TAXATION UPDATES 17.04.2019

I-T DEPT REVISES FORMAT OF TDS CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY EMPLOYERS

The Income Tax department has revised Form 16 by adding various details including income from house property and remuneration received from other employers, thereby making it more comprehensive to help check tax avoidance It will also include segregated information regarding deductions under various tax saving schemes, investments in tax savings instruments, different allowances received by the employee as well as income from other sources. Form 16 is a certificate issued by employers, giving details of employees' TDS (tax deducted at source) usually by mid June and is used in filing I-T returns. The revised Form, which has been notified by the Income Tax department, will come into effect from May 12, 2019. This means the income tax returns for financial year 2018-19 will have to be filed on the basis of revised Form 16. Among other things, the revised Form 16 will also include details of deductions in respect of interest on deposits in savings account, and rebates and surcharge, wherever applicable. Meanwhile, the income tax department has also modified Form 24Q which is furnished by employer to the tax department. It will include additional details like Permanent Account Number (PAN) of non-institutional entities from whom the employee has taken loan for buying or constructing housing property.

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EXAMINATION FOR CONFIRMATION OF ENROLLMENT OF GST PRACTITIONERS

The National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) has been authorized to conduct an examination for confirmation of enrollment of Goods and Services Tax Practitioners (GSTPs) in terms of the sub-rule (3) of Rule 83 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017, vide Notification No. 24/2018-Central Tax dated 28.5.2018. The GSTPs enrolled on the GST Network under sub-rule (2) of Rule 83 and covered by clause (b) of sub-rule (1) of Rule 83, i.e. those meeting the eligibility criteria of having enrolled as sales tax practitioners or tax return preparer under the existing law for a period not less than five years, are required to pass the said examination before 31.12.2019 in terms of Notification no. 03/2019-Central Tax dated 29.01.2019. Two such examinations for such GSTPs have already been conducted on 31.10.2018 and 17.12.2018. The next examination for them shall be conducted on 14.06.2019 from 1100 hrs to 1330 hrs at designated examination centers across India. It will be a Computer Based Examination. The Registration for the exam can be done by the eligible GSTPs on a Registration Portal, link of which will be provided on NACIN and CBIC websites. The Registration Portal for exam scheduled on 14.06.2019 will be activated on 21st May, 2019 and will remain open up to 4th June, 2019. The applicants are required to make online payment of examination fee of Rs. 500/- at the time of registration for this exam.

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12% GST ON RECS: RENEWABLE POWER COMPANIES MOVE DELHI HIGH COURT

Renewable power companies have moved the Delhi High Court, seeking to exempt the renewable energy certificates (RECs) from the goods and services tax (GST). The case will also have implications on priority sector lending certificates, used widely in the banking sector. These certificates current attract a GST rate of 12 per cent. The court on Tuesday issued notices to the Centre, the GST Council and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs in this regard. Abhishek Rastogi, said securities are defined as neither goods nor services under GST laws and hence are not  taxable under the indirect tax regime. For this purpose, the definition of securities is taken from a provision under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act. Clause (h) of the section 2 of the Act defines securities as shares, scrips, stocks, bonds, debentures, debenture stock or other marketable securities of a like nature in or of any incorporated company or other body corporate derivatives. RECs fall under the definition of securities, argued Rastogi. These scrips are traded on IEX (Indian Energy Exchange) and PXIL (Power Exchange India Limited) and are electricity derivatives, Rastogi said.

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GOVT REMOVES IPS OFFICER FROM ED AFTER NIRAV MODI CASE CONTROVERSY

In an unprecedented move, the central government has removed senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Vineet Agarwal on Tuesday from the post of special director at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) with immediate effect. The finance ministry issued an order on Tuesday after getting sanction from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and subsequently the ED headquarters in Delhi issued the orders relieving Agarwal from the post of special director of the agency in Mumbai. An ED special director, based in Mumbai, heads the western region of the agency and has control over Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The charge has now been handed over in an ‘additional capacity’ to the agency’s special director based in Chennai. Agarwal’s tenure in the ED has been cut short by three years and the 1994-batch IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre has been repatriated to his home state. He has served over two years in the enforcement agency. Agarwal was sent on deputation to the ED in January 2017 for five years by the central government. His name cropped up on March 29 after he issued an order relieving his joint director in Mumbai, Satyabrat Kumar, from the Nirav Modi case probe when the court hearing in the extradition case of the absconding diamantaire was under way in London. As a controversy erupted in the sensitive case, being monitored at the top levels of the government, ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra issued a fresh order in Delhi and cancelled Agarwal’s signed order, within a few hours. Sources say his removal from the position was due to his interference in the Nirav case, which is being specifically monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office. Besides, his decision of transferring a joint director is not within his purview. 

