Road and Infrastructure Cess on petrol and diesel cleared for export is amended by substituting the entry against serial number 2 in the relevant rate table with Rs. 1 per litre. The revised cess rate takes effect from 1 September 2026, the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

The effective rate of Special Additional Excise Duty on Aviation Turbine Fuel cleared for export is amended to Rs. 19 per litre by substituting the entry against serial number 1 in Notification No. 08/2026-Central Excise. The revised rate takes effect from 1 September 2026, the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

The central excise rate entry at serial number 1, column (4), under Notification No. 06/2026-Central Excise is substituted with "Rs. 1.5 per litre". The amendment changes that table entry and takes effect on 1 September 2026, the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

Tariff values for specified imported edible oils, brass scrap, gold, silver and areca nuts are substituted for customs valuation from 1 September 2026. Values per metric tonne are fixed for crude palm oil at US$1,214, RBD palm oil at US$1,227, other palm oil at US$1,221, crude palmolein at US$1,235, RBD palmolein at US$1,238, other palmolein at US$1,237, crude soybean oil at US$1,262, and brass scrap at US$8,162. Gold remains valued at US$1,468 per 10 grams, silver at US$2,267 per kilogram, and areca nuts at US$11,574 per metric tonne.

Taxpayer confidentiality bars officers and staff from transmitting identifiable taxpayer information or departmental data to public or commercial AI tools, third-party online platforms, external systems, browser extensions or personal accounts unless expressly authorised in writing. Permitted AI use is limited to generic, wholly hypothetical legal or procedural research and drafting support, with independent verification against primary sources. Officers remain personally responsible for disclosures made by themselves or persons acting under their control; breaches may lead to disciplinary action, criminal liability, data-protection consequences and challenges to affected proceedings. Notices and quasi-judicial orders must reflect the signing officer's independent assessment of facts and law, not unverified or mechanically adopted AI-generated content.

Customs-controlled movement of domestic/customs-cleared and EXIM containers between port terminals and designated ICDs/CFSs is extended to Container Rail Road Services Pvt. Ltd. (DP World Group), alongside CONCOR. The operator must segregate and account for domestic and EXIM cargo, give advance container details, verify container numbers and seals, maintain weekly reconciliation, and ensure at least 50% of outbound cargo is EXIM cargo. Seal or container discrepancies and suspected tampering require immediate reporting; cargo cannot be processed or released without the proper officer's permission and may undergo 100% examination. Reworking, repacking, or restuffing requires permission. Customs may conduct random checks, while custodians and CCSPs remain accountable, supported by an indemnity bond; misuse attracts action under applicable customs laws.

The Companies Compliance Facilitation Scheme, 2026 remains available until 15 September 2026, extending the previous deadline of 31 August 2026. The extension gives companies additional time to complete pending statutory filings under the Scheme. All other terms and conditions of CCFS-2026 remain unchanged.

Article 13 of the India-UK Tax Treaty taxes fees for technical services only where technical or consultancy services satisfy the treaty conditions, including making available technical knowledge, experience, skill, know-how or processes, or developing and transferring a technical plan or design. Recurring group management support for business and commercial functions does not meet that standard where it neither constitutes qualifying technical or consultancy services nor enables the Indian recipient to independently apply technical knowledge or skill without further recourse to the provider. The consideration is therefore not taxable in India as fees for technical services under Article 13.

Share application money was treated as satisfactorily explained for Section 68 purposes where the investor-company substantiated its investment through share capital and declared profit, with an earlier disclosed component settled under the Vivad se Vishwas Scheme. Other investors furnished confirmations, income-tax returns, computations and bank statements, establishing their identities as regular taxpayers and supporting the genuineness of their investments. On these facts, the nature and source of the share application money were accepted and no unexplained cash-credit addition remained sustainable.

Invalid reference for special audit rendered the assessment completed in the extended period time-barred and void. The earlier appellate determination invalidating the special-audit reference remained effective after rejection of the Revenue's miscellaneous application, while the prior writ order had not decided that issue on merits. Because the additions arose from a void assessment, the Revenue's grounds contesting their deletion or restriction became academic and could not survive independently.

