Corporate guarantees supplied between related persons to banking companies or financial institutions are taxable services, with valuation under Rule 28(2) applying to guarantees issued or renewed on or after 26 October 2023. Value is one per cent per annum of the guaranteed amount or actual consideration, whichever is higher, and is based on the amount guaranteed rather than loan disbursal. Domestic guarantees attract forward charge, while guarantees by overseas related entities to Indian recipients attract reverse charge. Full input tax credit permits invoice value to be deemed the supply value.

RoDTEP scheme amendments remove specified conditions concerning transferee-holders of duty credit scrips. Corresponding Electronic Duty Credit Ledger provisions extend the validity of RoDTEP scrips from one year to two years from the date of generation.

Zeeba has refreshed its packaging and appointed Chef Vikas Khanna as global brand ambassador to support expansion in India. Its "Aisa Basmati Nahi Dekha" campaign positions the brand around export-quality Basmati rice, consistency, authenticity and a superior culinary experience. Promotional activity will extend across digital, retail and consumer touchpoints. The premium Basmati range is described as carefully sourced, naturally aged and processed according to global quality standards, with emphasis on grain quality, authentic taste, purity and consistency.

Article 226 permits High Court intervention to secure merits adjudication despite the statutory limit on condoning delay in appeals against GST registration cancellation. Although section 107 confines the Appellate Authority's power to extend the filing period, extraordinary writ jurisdiction may grant appropriate relief where refusal to consider the appeal would cause grave prejudice. Registration cancellation can impair business operations and livelihood, while the GST framework supports restoration of compliant taxpayers rather than permanent exclusion for procedural default. The delay was condoned, the limitation order was set aside, and the appeal was directed to be heard on merits.

RoDTEP rebates unrefunded Central, State and local duties, taxes and levies on exported products. Exporters must make an item-wise RoDTEP declaration in the shipping bill; no benefit accrues where the prescribed claim option is not selected, and claims cannot be altered after filing of the export general manifest. Eligible claims are processed after that filing and credited through scrolls to ICEGATE. Registered IEC holders may create credit-ledger accounts, generate credit scrips from eligible shipping bills, use scrips for notified import duties, and transfer them through OTP-verified procedures. Suspended scrips cannot be used or transferred.

CFO renewal fees may be treated as exempt where the Pollution Control Board's consent-related regulatory service is linked to environmental protection, a municipal function under Article 243W; on that view, reverse charge does not apply and the taxpayer should preserve payment, consent and fee records supporting the exemption. A contrary interpretation treats CFO as an authorisation rather than registration, making GST payable under reverse charge with self-invoice and payment-voucher compliance. Treatment depends on the statutory nexus, characterisation of the service and relevant tax period.

Loans against silver collateral have been introduced following the Reserve Bank of India's Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral Directions, 2025, enabling eligible regulated lenders to accept silver as security. The offering provides a formal and transparent credit channel against eligible silver jewellery, ornaments and approved silver coins. It is intended for individuals, proprietors and MSMEs requiring liquidity for personal, business and other legitimate financial needs, subject to lending policies and applicable regulatory requirements.

Proper Officer functions under the Himachal Pradesh Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 are allocated among GST Wing officers posted in enforcement and audit. Senior enforcement officers receive broad functions covering inspection, search, seizure, information, tax determination, recovery, penalties, detention and confiscation; specified functions are assigned to subordinate officers. Audit officers are designated for audit, information, tax determination, recovery and penalty functions. Officer jurisdiction is generally confined to the relevant zone or circle, subject to authorised extension across GST Zones or within a GST Zone.

MSME applicants for Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) T1 and T2 accreditation receive relaxed eligibility, compliance, security, documentation, processing and bank-guarantee requirements. Eligibility and legal and financial compliance periods are reduced to two financial years. Rationalised MSME Annexures 1 and 2 apply to T1 and T2 applicants, while MSME Annexure 3 sets consolidated safety and security criteria for T2 physical verification. Complete applications receive shortened processing timelines and priority processing. Applicants must hold a valid MSME certificate and approved entities must maintain continuous MSME status during AEO certification.

