February 2026

The SGB Issue: Why Tax Certainty Matters

Imagine a Test match where the host prepares two pitches — a green top for fast bowlers and a dry track for spinners. Before the match, it announces that the green top will be used, and the visiting team selects its players accordingly. After the toss, the host switches to the dry track — the one prepared for itself. In cricket, this would be called unfair play. In taxation, it is called a retrospective change. That is what the Budget 2026 proposal does by removing the capital gains exemption on Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) already bought.

The SGB Issue: Why Tax Certainty Matters Read More »

Virtual retro tax overshadows many positives of this Budget

Budget 2026 offers several promising reforms, but one provision threatens to overshadow them all: taxing capital gains on Sovereign Gold Bonds bought from the secondary market. Previously, RBI redemption was tax-exempt regardless of how the bonds were acquired; restricting this benefit only to original subscribers is effectively retrospective, with an estimated impact of about ₹8,000 crore.

Other measures are constructive—TRS-based sell-downs could deepen the corporate bond market; overseas individuals of non-Indian origin may soon invest in Indian equities; and proposals such as exempting global income of returning experts and enabling online low-TDS certificates could ease frictions for talent and startups. Yet some areas fall short, including limited relief in TCS on overseas tours and a less calibrated STT hike.

Rolling back the SGB amendment is essential to avoid reviving concerns over retrospective taxation and to let the Budget’s genuine positives shine through

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Vigilance Awareness Week 2025 (VAW2025)

Vigilance Awareness Week 2025 is being observed from October 27th to November 2nd, 2025, with the theme:

सतर्कता: हमारी साझा जिम्मेदारी (“Vigilance: Our Shared Responsibility”).

All stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the e-pledge initiative by visiting the CVC portal: https://pledge.cvc.nic.in/.