Supreme Court
-
Tax Exemption v/s Tax Exemption for ‘Beneficial Purpose’: Interpretive Dilemmas
The thumb rule in interpreting a tax statute is that it must be strictly construed and any ambiguities in statutory provisions are resolved in favor of the taxpayer. However, the rule relating to interpretation of ambiguities…
-
Rainbow Papers Case and the Art of Misinterpretation
On September 6, 2022, the Supreme Court pronounced its judgment in Rainbow Papers case that unsettled prevailing understanding of the waterfall mechanism under Section 53, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (‘IBC’). And equally unconvincingly defended the merits of…
-
Kerala versus Union: Dispute Lingers
The dispute between the State of Kerala and Union of India involving disagreement on the latter’s scope of power to restrict debt levels of the former, was referred to a Constitution Bench by the Supreme Court.…
-
‘Simple and Non-Controversial’: Section 13A, IT Act, 1961
Section 13A was introduced in the IT Act, 1961 via the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act, 1978 (‘1978 Act’) to grant income tax exemption to political parties. The then Minister of Finance, Shri H.M. Patel, introduced Taxation…
-
Including Capital Gains within Scope of Income: A Short Note from Tax History
Provisions to tax capital gains in India’s income tax law were first included in 1947. The Act XII(22) of 1947, amended Income Tax Act, 1922 (‘IT Act, 1922’) – predecessor to India’s current income tax statute,…
-
State’s Powers to Secure Loans: Kerala-Union Tussle
The State of Kerala (‘Kerala’) recently filed an original suit against the Union of India (‘Union’) alleging that the latter has interfered with its fiscal autonomy by imposing a ceiling limit on its borrowing powers. The issue has…
-
Leg History of Sec 90(4) & 90(5), IT Act, 1961
The infographic below is a snapshot of the legislative history of Section 90(4) and 90(5) of IT Act, 1961. It provides a summary view of the Income Tax Department's attempt to include a stringent condition for…
-
The Din Surrounding ‘DIN’
The Supreme Court recently granted an interim stay on the Delhi High Court’s judgment wherein it was held that a communication issued by an income tax authority without citing the computer-generated Document Identification Number (‘DIN’) does not have…
-
Supreme Court Reduces Penalty under Section 129, CGST Act: Clarifies that Decision is Not a Precedent
Supreme Court in a recent case[1], directed that the penalty imposed on the assessee for transporting goods without a valid e-way bill should be reduced by 50%. While the Calcutta High Court had upheld the levy…
-
Supreme Court Opines on Nature of Section 19 of 101st Constitutional Amendment
In a recent judgment[1], a Division Bench of the Supreme Court engaged in depth with the scope, meaning, and implication of Section 19 of The Constitution (101st Amendment) Act, 2016 (‘101st Amendment’) which catalysed the introduction of GST.…