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CASH SEIZED FROM SHOP IN TN, COPS OPEN FIRE TO DISPERSE AIADMK SUPPORTERS

Authorities conducted search at a store in the Theni Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday night following inputs about suspected cash, during which police had to open fire in the air to disperse supporters of the TTV Dhinakaran-led AMMK who objected to the action, officials said. The raiding team, comprising officials of the Election Commission-appointed surveillance squad and the income tax department, seized bundles of cash allegedly meant for distribution among voters, they said. When the team arrived at the store in Andipatti in Theni district, believed to be run by a supporter of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), the shopkeeper fled the spot after downing the shutter. Soon, an argument broke out between AMMK workers and the officials which resulted in a commotion and police fired four rounds in the air, they said. No one was injured in the firing, a senior official said. Four AMMK volunteers were detained in connection with the incident. The packets have ward numbers and number of voters written on them and Rs 300 is written on each of the packets. The raid is continuing, the senior official said.

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RS 300 PER VOTER: RS 1.5-CR SEIZED FROM DHINAKARAN'S PARTY MEN AT ANDIPATTI

The Income Tax Department Wednesday said it has seized Rs 1.48 crore cash allegedly stashed to bribe voters in Tamil Nadu's Theni district, where an assembly bypoll is scheduled Thursday. It was neatly packed in 94 packets and envelops on which the ward number, number of voters and the amount of Rs 300 per voter was written, I-T Director General (investigations) B Murali Kumar said, after the overnight raids concluded at 5:30 AM. Kumar added that the premises belong to a functionary of the AMMK party. In fact, the AMMK party office functions from the ground floor of the premises, he said. The department will send a report on the operation to the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Election Commission in New Delhi, a senior official said.

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CLEARTAX LAUNCHES TOOL TO HELP BUSINESSES FILING GST RETURNS

Online tax filing platform, ClearTax, has launched a ‘GST Health Check’ a free tool to assist businesses filing goods and services taxes. The tool generates a detailed report of a business’s GST health and provides data-backed GST insights to businesses which could be used to claim an accurate input tax credit, reduce the risk of penalties, avoid late fees and government notices. Created to capture the market’s need for a comprehensive GST compliance report, the tool could also be used by Chartered Accountants and GST practitioners, who file returns for multiple businesses and are currently busy with GST checks for their clients.

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AROUND 5,000 SUPER-RICH LEFT INDIA IN 2018

India witnessed the third largest outflow of high networth individuals (HNWIs) in the world in absolute terms, after China and Russian Federation, last year, according to a recent wealth migration report. Around 5,000 Indian super-rich have migrated from the country during 2018, according to Global Wealth Migration Review 2019 (GWMR) published by the AfrAsia Bank and research firm New World Wealth. However, in percentage terms, only 2% of Indian HNWIs have migrated from India. Percentage of HNWIs' refers to the outflow divided by the total number of HNWIs living in that country. In absolute terms, the highest outflow was visible in China with 15,000 HNWIs, or 2% Chinese super-rich, left the country, followed by Russian Federation with 7,000, or 6% HNWIs outflow. Turkey witnessed the highest outflow at 10%, but in absolute terms 4,000 Turkish HNWIs migrated. Around 48% of India's wealth is held by HNWIs in 2018 and was identified as the ninth among the top ten countries for HNWIs with 327,100 resident HNWIs. The country also lists among the top three countries in terms of resident billionaire with 118 billionaires, after the US (715 resident billionaires) and China (237 resident billionaires). The reasons identified for HNWIs leaving the country are safety, especially of women and children; climate, pollution, space, nature and scenery; financial concerns; schooling and educational opportunities for their children; work and business opportunities; taxes; healthcare system; religious tension, standard of living and oppressive government. However, according to the GWMR, the outflows of HNWIs from China and India are not particularly concerning as they are still producing far more new HNWIs than they are losing. Also, once the standard of living in these countries improves, several wealthy people are expected to move back. Notwithstanding this, the ongoing trade war between the US and China is a bit of a concern, especially as relates to the crackdown on Chinese hi-tech exports (i.e. Huawei). If this trade war continues, it could encourage more wealthy Chinese people to leave China, the report added. India will overtake Germany and the UK to become the fourth largest wealth markets in the world by 2028 with an estimated wealth growth of 180% to $22,814 billion from $8148 billion in 2018. Currently, it is the sixth largest wealth market globally. However, the country's wealth growth has marginally fallen 1% over 2017's wealth of $8230 billion. The fastest growing wealth markets in India are expected to be driven by strong growth forecast in the local financial services, IT, business process outsourcing, real estate, healthcare and media sectors. Mumbai is currently the only Indian city among the top 20 cities worldwide in terms of total wealth held. Total private wealth held worldwide amounts to approximately $204 trillion. The average individual has net assets of $27,100 (wealth per capita). There are approximately 14 million HNWIs (millionaires) in the world, each with net assets of $1 million or more. There are approximately 560,000 multi-millionaires in the world, each with net assets of $10 million or more. There are approximately 25,000 centi-millionaires in the world, each with net assets of $100 million or more. There are 2,140 billionaires in the world, each with net assets of $1 billion or more. Conversely, countries that attract HNWIs (like Australia and the US) tend to be very healthy and normally have low crime rates, good schools and good business opportunities, it said.

