The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020 seeks to replace the Ordinance and, inter alia, provides for extension of various time limits for completion or compliance of actions under the specified Acts and reduction in interest, waiver of penalty and prosecution for delay in payment of certain taxes or levies during the specified period.
The outbreak of Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic across many countries of the world, including India, has caused immense loss to lives of people and given rise to unprecedented humanitarian and economic crisis in the country. Due to vagaries of pandemic, a national lockdown was imposed which had to be further extended. Due to very rapid spread
of pandemic, social distancing had to be ensured immediately to prevent society at large from its disastrous consequences. This necessitated ease of compliance under certain tax and other laws.
2. As Parliament was not in session and in view of the urgency, the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) Ordinance, 2020 (Ord. 2 of 2020) was promulgated on the 31st day of March, 2020 which, inter alia, relaxed certain provisions of the specified Acts
relating to direct taxes, indirect taxes and prohibition of Benami property transactions. Further, certain notifications were also issued under the said Ordinance.
3. In view of stakeholders’ representations received after enactment of the Finance Act, 2020, and due to need for further rationalisation of some provisions of certain Acts, further amendments are considered necessary to be incorporated in the proposed Bill replacing the Ordinance.
4. The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020 which seeks to replace the said Ordinance, inter alia, provides for extension of various time limits for completion or compliance of actions under the specified Acts and reduction in interest, waiver of penalty and prosecution for delay in payment of certain taxes
or levies during the specified period.
5. Further, the Bill proposes amendments to the Income-tax Act, 1961 which, inter alia, include providing of tax incentive for Category-III Alternative Investment Funds located in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) to encourage relocation of foreign funds to the IFSC, deferment of new procedure of registration and approval of certain entities introduced through the Finance Act, 2020, providing for deduction for donation made to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES FUND) and exemption to its income, incorporation of Faceless Assessment Scheme, 2019 therein, empowering the Central Government to notify schemes for faceless processes under
certain provisions by eliminating physical interface to the extent technologically feasible and to provide deduction or collection at source in respect of certain transactions at three fourth’s rate for the period from 14th May, 2020 to 31st March, 2021.
6. The Bill also proposes to amend the Direct Tax Vivad se Viswas Act, 2020 to extend the date for payment without additional amount to 31st December, 2020 and to empower the Central Government to notify certain dates relating to filing of declaration and making of payment.
7. The Finance Act, 2020 is also proposed to be amended to clarify regarding capping of surcharge at 15 per cent. on dividend income of the Foreign Portfolio Investor.
8. The Bill also proposes to empower the Central Government to remove any difficulty up to a period of two years and provide for repeal and savings of the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) Ordinance, 2020.
9. The Bill seeks to achieve the aforesaid objectives.
NEW DELHI; NIRMALA SITHARAMAN.
The 11th September, 2020.
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