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Core Purpose

The Central Government notifies an exemption from tax deduction at source (TDS) under specific provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961, for certain payments made to Units in International Financial Services Centres.

Detailed Summary

The Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), exercising powers under sub-section (1F) of section 197A read with sub-sections (1A) and (2) of section 80LA of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), has issued Notification S.O. 2768(E) on June 20, 2025. This notification exempts specific payments made by any 'payer' to a 'payee' (defined as a Unit in an International Financial Services Centre) from tax deduction at source (TDS) under sections 194J, 194H, 194C, 194A, and 194I of the Income-tax Act. The exempted receipts include Professional, Consulting, Advisory fees; Commission Incentives; Interest on account of lease; Freight Charges or Hire Charges; Portfolio management, Investment advisory, Management, and Performance Fees; Professional or Technical Services fees; Interest Income; Penalty levied on clearing members; Professional, Technical or Contractual fees; and Rent for Data Centres. The notification defines various IFSC Units (e.g., BATF Service Provider, broker-dealer, finance company, fund management entity, recognised clearing corporation, recognised depository, recognised stock exchange) by referencing specific regulations under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019 (50 of 2019), and 'Unit' under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 (28 of 2005). This relaxation is subject to conditions: the payee must furnish a statement-cum-declaration in Form No. 1 to the payer, specifying the ten consecutive assessment years for claiming deduction under section 80LA. The payer must not deduct tax after receiving this declaration and must report these exempted payments in their TDS statement as per section 200(3) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, read with rule 31A of the Income-tax Rules, 1962. The exemption applies only to income from business approved for setting up in an IFSC within a Special Economic Zone. The Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or Director General of Income-tax (Systems) is tasked with establishing procedures for data handling and security. The format for Form No. 1 is as specified in Notification No. 28/2024, S.O 1135 (E), dated March 7, 2024. This notification becomes effective on July 1, 2025.

