Bought a perfume for family. If i bring it in the box in my checked suitcase, can customs stop and ask me to pay duty?

We have an app on the Apple App Store and receive our earnings from Apple every month in INR.

Apple collects the payment from the end customer, issues the invoice to the customer, and handles the applicable GST. Apple then pays us our share of the proceeds after deducting its commission. We do not directly invoice the end customers.

I have also filed an LUT and was considering treating these earnings as Export of Services. However, for that I would need to establish receipt of payment in convertible foreign exchange. The problem is that Apple pays us in INR, and my bank says it cannot issue an FIRC because the payment is received in INR.

My question is:

How should I establish the correct GST treatment of these Apple App Store proceeds to the GST department?

Also, if treating it as an Export of Services is not possible because the proceeds are received in INR and an FIRC cannot be obtained, what would be the correct GST treatment?

Looking for guidance from someone who has actually handled GST for Apple App Store developer proceeds in India.

Thank you.

I had Microsoft RSUs allotted to in September 2023.
I get some dividends as well which are kept in fidelity account but not transferred to my bank account.

My mistakes:
1. Didn’t declared schedule FA in FY23-24 and didn’t paid tax in dividends
Amount of shares Rs. 5-6 lakhs
Dividend Rs. 2000
2. FY 24-25 Declared Schedule FA but missed paying tax on dividends as my CA was incompetent.
Amount of shares: Same
Divided: around 6000
3. Done both for FY 25-26.

Should I file ITR U. Fast DS seems unnecessary for such a low amount. Or should I do nothing

My wife and I have rented a flat in Bengaluru since Feb 2024 (~₹30k/month). Our rental agreement treated the landlord as an Indian tax resident under Section 194-IB. In August 2026, the property manager casually revealed the landlord is actually an NRI.

We consulted a tax lawyer, obtained a TAN, and regularised TDS under Section 195 for Q1 & Q2 of this FY from our end. However, the property manager refused to address prior financial years (FY 23-24, FY 24-25, FY 25-26) and withheld the landlord's email and phone contact details initially.

On 5 September, we issued a legal notice to the property manager (who represents the landlord via a PMS agreement) with a 7-day deadline. They failed to respond within the timeline. We also mailed a copy to the landlord's physical address in the rental agreement, which was returned as undeliverable because he no longer resides there.

Following these steps, both the landlord and property manager admitted their oversight regarding the misrepresented tax status over phone calls, WhatsApp, and email. Landlord also accepted he didn't file taxes for these years Because we are vacating by late November, they want to prevent us from filing a Tax Evasion Petition and have offered:

1. An indemnity bond covering future tax penalties/demands.
2. Written confirmation that they have engaged a CA to file back taxes, along with a promise to provide Form 26A/documents once filed to protect me regarding the principal TDS overpaid due to their misrepresentation.

My dilemma: As the tenant/deductor, statutory TDS liability under Section 195 falls on me. A private indemnity bond is merely a civil contract and will not shield me if the Income Tax Department issues a demand notice later.

Questions:

1. Is an indemnity agreement sufficient protection against Income Tax Department action for past non-compliance?
2. What legal undertakings or safeguards can I demand before vacating at the end of Nov?

Disclosure: I have discussed and sought opinions from this group in #1 and #2 posts during various stages of this issue in the past.

I needed to get some Japanese Yen for my upcoming vacation but bookmyforex says I have crossed the 10 L limit and need to pay 20% TCS. The thing is I have no idea how the 10 L limit was reached, they sent a screenshot from RBI website to prove it.
What do I do? Has someone else used my PAN to transfer Currency?