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RAJYAVARDHAN SINGH RATHORE DECLARES ASSETS WORTH RS 10.68 CRORE

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Tuesday declared assets worth Rs 10.68 crore according to the affidavit he submitted while filing his nomination papers from the Jaipur rural Lok Sabha seat. His wife Gayatri Rathore and daughter Gauri Rathore have moveable assets worth Rs 2.05 crore and Rs 3.93 lakh respectively. There is no immovable asset in their names, the affidavit says. The 49-year-old shooter and Olympian possesses 14 weapons-- 10 0.12 bore gun, one 0.357 pistol, one rifle, one 0.22 bore rifle and one 0.30 bore rifle. Of them, 10 are prize awards and two ancestral weapons.

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MUMBAIKARS LOSE OUT RS 45 CRORE IN ROBBERIES

While the government is taking extra efforts in making Mumbai a safe city, statistics provided by Mumbai Police say otherwise. The statistics reveal that Mumbaikars have lost over Rs 45.69 crore in past six years in robberies, and the police has recovered just Rs 16.75 crore of the robbed amount. The robbery cases have increased almost 50 per cent from 2013 to 2018. The amount is huge. In 2013, 679 cases of robbery were registered in Mumbai. The cases increased to 931 in 2018, which is almost 50 per cent rise, said Shaikh. Total number of robbery cases registered from January 2013 till December 2018 is 4,674. The total amount of property robbed in these cases is Rs 45.69 crore. The stolen property recovered in these six years is 16.75 lakh. The recovery percentage is mere 37 per cent, said Shaikh. He further said, The government has set up as many 6000 CCTV cameras across the city with the expenditure of Rs 949 crore. For the safety of Mumbaikars, the police should take more concrete steps. Also recovery rate of property in robbery cases require great improvement, Shaikh said.

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UN OWES INDIA RS 264 CRORE FOR PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS: UNSG REPORT