CarePass is a healthcare savings membership card providing instant point-of-billing discounts at participating premium healthcare providers across India. It covers out-of-pocket spending on hospital treatment, diagnostics, dental, vision, dermatology, hair and skin care, and IVF and maternity services, without claim processing, waiting periods or paperwork. Members present a digital CarePass at a participating provider to receive the applicable discount. Four membership tiers offer differing benefits, with higher tiers including tele-consultations and annual health checks. CarePass is a discount membership and not an insurance product.

Mandatory electronic submission of prescribed import documents through e-Sanchit is governed by a revised tariff-heading-based list of document codes. Importers holding an Importer Exporter Code and Customs Brokers may upload all document codes except those temporarily reserved for Participating Government Agency uploading. Agency uploads require ICEGATE registration. Where a required document is inapplicable, the Bill of Entry Statement table may be amended online or through a service centre at item level, identifying the invoice and item serial numbers. Automated mandatory-document checking at the Out-of-Charge stage is disabled for Bills of Entry filed before the specified cut-off date.

Kerala Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling membership is updated under the Kerala State Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 by nominating Shri Shyam Raj Prasad, I.R.S., as Member in place of Shri Pullela Nageswara Rao, I.R.S. The existing constitution entry for the Authority is correspondingly amended by substituting the outgoing member's name with that of the newly nominated member.

EXIM operations at Vizhinjam international seaport commenced with the flagging off of two containers after a successful trial export shipment. The state government proposes investor engagement, regulatory facilitation and infrastructure support to expand global export activities through the port. Mission Samudra is to operate as a port-led industrial and logistics development scheme. The deep-water port was developed under a public-private partnership model and had received commercial commissioning certification.

Penalty for a transfer-pricing adjustment requires a precise charge of either concealment of income or furnishing inaccurate particulars; alternative or composite allegations in both the notice and penalty order invalidate the penalty. Explanation 7 does not remove this requirement. The good-faith and due-diligence exception applied where the taxpayer used an unrejected comparable uncontrolled price method, disclosed interest-free associated-enterprise loans in Form 3CEB and a transfer-pricing study, and the dispute concerned only the arm's length interest rate. A quantum adjustment alone does not justify penalty where the arm's length price reflects a bona fide difference of opinion. These grounds independently precluded penalty for both assessment years.

Repeal and saving repeals the Income-tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, while preserving actions taken and matters done under it. Such actions and matters are deemed to have been undertaken under the corresponding provisions of the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2026.

Central Government has revised the territorial extent of the multi-product Special Economic Zone at Baikampady, near Mangalore, in Dakshin Kannada district, Karnataka. Under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 and rule 8 of the Special Economic Zones Rules, 2006, 27.0093 hectares have been added and 1.1558 hectares have been de-notified. The revised SEZ area is 596.5615 hectares, comprising specified survey parcels in Permude and Bajpe for addition and Thokur for de-notification.

Section 3 of the Finance Act, 2026 differentiates domestic companies that are special purpose vehicles referred to in Schedule V from other domestic companies under the relevant entries in sub-sections (4) and (12). Domestic companies other than such special purpose vehicles are subject to a 10% rate, while qualifying special purpose vehicles are subject to a 25% rate.

Money-laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act involves fresh searches connected with Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd and Exalogic Solutions. The inquiry concerns alleged fraudulent payments made under the guise of IT consultancy services and a purported money trail involving persons allegedly connected with those transactions. The action follows earlier searches and questioning in relation to the same matter.

Money-laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act concerns alleged irregularities in veterinary officers' final selection through a public recruitment examination. Searches covered premises linked to commission officials, alleged intermediaries, the digital evaluation entity, and selected candidates. Allegations include bribery demands, examination-paper leakage, OMR answer-sheet tampering, and facilitation of selection for relatives of commission officials.

Schedule V conditions for activities not constituting a business connection in India are amended by omitting clause (b) in column D against serial number 5 of the Table. The omission alters the conditions applicable to the specified activity for determining whether it constitutes a business connection in India.