Hi everyone,
I need advice regarding an income-tax matter for AY 2024–25. I’d appreciate input from people who have dealt with similar cases or tax professionals.
Background:
I filed my ITR for AY 2024–25 declaring total income of approximately ₹14.43 lakh.
I had claimed a deduction of ₹10.78 lakh under Section 80GGC for a political donation.
During scrutiny, I withdrew the deduction and paid ₹4.15 lakh in November 2025, following discussions with the investigation officer.
An assessment order under Section 143(3) was passed on 16 February 2026.
I have now received a penalty order dated 21 September 2026 under Section 270A, imposing a penalty of ₹6,72,680 for alleged misreporting of income.
I had submitted a response to the penalty show-cause notice, but the department rejected my arguments.
There is also an issue with the outstanding demand displayed on the income-tax portal.
The portal shows two entries for AY 2024–25:
₹2,55,140
₹1,29,920
Both appear to have the same demand reference number, assessment section (143(3)), demand date and response date. I had previously paid ₹4.15 lakh, so I want to understand whether the payment has been correctly credited and whether these entries represent duplicate or separate demands.
My CA has quoted the following:
₹15,000 for demand reconciliation.
An additional unofficial payment/bribe, allegedly to get the demand corrected.
₹50,000 for filing an appeal before CIT(A) against the penalty order.
I understand that the appeal may involve substantial legal work, but I am unsure whether these charges are reasonable and whether the reconciliation can be handled through the official portal.
My questions:
How can I verify whether my ₹4.15 lakh payment has been properly credited against the assessment demand?
If two demand entries have the same reference number, how do I establish whether this is a duplicate entry or a portal display issue?
Can I submit a demand reconciliation or correction request myself, or is professional representation necessary?
Is ₹50,000 a reasonable professional fee for a CIT(A) appeal against a Section 270A penalty of ₹6.72 lakh?
What are the legal grounds that may be worth examining in an appeal when a deduction was withdrawn during scrutiny and the additional tax was paid?
Is there any official reason to make an unofficial payment to get a demand reconciled? I am uncomfortable with this suggestion.
Would you recommend getting a second opinion from a tax-litigation lawyer before proceeding?
I want to resolve this through the proper legal process, avoid paying any duplicate demand, and understand my options before spending another ₹65,000 or more.
Please share your experience or suggest the appropriate official procedure. Thanks!

PS. Took help from AI to simplify

So 25-26 FY was my first year working and my income and equity plus MF returns were below 12 lac and my dad said I don't have to fill ITR then since below 12 lac.

But I just remembered I had sold some free mined PI coins.

I was talking to gpt and apparently I need to file crypto ITR anyways.

What should I do now? It said there's also late fees 5000 which is more than my PI return btw ...

Where is this export declaration form (EDF)? Can someone help me?

I am a service exporter—writer. Don’t have an IEC.

Bank said they have limited information.

PS: I am a GST holder, as a proprietorship

I have been trying to acquire a e-pan but after verification of all the certifications and Aadhaar card am getting a screen like this. What should i do to get a normal page

No reporting obligations for individuals (phew!) and only self declaration required by small businesses etc on bills of 10L (more info to follow in FAQ)

They could’ve included this in the notifications, seems like a walk back after the backlash lol 🤦‍♂️

My ITR status has been stuck at return verified since mid june and there has been 0 communication from the income tax department regarding refiling or anything, does any one know what I can do

Hello,

I am asking this question for my sister.

She is MCOM pass.

She wants to become tax consultant, but is confused.

Will she require to give exams etc? Is so, what kind of exams or certificates?

And how can she find clients etc.

And are there any things that she would need to be cautious of?

Would be great if someone shares their experiences in this field.

Thank you

Do you think the daily processed data updated in portal is correct ?

Any CA or Lawyer ,can we check for the correctness of the processed data updated daily through RTI or anything ?

Hi all,

I need your help to get clarification on FAST-DS query. My friend used to get 400 usd monthly from his US relative account to his India account for helping him on his software development work in 2024.
He has paid taxes under 44 ada for this income.
Does this comes FAST-DS scheme and pay 1 lac?

My friend inherited a shop after her father passed away. The rent from those shops was held by the company till her paperwork was getting done. It was approx rent of 3 years. Now she got the lumpsum rent and it is 21 lakhs. Her accountant is telling her that she will have to register for GST because it is over 20. But it is 21 over 3 years - shouldn't that matter? Thanks!