The United Nations owes India USD 38 million the highest it has to pay to any country, for the peacekeeping operations as of March 2019, Antonio Guterres has said as he voiced concern over the world body's deteriorating financial health In his report on improving the financial situation of the world body, he said, as of March 31, 2019, the total amount payable to troop- and police-contributing countries with respect to active peacekeeping missions was USD 265 million. Of this, the UN owes USD 38 million to India, followed by Rwanda (USD 31 million), Pakistan (USD 28 million), Bangladesh (USD 25 million) and Nepal (USD 23 million), Guterres said in his report. He said the arrears to troop- and police-contributing (TCCs/PCCs) countries could increase to USD 588 million by June 2019 in the worst-case scenario. The UN chief added that which troop- and police-contributing countries will or will not be paid depends on the cash position of the individual missions to which they contribute and is not determined by their individual capacity to shoulder that unfair burden. That has created a paradox. The United Nations is now effectively borrowing for prolonged periods from troop- and police-contributing countries. Many of them are low-income countries for which that imposes a significant financial burden. At the same time, the Organisation is asking those same countries to do more to train their personnel and improve the quality of their equipment, all while operating in increasingly challenging environments. The United Nations, however, is not fulfilling its obligation towards them in a timely manner, he said. Guterres further said that troop- and police-contributing countries make every effort to provide well-trained and well-equipped personnel to peacekeeping operations, and they continue to improve on that objective. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin had said that the financial situation of the United Nations' peacekeeping, particularly the non-payment/delayed payment of arrears to the troop/police contributing countries, is a cause for concern. He had said that the practice of delaying payments to TCCs/PCCs, even as contractual obligations to others are met, cannot continue unaddressed. It results in TCCs/PCCs bearing unsustainable burdens. In some cases, TCCs and PCCs are owed 100 to 200 times their cumulative annual financial contributions to the UN, he had said. Guterres said while the UN is working to become more effective, nimble, accountable, transparent and efficient, the success of the organisation's efforts depends not only on the internal efforts of the Secretariat, but also on the support of Member States and on the predictability and adequacy of their financial contributions to UN programmes and activities. Expressing concern about the organisation's deteriorating financial health, the UN chief, said the UN is facing deepening liquidity problems in its regular budget, a trend that must be urgently halted and reversed. Peacekeeping operations also face frequent cash constraints that forced the Organisation to postpone the settlement of its obligations to troop- and police-contributing countries, he said. The UN had a positive cash balance of USD 412 million at the end of 2010 but it finished 2018 with a negative cash balance of USD 323 million a decrease of USD 735 million in an eight-year period. Guterres said that regular budget assessments are issued at the beginning of each year and member states are required to pay their contributions in full within 30 days. In 2017 and 2018, 73 member states had paid their contributions in full by the end of the first quarter, compared with 62 in 2016 and 67 in 2015. So far, 74 member states have paid in full in 2019. Regrettably, some member states pay neither in full nor on time. The level of arrears at the end of 2018 was USD 529 million, equivalent to more than 21 per cent of that year's assessments and nearly 150 per cent of the liquidity reserves, he said. The United States is responsible for 22 per cent of the USD 5.4 billion regular budget for 2018 and 2019 and more than 28 per cent of the USD 6.7 billion peacekeeping budget for the year to June 30. As of the end of the 2017/18 peacekeeping fiscal year, outstanding contributions to peacekeeping operations amounted to almost USD 2 billion, well above the USD 1.3 billion unpaid as on June 30, 2017. The overall level of unpaid peacekeeping contributions is also affected by the decision of one Member State to contribute at a level approximately 3 per cent below its applicable rate of assessment, he said. The UN chief requested the General Assembly to increase the Working Capital Fund to USD 350 million effective July 1, 2019 and to create a Peacekeeping Working Capital Fund of USD 250 million and authorise its use to address the liquidity challenges of active peacekeeping operations among ways to help improve the financial situation of the world body and deal with timely payment of dues to troop and police contributing countries.

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RAWAT BATS FOR INDIGENISATION

Bipin Rawat on Monday called for enhanced coastal security and expressed satisfaction over the thrust being attached by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) for indigenisation and augmenting its fleet under ‘Make in India’ programme to face the challenges posed by various elements He was speaking after commissioning the Indian Coast Guard Ship Veera, third in the series of seven offshore patrol vessels built by L&T Shipbuilding. Describing the induction of the ship as a historic occasion, Gen. Rawat said the dynamics of modern conflicts was fast changing. Scenarios to fight in the sea and air are undergoing change, he said and stressed the need to work in close coordination with the Army, and explained how they were successfully working jointly in the Andamans and other parts. Stating that the Coast Guard was the youngest force created by the Ministry of Defence in 1978, he said they had been mandated to take up various operations to ensure round the clock surveillance with a hawk eye vigil on coastal and maritime security. Gen. Rawat said that the Coast Guard had developed flexibility and resilience to work as per the demand and underlined how it had played a stellar role in taking up joint operations with the Army. The induction of air cushion vehicles would further strengthen the capabilities of the Coast Guard, the fourth largest force in the world. He said the Coast Guard was working in close coordination with the Navy and other stakeholders in serving the maritime security and coastal security. It was also extending aid to civil authorities in the event of natural calamities such as cyclones and floods, he said and cited how it saved several lives during the Chennai and Kerala floods.

