Articles by MONISH BHALLA

GST Compensation to States: The Corona Effect

MONISH BHALLA 20 April 2020 at 15:59

The Central government reportedly owes around Rs 30,000-34,000 crore to states as the GST compensation for December 2019 and January 2020. The compensation for December-January was supposed to be released by the second week of February. Many attribute the delay to the Centre's fund crunch due to the economic slowdown.

Sabka Vishwas (Legacy Dispute Resolution) Scheme, 2019 : A Miscarriage Before The Baby Is Born

MONISH BHALLA 02 September 2019 at 13:24

The Intention of the government is crystal clear: There is a need to unload the legacy litigation baggage and allow business to m..

Service Tax on Education - Scope enhanced, confusion reduced

MONISH BHALLA 25 July 2014 at 12:37

The ambiguous drafting of a legal provision defeats the purpose of a law. It is the job of the law makers to address the concerns of people at large and remove air of uncertainty over its interpretations. The Finance Minister, in his maiden budget sp

Service Tax Audit

MONISH BHALLA 16 June 2011 at 11:50

The country is passing thorough a phase where the need of transparency at all levels appears to be explicitly essential. There is a trust deficit at all levels, be it the Civil society, public at large or government machinery. The assessees are en

In the world of Service Tax many questions lack an easy answers

MONISH BHALLA 13 November 2010 at 17:18

The complex and overlapping service tax structure is a bottle-neck not only for businessmen but also for professionals in service tax department. There are many questions which do not have easy answers. In fact, some issues are so perplexing that ev

Unprofessional Service Tax rules for certain professionals

MONISH BHALLA 04 November 2010 at 16:04

Today, business does not survive without an efficient and effective team of professionals. CAs, cost accountants, advocates, senior legal counsels, company secretaries, tax experts and consultants are the most sought after species for any large organ

Efficient and Responsible litigation by Govt. are a rarity

MONISH BHALLA 27 October 2010 at 12:53

Many feel that the tribunals and courts are pro assessee as majority of the decisions pronounced are against the revenue. But there is another side of the coin, which they fail to see. Majority of these departmental appeals should not have been ma

Service tax authorities misuse show-cause provisions

MONISH BHALLA 20 October 2010 at 13:06

The entire Tax system stands on the foundations of mutual trust between tax payers and the assessing officer. Likewise, the provisions of service tax are too, based on trust. The assessee filing returns are expected to do self-assessment of taxes

Nothing special about Service Tax exemption in SEZ

MONISH BHALLA 13 October 2010 at 13:45

The term special economic zone (SEZ) sounds as music to the ears, as it appears that those running their units in the SEZ are at an advantage, compared to their counterparts in the domestic tariff area (DTA). Special Economic Zones h

Checks and balances in Service Tax Audits

MONISH BHALLA 07 October 2010 at 12:07

Checks and balances are utmost essential in any tax regime. The service tax payers are entrusted with a self-assessment system wherein the tax paid by them is deemed to be appropriate and correct. Nonetheless, there might be instances where some ass