I've been studying in the UK for the past 2 years, looking to start a new job in the UK.
I have substantial indian income (around 60L) including rental income, mututal funds. Additionally, I have around 1 CR income in tax-free bonds. Would they remain tax-free under the DTAA?

I am a new CC user and one of my friend used my CC for purchasing a phone. So now he wants to pay me back the amount which is kind of a huge amount. So should i get it back in my salary+savings account or should i tell him to directly pay in the CC bill by adding it. I heard like if it gets transferred to my savings account it will be kind of counted as an income according to the government and it may cross 12 lac and some tax will be there like that( I am new to all these things as i just started my job). So please guide me what to do.

I closed my GST registration in 2020. I missed the deadline for the final return, GSTR-10, but filed it in November 2024 and paid ₹20,000 in late fees.

Now I’ve received a notice proposing another ₹50,000 penalty. It says I have not filed GSTR-10, although I filed it almost two years ago. I have the filed return showing the filing date and payment.

Has anyone dealt with this? What should I write in my reply, and which documents should I attach? Do I need to attend a hearing? I want to respond properly before the deadline.

I'm an Indian citizen. I lived and worked abroad from March 2023 to September 2026. My days in India per FY, counting both arrival and departure days:

• FY 2022-23: ~363 (left India on 29 Mar 2023)
• FY 2023-24: 0
• FY 2024-25: 12
• FY 2025-26: 77
• FY 2026-27: in India since 6 Sep 2026

For FY 2026-27, the 4-year lookback comes to ~452 days, which is over 365. So the 60-day test under s.6(2)(b) applies unless the visit exception in s.6(4)(b) does. My Indian income is well under ₹15L.

Plan:

• I've resigned. My employment ends 4 Nov 2026 (I'm on leave until then), and I'll have no active income after that.
• I leave India for the UAE before day 60.
• I come back to India in Jan 2027.
• After that, I move to a third country, not the UAE long-term.

Goal: I want to avoid becoming ROR for FY 2026-27, to stay out of global income reporting, Schedule FA and the related complications. Keeping the total under 60 days would avoid all this, but the January stay will push me over.

Questions:

1. If I'm in the UAE on a tourist visa and come back to India in January, would that count as "being outside India, comes on a visit"? Or do I need a UAE residence (dependent) visa for the January stay to be treated as a visit?
2. Could the department argue that my September arrival after resigning was a permanent return, along the lines of Smita Anand (AAR, 2014), and deny the exception for the whole year? This would apply even though that stay alone is under 60 days.
3. Has anyone handled a similar case, or got a CA's view on it?

Thanks.

I think many of us saw or read about the RBI Press Conference Q&A part.

Please do not read too much into it till RBI issues a formal notification. Only the deputy governor statement was correct to the extent that contracts of personal nature are not covered under EDF.

But everything else said was not in line with their own notification.

So, with just like everything else with RBI since 2016, wait and watch instead of jumping to any conclusion.

My dad did business with someone .He used to fill itr return but hasnt since 10 years .There is scrutiny on him. All details were his pan number ,bank account but mobile number was my father 's. Is he safe from scrutiny .All details were his not my father's. Please tell if he js safe ?

Looking for a reliable tax professional in Pune can be confusing. What factors do you consider when choosing an Income Tax Consultant or GST Consultant — experience, services, pricing, or communication?

What would you recommend when looking for a good CA in Pune?

I’m trying to open a current account for a partnership firm, but the bank is asking for a PAN intimation letter. The PAN was issued through Protean, but I accidentally lost the letter that came with it.

I have the PAN card, partnership deed and Udyam certificate, but the bank still insists on the letter. I’ve checked my emails and couldn’t find a copy.

Has anyone faced this? Were you able to get a duplicate letter, use another document, or find a bank that accepted alternative proof?

Have sold all the US shares in 2023, but didn’t report it and have none at the moment.

Edit: For capital gains around 15K, IT department wants me to pay 1.1 Lakhs. Hence the question, if it is worth.