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MANEKA GANDHI AND AZAM KHAN BARRED FROM CAMPAIGNING

Azam Khan and Maneka Gandhi were also barred from campaigning for 72 hours and 48 hours, respectively. Both leaders have been barred from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media (electronic, print and social media etc.) during the ban period. Poll panel had barred now BJP president Amit Shah and SP leader Azam Khan for making inflammatory speeches in defiance of showcause notices already issued to the two leaders. The ban on Shah was lifted only after he apologised and assured the EC the he will not violate the Model Code of Conduct again. Khan, however, offered no such apology or assistance and was, therefore, barred from campaigning for the rest of the Lok Sabha polls in 2014.

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CROSS-LOC TRADE ALONG POONCH-RAWALAKOT ROUTE RESUMES; 70 TRUCKS CROSS BORDER

The cross-LoC trade between J&K and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) along the Poonch-Rawalakot route resumed Tuesday after nearly two weeks, with 70 goods trucks crossing the Line of Control officials said. The move came as a relief to traders, who had been incurring losses due to the suspension. Trade and travel between the two sides were suspended following heavy Pakistani shelling along the LoC on April 1 which led to the death of three people -- BSF officer, a woman and a five-year-old girl -- in Poonch. Twenty-four others, including five security personnel, were injured.

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INDIA’S TRAVEL SPENDS TO GROW TO $136 BILLION BY 2021

The Indian traveller have spent about $94 billion in 2018 on around two billion domestic and international trips and this momentum is expected to continue. The industry is expected to grow at 13 per cent growth rate per annum to $136 billion by 2021, according to a report. Deep diving into the $136 billion spends, the report cites a 12 per cent growth in transportation ($50 billion), 13 per cent growth in lodging ($21 billion), and consumption (which includes spends on shopping, recreation and food) to grow at 13 per cent ($65 billion) over the next three years. Additionally as more people come online, smartphone penetration improves, and use of digital payments goes up, the report estimates that Indian travellers will spend an additional $24 billion on online travel bookings over the next three years, a growth from 25 per cent in 2018 to 35 per cent in 2021. Online video too plays a significant role with 21 per cent of travellers being influenced by this platform. In the booking and sharing phase, the report states that nearly 60 per cent of customers book transport and lodging online, and over 50 per cent share feedback online with social media being the dominant platform. Nearly 70 per cent of the frequent flyers book online and cumulatively spent $17 billion in 2018. They make their choices based on convenience, availability, brand preference and past experiences. About 86 per cent of budget business travellers research online, whereas only 60 per cent book online, cumulatively spent $20 billion in 2018.

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25 WTO MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN MINI-MINISTERIAL MEET ON MAY 13-14

About 25 developing countries will be participating in a meeting to be held in the national capital from May 13-14 to discuss various issues related to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), an official said. The commerce ministry has already received approval from the Election Commission to hold this mini-ministerial meet. EC’s nod is necessary since the model code of conduct is in place. Member countries could deliberate upon issues such as reforming the WTO, the official said. Recently, the WTO cautioned that the global trade will continue to face strong headwinds this year and in 2020 after growing slower-than-expected in 2018 due to rising trade tensions and increased economic uncertainty. India has time and again stressed the importance and relevance of the WTO for promoting global trade. This will be the second mini-ministerial meet to be organised by India. In March last year, over 50 nations participated in a meeting here to explore options for resolving various issues and re-invigorating the WTO.

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UK EMPLOYMENT HITS RECORD HIGH DESPITE BREXIT UNCERTAINTY

British employment has reached a record-high level shaking off stubborn uncertainty surrounding the UK's departure from the European Union, official data showed on Tuesday. The level of employment in the UK increased by 179,000 to a record high of 32.72 million people in the three months to February 2019, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement. That was the highest level since records began in 1971, according to the ONS. The unemployment rate remained at 3.9 percent, the lowest level since 1975. European leaders last week agreed with British Prime Minister Theresa May to delay Brexit until October 31 at the latest, saving the continent from a chaotic no-deal departure. Following Tuesday's jobs data, analysts at Capital Economics said Brexit was not applying the brakes to hiring just yet in the UK.

