain an audit when they comply with sub section (1) of the presumptive taxation provision. The amendment is effective from 1 April 2017 for the relevant assessment year and subsequent years.

Maintenance of books obligation raised for individuals and HUFs, reducing the number required to keep accounts under tax law.
The amendment raises the monetary thresholds triggering the maintenance of books and documents for individuals and Hindu undivided families: income threshold increased from one lakh twenty thousand rupees to two lakh fifty thousand rupees, and total sales/turnover/gross receipts threshold increased from ten lakh rupees to twenty five lakh rupees; the change applies from 1 April 2018 for assessment year 2018 19 and onward.

Interest income recognition on bad debts: cooperative banks aligned with accrual-or-receipt tax treatment for recovered interest.
Amendment extends the rule that interest on certain bad or doubtful debts is taxable in the year it is credited to profit and loss or actually received, whichever is earlier, to co-operative banks while excluding primary agricultural credit societies and primary co-operative agricultural and rural development banks; it also adds in-section definitions of those terms and specifies a prospective operative date applying to the indicated assessment year and subsequent years.

Deductibility of interest: interest on co-operative bank borrowings allowed only on actual payment, with specified exclusions.
Interest on loans or advances from co-operative banks will be allowable as a deduction only if actually paid on or before the due date of filing the return for the relevant previous year; exclusions apply to primary agricultural credit societies and primary co-operative agricultural and rural development banks, and statutory definitions for those terms are incorporated to define scope and application prospectively.

Actual cost adjustment for assets subject to investment-linked deduction reduces cost by allowable depreciation, altering basis for deemed income.
The proviso to Explanation 13 provides that where a capital asset in respect of which deduction or part of deduction was allowed under section 35AD is deemed to be the assessee's income under sub section (7B), the asset's actual cost shall be the actual cost reduced by an amount equal to depreciation calculated at the rate in force that would have been allowable had the asset been used for business since acquisition.