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1. INCOME TAX OFFICE REMAIN OPEN ON 30th and 31stMARCH, 2013
   
   SECTION 119 OF THE  INCOME TAX ACT, 1961 - INCOME TAX AUTHORITIES - INSTRUCTIONS TO SUBORDINATE AUTHORITIES - ORDER FOR FACILITATING FILING OF IT RETURNS BY TAX PAYERS FOR F.Y. 2012-13 ON 30th & 31st MARCH, 2013

ORDER [F. NO. 225/45/2013/ITA.II], DATED 13-3-2013

The Financial Year 2012-13 closes on 31-3-2013. In view of holidays on 27th and 29th of March and thereafter, on 30th and 31st March, being Saturday and Sunday it is directed that all the Income-tax Offices throughout India shall remain open and the receipts counters shall also work during normal office hours on 30th and 31st of March 2013. The direction is issued for administrative convenience by the Central Board of Direct Taxes in exercise of powers conferred under section 119 of the Income-tax Act, 1961.

Special arrangements may also be made by way of opening additional receipt counters, wherever required on 30th and 31st March 2013 to facilitate filing of return of income and other related work of tax payers. These instructions may be given wide publicity.

1. New ITR Forms for AY 2013-14 expected to be notified by end of March, 2013.

“The new forms for filing the income tax returns for the assessment year 2013-14 are proposed to be notified by the end of March, 2013,” Minister of State for Finance S SPalanimanickam said in a written reply to the LokSabha.

Every year, the government notifies forms for filing of income-tax returns after incorporating changes brought out by the Finance Act of the previous year and the suggestions received from stakeholders.

Replying to a separate question, the Minister said Rs 97,611 crore in direct taxes and Rs 1,08,081.08 crore in indirect taxes are locked up in litigation.

On steps taken by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to minimise litigation time to ensure early release of the locked-up amount, Palanimanickam said: “In order to facilitate early disposal of appeals pending with ITAT (Income Tax Appellate Tribunal), High Courts and Supreme Court, instructions have been issued to ensure proper and timely representation.”

On steps taken by the Central Board of Excise and Customs ( CBEC) to minimize litigation time to ensure early released of the locked-up amount, the Minister said, “Threshold limit of filing of Departmental Appeals have been prescribed as Rs 25 lakh, Rs 10 lakh, and Rs 5 lakh before the Supreme Court, High Court and Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate tribunal respectively.”
The legislative amendments in the Finance Bill, 2013 have been introduced to enhance the monetary limit of cases heard and disposed by single member benches of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, Palanimanickam added.

Replying to a separate question, Palanimanickam informed LokSabha that in the searches conducted by the Income Tax department in 2012-13 (up to December 30) seized unexplained assets of Rs 543.5 crore.

In 2011-12 the department had seized unexplained assets of Rs 905.60 crore, while in the previous fiscal that of Rs 774.98 crore were seized, he said.

1. Amend ST-1 ST - 2 Form (registration) to file ST – 3 of July, 2012 to September, 2012.

This is to inform you that the service tax assessees who have registered on or after 01.07.2012 and the service description is 'Other than in the Negative List' or those assessees who have amended their Registration, and added the description 'Other than in the Negative List', are required to amend the online Registration, whereby the said description is required to be deleted, the relevant description is to be added from the drop-down list in the online Amendment Form.

Only after doing so, these assessees will be able to file their return for the period from July, 2012 onwards.

Service tax return due date for July, 2012 to September, 2012 is 15.04.2013 and
Service tax return due date for October, 2012 to March, 2013 is 25.04.2013.

1. Due Date extended for online Service Tax Return for the period 01.07.2012 to 30.09.2012 from 25.03.2013 to 15.04.2013.
   
   There are major changes in service tax wef 01.07.2012 with the introduction of Negative list regime. Due to these changes,Service tax return of first half year of F.Y. 2012-13 was broken in to two quarters i.e April 12 to June, 2012 and July, 2012 to Sep, 2012. As you know that Service tax return is required to file through online mode only but ACES website was not made ready to accept the return for first quarter even after extension of time and first quarter return was filed by public through offline utility only.

Department bad luck was not for the first quarter only,its continued.The second major mistake they have done that after introduction of negative list,the department has abolished the separate service tax Accounting code for each service and introduced a single Accounting code for all service but at later stage restored the Accounting code for  120 service again.This has been done in between 2nd quarter of F.Y. 2012-13.So taxpayer has deposited the tax for second quarter in respectivecodes as well as in single codes.

The third time unlucky is that due date for second quarter i.e July 2012 to September 2012 has been announced recently as 25.03.2013(Notification 1/2013 dated 22.02.2013).whereas no facility has been provided to upload the return at ACES,so department has issued a circular that return form will be available online in first week of March,2013.At that time we have already shown our doubt on departments commitment and mentioned in out earlier pot that due date for second quarter will surely be extended.

Now, the department has extended the Due date to file online Service tax return for the period 01.07.2012 to 30.09.2012 from 25.03.2013 to 15.04.2013. 

1. No Security required for New DVAT Registration till 31st March, 2013.

(TO BE PUBLISHED IN PART IV OF THE GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY) GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY OF DELHI OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER, VALUE ADDED TAX VYAPAR BHAWAN, I.P. ESTATE, NEW DELHI-110002

No. F. 7(453)/ Policy/ VAT/2012/1068-78                                          
Dated: 01/01/2013

NOTIFICATION

I Prashant Goyal, Commissioner, Value Added tax, Delhi, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sub-section (1) of Section 19 of the Delhi Value Added Tax Act, 2004 hereby direct that no security would be required to be furnished by such dealers, who apply for registration with Department up to the 31st of March 2013.

This Notification shall come into force with immediate effect.

Sd/-
(Prashant Goyal)
(Commissioner, Value Added Tax)