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INDIAN PM COULD MEET CHINESE PRESIDENT TWICE IN BACK TO BACK MEETINGS IN JUNE

A newly elected Indian PM following May 23 poll results could meet Chinese President Xi Jinping twice in quick successions in June in what would be back to back meetings between the two leaders. The newly elected PM is expected to meet Xi for a standalone meet for the first time in 2019 on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) between June 14-15 in less than a month's time after poll results and subsequently in Osaka (Japan) between June 28-29 on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. While the third Russia-India-China Summit is also expected to be organised on the sidelines of G-20 Summit, Russian President Putin and Indian PM will have opportunity to meet for first time in standalone meetings in 2019 on the sidelines of the two summits. But all eyes will be on Xi-Indian PM meet being held in the backdrop of China's decision to shield Masood Azhar despite mounting global pressure and the second edition of BRI Summit being boycotted by India. While SCO Summit will give the Indian PM opportunity to expand ties with Central Asia with which Delhi has launched a structured dialogue, the G-20 meet will enable the PM to meet President of USA, Indonesia, PMs of Japan, Australia, Singapore and South Korea besides Saudi Crown Prince among other leaders.

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HOUSE PANEL CHAIRMAN GIVES IRS APRIL 23 DEADLINE ON TRUMP TAXES

US congressional Democrats on Saturday headed for a showdown with the Internal Revenue Service over President Donald Trump's tax returns, setting a new hard deadline of April 23 for the federal tax agency to hand the documents over to lawmakers. In an April 13 letter that appeared to move Democrats closer to a federal court battle against the Trump administration, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal warned the IRS that failure to comply with his request for six years of Trump's individual and business returns by April 23 would be interpreted as a denial. The Trump administration has already missed an initial April 10 deadline for obtaining the tax records, which Neal first set when he made his request on April 3. Democrats based their request on the panel's jurisdiction over IRS enforcement of the tax laws against U.S. presidents. As Ways and Means chairman, Neal is the only lawmaker in the House of Representatives authorized to request individual tax information under a federal law that says that the Treasury, which oversees the IRS, shall furnish the data. Steven Mnuchin said he has consulted with the White House and Department of Justice about Trump's tax returns and raised questions about the scope of the committee's authority. Republicans have condemned the request as an overreach that could weaponize confidential taxpayer data, while the White House has said the documents will never be turned over. Those concerns lack merit. Moreover, judicial precedent commands that none of the concerns raised can legitimately be used to deny the committee's request, Neal told IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig in the letter. It is not the proper function of the IRS, Treasury or Justice to question or second guess the motivations of the committee or its reasonable determinations regarding its need for the requested tax returns and return information. Please know that, if you fail to comply, your failure will be interpreted as a denial of my request, Neal wrote. Democrats have long acknowledged that the request, if denied, would mean a federal court battle. Legal experts say lawmakers could vote to hold administration officials in contempt of Congress, which would provide a basis for the House to ask a federal judge to order the Treasury Department to comply. Congress would likely win such a court fight, but it could take months or even years to unfold, experts say. Neal's request for the returns of a sitting president is unprecedented, and legal experts say its success or failure may depend on a court ruling about the committee's legislative purpose for seeking the documents. Neal said in his letter that the request is needed to further legislative proposals and oversight related to our Federal tax laws, including but not limited to, the extent to which the IRS audits and enforces the Federal tax laws against a President.

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US ASKS CITIZENS TO RECONSIDER TRAVEL PLANS TO PAKISTAN DUE TO TERRORISM

The US has advised its citizens to reconsider their travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and asked them not to travel to restive Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), identified as the most dangerous areas due to terror attacks. While Pakistan in general has been placed in Level Three category in the latest travel advisory issued by the US on Monday, several parts of the country, including Balochistan, KPK province, PoK and India-Pakistan border, have been placed in the most dangerous Level Four category in which US citizens are asked not to travel due to high risk areas. Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or near Pakistan, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR), the State Department said in the travel advisory. Asserting that terror groups continue plotting possible attacks in Pakistan, the State Department said that terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, military installations, airports, universities, tourist locations, schools, hospitals, places of worship and government facilities. Similarly, in the PoK, it warned that militant groups are known to operate in the area and the threat of armed conflict between India and Pakistan remains. Indian and Pakistani military forces periodically exchange gun and artillery fire across the Line of Control (LoC), it said. Active terrorist and insurgent groups routinely conduct attacks against civilians, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government offices, and security forces. These groups historically have not discriminated between government officials and civilians. Assassination and kidnapping attempts are common, including the targeting of polio eradication teams, it said.

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CS Meetesh Shiroya