Modi hails decision to raise monetary limits for tax litigation
New Delhi, July 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed the government's decision to reduce tax dispute litigation by not filing any appeals except in high-value cases.
He said the decision was in line with his government's belief of trusting the citizens.
The government had on Wednesday decided it will not file any appeals in appellate tribunals, High Courts and the Supreme Court in cases involving an amount less than Rs 20 lakh, Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore respectively.
The earlier limit for filing an appeal in appellate tribunals was Rs 10 lakh while it was Rs 20 lakh for High Courts and Rs 25 lakh for the Supreme Court.
"This move will result in withdrawal of 41 per cent of total cases by CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) and 18 per cent of total cases by CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs). This is in line with our government's belief of trusting our citizens," Modi said in a tweet.
Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said while this move will lead to withdrawal of a substantial amount of cases, but will affect only a fraction of the total value of the disputed amount.
He said that as per estimates, there were tax disputes worth Rs 7.6 lakh crore pending in various appeal tribunals, high courts and the Supreme Court till March 2017.
"Out of this, 66 per cent of cases amount to only 1.8 per cent value of the total litigation value of Rs 7.6 lakh crore," Goyal told reporters here.
"Often it has been found that the cost of litigation is greater than the recovery amount... So to minimise litigation, the government has taken this decision," he added.
In case of income tax, out of total cases filed by the department in Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), 34 per cent of cases will be withdrawn. In case of High Courts, 48 per cent of cases will be withdrawn and in case of Supreme Court, 54 per cent of cases will be withdrawn.
"Withdrawing 41 per cent of pending appeals would affect only 0.82 per cent of the total litigation amount," he said.
Similarly, in case of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), out of total cases filed by the department in Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), 16 per cent of cases will be withdrawn.
In case of High Courts, 22 per cent of cases will be withdrawn and in case of Supreme Court, 21 per cent of cases will be withdrawn.
"And withdrawing 18 per cent of indirect tax related appeals will affect only 1.45 per cent of the litigation amount. Altogether, only Rs 6,000 crore will be forgone by substantially reducing the number of pending litigation," he said.
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Israel's military says it has fully disabled Yemen's main airport with airstrikes
Jerusalem, May 6 (AP): Israel's military said Tuesday it launched airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, fully disabling the country's international airport in the capital, Sanaa, and striking several power plants.
The strikes, the second in two days, came after Israel launched airstrikes in retaliation for a Houthi missile strike the previous day on Israel's international airport.
The Houthis' satellite news channel al-Masirah reported the strikes, confirming the airport had been hit.
Footage aired on Israeli television showed thick black plumes of smoke rising above the skyline of Sanaa. Social media video purported to show multiple strikes around Sanaa, with black smoke rising as the thumps of the blast echoed against the surrounding mountains.
There was no immediate information on any casualties.
Tuesday's strike came shortly after the military issued a warning on social media for people to evacuate the area of Yemen's international airport.
“We urge you to immediately evacuate the area of the airport and to warn anyone nearby to distance themselves immediately,” spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on social media, attaching a map of Sanaa International Airport. “Failure to evacuate the area endangers your lives.”
On Monday night, Israel targeted the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen's Red Sea province of Hodeida, killing at least one person and wounding 35.
The rebels' media office said at least six strikes hit the crucial Hodeida port. Others hit a cement factory in the district of Bajil, 55 kilometres northeast of Hodeida, the rebels said. The Houthi-run Health Ministry said the strikes killed at least four people and wounded 39 others.
The Houthis on Sunday launched a missile that struck an access road near Israel's main airport near Tel Aviv, briefly halting flights and commuter traffic. Four people were lightly injured.
It was the first time a missile struck the grounds of Israel's main airport, Ben Gurion, since the October 2023 start of the war in Gaza. It prompted a flurry of flight cancellations. While most missiles launched by the Houthis have been intercepted, some have penetrated Israel's missile defence systems, causing damage.
The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, raising their profile as the last member of Iran's self-described “Axis of Resistance” capable of launching regular attacks on Israel.
The US military under President Donald Trump has launched an intensified campaign of airstrikes targeting the Houthis since March 15.
Israel has repeatedly struck against the rebels in Yemen. It struck Hodeida and its oil infrastructure in July after a Houthi drone attack killed one person and wounded 10 in Tel Aviv.
In September, Israel struck Hodeida again, killing at least four people after a missile targeted Ben Gurion airport as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was returning to the country. In December, Israeli strikes killed at least nine people in Hodeida.