Delay in filing the first appeal during the COVID-19 pandemic may be condoned where affidavits establish that tax matters were not diligently attended because the chartered accountant had ceased active practice and senior-citizen directors faced age-related and medical difficulties. Prior acceptance of the same circumstances as reasonable cause for non-compliance with statutory notices supports condonation. Where reassessment was completed without proper representation during the pandemic, the assessment dispute should be restored for fresh determination after a reasonable opportunity of hearing.

Section 149 permits reassessment beyond the ordinary three-year limitation only where material available to the Assessing Officer indicates income escaping assessment of at least fifty lakh rupees. Alleged unexplained bank deposits and credits aggregating below that threshold did not satisfy the extended limitation requirement, and inconsistent figures in the proceedings did not establish qualifying escapement. Reassessment proceedings initiated under section 148A after three years were therefore time-barred and void in law.

Cash deposits during the demonetisation period were not assessable as unexplained money where opening cash in hand and prior cash withdrawals adequately established their source. The withdrawals exceeded the amount deposited, and the deposits were attributable to a family comprising three adult members. The deposits were therefore satisfactorily explained, and the addition for unexplained money was deleted.

Expenditure incurred to establish a proposed Russian branch, including rent, salaries, travel, administration and project-feasibility costs, may be deducted as revenue expenditure under Section 37 when the expansion project is abandoned. Although the costs were incurred in earlier years and intended for capitalisation and amortisation after the branch commenced operations, no deduction had then been claimed. Where the branch does not materialise because of unfavourable business conditions, the liability crystallises on discontinuance of the project, making the expenditure allowable in the relevant assessment year.

Advances written off by an assessee carrying on financing and investment activities qualify as bad debts under Section 36(1)(vii) where financing and lending form part of its business objects and actual operations. Substantial loans and advances recorded in the accounts, coupled with no evidence of any later change in business activity, establish that the advances were made in the ordinary course of business. Once such advances are written off in the accounts, the deduction is allowable as bad debts.

Valid service of a GST show-cause notice and a meaningful opportunity of hearing were placed in issue before the High Court. A prima facie basis existed to examine whether the notice had been properly served. The respondent authorities were directed to file an affidavit proving service, and coercive action under the impugned GST adjudication was restrained until the next hearing.

For reverse-charge supplies received from unregistered suppliers, the relevant financial year for the input tax credit time limit is the year in which the registered recipient issues the self-invoice. Credit may be availed up to the thirtieth day of November following that financial year, or until furnishing of the relevant annual return, whichever is earlier. The credit is subject to payment of reverse-charge tax and fulfilment of applicable input tax credit conditions. Delayed invoice issuance requires interest on delayed tax payment and may attract penalty.

Special USD-INR foreign-exchange swap facility for FCNR(B) deposits, Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings and External Commercial Borrowings was introduced to strengthen the external sector and support foreign-exchange liquidity. FCNR(B) deposits, under which principal and interest are repayable in the same foreign currency, generated the principal share of inflows. Strong diaspora participation led to advancement of the FCNR(B) window closure. The swap facility for Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings and External Commercial Borrowings remains open until December 31, 2026.

Criminal investigation concerns alleged solicitation and acceptance of an undue advantage by CGST officials in connection with settling a GST/royalty matter involving a stone-quarrying firm. The officials allegedly arranged for a private person to collect the payment. A trap operation resulted in the private person being caught while accepting the alleged undue advantage. Searches at the accused persons' premises led to recovery of cash and jewellery, while further investigation continues.

Import of services from a foreign related person is treated as a supply even without consideration and is taxable in the hands of the Indian registered recipient under reverse charge, requiring self-invoicing. Where the Indian recipient is eligible for full input tax credit, the value declared in its invoice is deemed to be open market value. This treatment applies to related-party imports of services, and where no invoice is issued for a service received from a foreign affiliate, the value may be treated as nil and deemed to be open market value.