Full Text

REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99 The Gazette of India CG-DL-E-20062025-264020 EXTRAORDINARY PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (ii) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY NEW DELHI, FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2025/JYAISTHA 30, 1947 MINISTRY OF FINANCE (Department of Revenue) NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 20th June, 2025 INCOME-TAX S.O. 2768(E). In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1F) of section 197A read with sub- sections (1A) and (2) of section 80LA of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961) (hereinafter referred as the Income- tax Act), the Central Government hereby notifies that no deduction of tax shall be made under the provisions of the Income-tax Act as specified in column (4) of the Table below, in respect of the payments as specified in column (3) of the said Table, made by any "payer" to a person, being a Unit in an International Financial Services Centre (hereinafter referred as "payee") as specified in column (2) of the said Table. TABLE +-----+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+---------------------+ | Sl. | International | Nature of receipt | Relevant | | No. | Financial Services | (Payment) | provisions | | | Centre (IFSC | | relating to | | | Unit) (Payee) | | deduction of | | | | | Tax at source | | | | | under Income- | | | | | tax Act | +-----+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+---------------------+ | (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | +-----+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+---------------------+ | 1. | BATF | Professional or Consulting or Advisory fees | 194J | | | Service | | | | | Provider | | | +-----+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+---------------------+ | 2. | Broker- | Payment made by Recognised Stock Exchanges | 194J | | | Dealers | Commission Incentives | 194H or 194C | +-----+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+---------------------+ | 3. | Finance | Interest on account of lease | 194A | | | Company | Freight Charges or Hire Charges | 194C | +-----+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+---------------------+ | 4. | Fund | Portfolio management fees | 194J | | | Management | Investment advisory fees | 194J | | | Entity | Management Fees | 194J | | | | Performance Fees | 194J | +-----+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+---------------------+ | 5. | Recognised | Professional or Technical Services fees | 194J | | | Clearing | Interest Income | 194A | | | Corporation | Penalty levied on clearing members | 194J | +-----+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+---------------------+ | 6. | Recognised | Professional or Technical or Contractual fees | 194J or 194C | | | Depository | | | +-----+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+---------------------+ | 7. | Recognised | Professional or Technical Services fees | 194J | | | Stock Exchange | | | | | | Rent for Data Centres | 194I | | | | Interest Income | 194A | | | | Penalty levied on Members by Stock Exchanges | 194J. | +-----+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+---------------------+ 2. (1) For the purposes of this notification, - (a) "BATF Service Provider" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (h) of sub-regulation (1) of regulation 3 of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Book-keeping, Accounting, Taxation and Financial Crime Compliance Services) Regulations, 2024 made under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019 (50 of 2019); (b) "broker dealer” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (g) of sub-regulation (1) of regulation 2 of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Capital Market Intermediaries) Regulations, 2021 made under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019 (50 of 2019); (c) "finance Company" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (e) of sub-regulation (1) of regulation 2 of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Finance Company) Regulations, 2021 made under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019 (50 of 2019); (d) "fund management entity” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (p) of sub-regulation (1) of regulation 2 of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Fund Management) Regulations, 2022 made under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019 (50 of 2019); (e) "recognised clearing corporation" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (n) of sub-regulation (1) of regulation 2 of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Market Infrastructure Institutions) Regulations, 2021 made under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019 (50 of 2019); (f) "recognised depository" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (o) of sub-regulation (1) of regulation 2 of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Market Infrastructure Institutions) Regulations, 2021 made under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019 (50 of 2019); (g) "recognised stock exchange” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (q) of sub-regulation (1) of regulation 2 of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Market Infrastructure Institutions) Regulations, 2021 made under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019 (50 of 2019); (h) "Unit" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (zc) of section 2 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 (28 of 2005); and (i) "payee" means a unit in an International Financial Services Centre within the meaning of sub-clauses (a) and (d) to the Explanation under sub-section (3) of section 80LA of the Income-tax Act. (2) The relaxation provided in this notification shall be subject to the following conditions, namely: - (a) the payee shall – (i) furnish a statement-cum-declaration in Form No. 1 to the payer, giving details of previous years relevant to the ten consecutive assessment years for which the payee opts for claiming deduction under sub-sections (1A) and (2) of section 80LA of the Income-tax Act; and (ii) such statement-cum-declaration shall be furnished and verified in the manner specified in Form No. 1, for each previous year relevant to the ten consecutive assessment years for which the payee opts for claiming deduction under the said sub-sections; (b) the payer shall – (i) not deduct tax on payment made or credited to the payee, after the date of receipt of copy of statement- cum- declaration in Form No. 1 from the payee; and (ii) also furnish the particulars of all the payments made to the payee on which tax has not been deducted in view of this notification in the statement of deduction of tax referred to in sub-section (3) of section 200 of the Income-tax Act read with rule 31A of the Income-tax Rules, 1962. 3. The relaxation provided in this notification shall be available to the payee only during the said previous years relevant to the ten consecutive assessment years as declared by the payee in Form No. 1, for which deduction under section 80LA is being opted and the payer shall be liable to deduct tax on payments as referred above for any other year. 4 The relaxation provided in this notification is in respect of the income from any Unit in an International Financial Services Centre, from its business for which it has been approved for setting up in such a Centre in a Special Economic Zone. 5. The Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or the Director General of Income-tax (Systems), as the case may be, shall (a) lay down procedures, formats and standards for ensuring secure capture and transmission of data and uploading of documents; and (b) be responsible for evolving and implementing appropriate security, archival and retrieval policies. 6. The format of statement-cum-declaration to be furnished by the payee to the payer shall be the same as specified in Form No. 1 of Notification [No.28/2024] Number S.O 1135 (E), dated the 7th March, 2024. 7. This notification shall come into force on the 1st day of July, 2025. [Notification No. 67 /2025/ F. No. 275/38/2025-IT(B)] RUBAL SINGH, Dy. Secy.

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