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Extensively using carve-outs, which is creating subsidiaries and then going in for IPOs, and exemptions have been hobbling the IFRS-compliant new Indian Accounting Standards (Ind-AS), which kicked in from April 1, 2016. It helped that Sebi, the stock market regulator, allowed reporting standalone financial results instead of consolidated results. Around 1,000-odd companies with net worth of Rs 500 crore or above were covered in the first phase of Ind-AS implementation. Comprising 40 accounting standards, this entailed changes in the financial reporting framework. Revenue recognition, taxes and financial instruments were seen as the key impact areas to watch out for. “The full impact of Ind-AS on financial performance, as well as on the financial position of corporate India, will be visible only when one gets the consolidated accounts for the full year with all the relevant disclosures,” said Sai Venkateshwaran, partner and head, accounting advisory services, KPMG. Tax experts p...

The next step in the war against corruption would be a crackdown on benami property, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday, as he again thanked people for enduring the “pain” caused by the scrapping of high-value currency. Modi, who has come in for criticism for scrapping Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes that triggered a cash crunch, said if curbing corruption required “even tougher steps, those would be taken”. “You are possibly aware of a law about benami property in our country which came into being in 1988, but neither were its rules ever framed, nor was it notified. It just lay dormant,” Modi said during the year’s last edition of Mann ki Baat, his monthly radio programme. “We have retrieved it and turned it into an incisive law against benami property. In the coming days, this law will also become operational,” he said. One of the biggest criticisms of demonetisation is that cash accounts for only 6% of the black money, the bulk of which is parked in real estate, bullion or is st...

The proposed changes could do away with the long-drawn process of settling disputes, even after years of litigation. Among the suggestions being considered is to give a window — possibly 30 days — for settling disputes between complainants and people whose cheques bounced. If the two parties fail to come to an understanding within that time, the defaulter could be put in jail without bail at the court’s discretion. “These are among several options on the table. We will finalise the specifics shortly. To promote cashless transactions, we will not shy away from incorporating stringent provisions,” said a source involved in deliberations over amendments to the negotiable instruments act, which governs cases relating to bounced cheques. Cheque bounce is a bailable offence under the current law, which enables defaulters to stay away from jail as long as the trial is on. The law stipulates imprisonment up to two years or fine that may extend up to double the dishonoured amount, or ...

Restrictions on withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs are likely to continue beyond December 30 as currency printing presses and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have not been able to keep pace with the demand for new currency notes. As the 50-day deadline for the completion of demonetisation process draws near, there is a growing consensus among bankers that the restrictions on withdrawal would have to continue even in the New Year so as to maintain orderly working at the banks. Banks at many places are not in a position to disburse even the current limit of Rs 24,000 per week due to the cash crunch and are rationing the valid currency depending on cash availability. If this limit is withdrawn for individual and businesses from January 2, it is unlikely that banks would be able to disburse the higher demand for valid currencies given the current cash position. "Most of us think that the withdrawal limit would not be completely withdrawn. It is a possibility that it could be relaxed...

In a bid to calm frayed nerves of stock market players, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday clarified the government has no intention to impose a tax on long-term capital gains from trading in shares. He went on to blame “some sections” of the media for “misinterpreting” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Mumbai on Saturday. Jaitley said: “The Prime Minister’s speech in Mumbai on Saturday has been misinterpreted in some sections of the media, which have started speculating this is an indirect reference to the fact that there could be long-term capital gains (tax) on securities transactions.” He said such an interpretation was “absolutely erroneous,”, adding the “Prime Minister had made no such statement directly or indirectly... and therefore, I wish to absolutely clarify there is no occasion or opportunity for anybody to reach such a conclusion because this is not what the Prime Minister said, nor is the intention of the government as has been reported.” Read our ful...