The Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai. India is reviewing requests from NRIs to exempt them from double taxation as Covid-19 travel restrictions lead many to prolong their stay. AFP
The Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai. India is reviewing requests from NRIs to exempt them from double taxation as Covid-19 travel restrictions lead many to prolong their stay. AFP
The Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai. India is reviewing requests from NRIs to exempt them from double taxation as Covid-19 travel restrictions lead many to prolong their stay. AFP
The Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai. India is reviewing requests from NRIs to exempt them from double taxation as Covid-19 travel restrictions lead many to prolong their stay. AFP

India reviews requests from NRIs facing double taxation due to Covid-19 restrictions


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India has asked non-resident citizens stranded in the country due to Covid-19 travel restrictions to submit relevant information if they faced double taxation.

India's Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said it received various requests for "relaxation in determination of residential status for year April 2020 to March 2021" from NRIs or non-resident indians, who had to prolong their stay due to the movement restrictions.

In a notice on late Wednesday, the CBDT said that NRIs who faced double taxation, even after the initial relief provided by the government, would need to provide requested information for the department's review.

India imposed one of the world's strictest lockdowns, banning both domestic and international travel for months as the world's most populous country after China endeavoured to stem the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the measures also left many Indians, who were visiting the country but who work abroad, stranded.

The CBDT's latest move comes after it relaxed stipulations for the previous tax year to the end of March 2020, excluding days from the stay of foreigners' and NRIs if they faced Covid-related travel restrictions.

Nishit Parikh, the partner, direct tax and regulatory services at Sudit K. Parekh & Co, a Mumbai-based chartered accountants firm, said that under the latest notice for the current financial year “no specific relief is being provided to residential status of individuals who are stuck in India due to the Covid-19 situation”.

This is because, under India's tax law and double taxation agreement, there should not “be any situation under which the individual taxpayer would be under a hardship of having double taxation in two countries due to the Covid-19 situation”.

NRIs are considered a resident for tax purposes if they stay in India for 182 days or longer in a financial year. For those earning more than 1.5 million rupees ($20,607) of income from Indian sources, the maximum number of days they can stay in the country before becoming liable for taxation is just 120.

In its notice, the CBDT said those facing double taxation should complete a form issued by the income tax department and submit it by the end of March.

“Considering the limited time available to taxpayers for filling this form and providing necessary data to the government, the taxpayers will need to move really fast to collate necessary information and file the same with the government,” said Rakesh Nangia, the chairman of Nangia Andersen India, a professional services firm.

“Post analysing the data collected from individual taxpayers, the government may come up with issuing some relaxation for individual taxpayers in general or for any particular class of taxpayers, for the purpose of determining residential status of such taxpayers.”

He explained that following the government's relaxation for the last financial year and “since the lockdown and travel restrictions continued for a significant period of time during current financial year also, individual taxpayers expected a similar relief or relaxation for this financial year as well”.

Neeraj Bhagat, the founder of Neeraj Bhagat and Co, a chartered accountant, said that there is “a class of individuals who got affected” by the pandemic in the current financial year and “therefore, the government should give relief for 2020-21 as well in line with the other countries”.

“If any person got stranded in India for, let’s say 20 days due to the pandemic, and after two or three months returned again in India and stays for, let’s say 165 days, then as per the circular, his residential status will become resident in India and accordingly his income becomes taxable in India,” Mr Bhagat said.

But other experts point out that India has its reasons for not wanting to provide another general tax relaxation.

“It is pertinent to note here that the CBDT is hesitant to provide universal relief to all the taxpayers to ensure that it does not lead to double-non-taxation in the hands of taxpayers after availing the benefit of relief provided by each country,” said Harsh Bhuta, the partner at Bhuta Shah & Co.

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

FA Cup semi-finals

Saturday: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 8.15pm (UAE)
Sunday: Chelsea v Southampton, 6pm (UAE)

Matches on Bein Sports

 

 

Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20fixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E25%20April%20%E2%80%93%20Ireland%20v%20UAE*%3Cbr%3E27%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Zimbabwe**%3Cbr%3E29%20April%20%E2%80%93%20Netherlands%20v%20UAE*%3Cbr%3E3%20May%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Vanuatu*%3Cbr%3E5%20May%20%E2%80%93%20Semi-finals%3Cbr%3E7%20May%20%E2%80%93%20Final%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEsha%20Oza%20(captain)%2C%20Al%20Maseera%20Jahangir%2C%20Avanee%20Patel%2C%20Heena%20Hotchandani%2C%20Indhuja%20Nandakumar%2C%20Kavisha%20Kumari%2C%20Khushi%20Sharma%2C%20Lavanya%20Keny%2C%20Mehak%20Thakur%2C%20Rinitha%20Rajith%2C%20Samaira%20Dharnidharka%2C%20Siya%20Gokhale%2C%20Suraksha%20Kotte%2C%20Theertha%20Satish%2C%20Vaishnave%20Mahesh.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E*Zayed%20Cricket%20Stadium%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E**Tolerance%20Oval%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Dubai Rugby Sevens

November 30, December 1-2
International Vets
Christina Noble Children’s Foundation fixtures

Thursday, November 30:

10.20am, Pitch 3, v 100 World Legends Project
1.20pm, Pitch 4, v Malta Marauders

Friday, December 1:

9am, Pitch 4, v SBA Pirates

If you go

The flights

Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.

The hotels

Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes. 

The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

Price, base: Dh1.2 million

Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm

Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm

Fuel economy, combined:  12.3L / 100km (estimate)

500 People from Gaza enter France

115 Special programme for artists

25   Evacuation of injured and sick

%3Cp%3EMATA%0D%3Cbr%3EArtist%3A%20M.I.A%0D%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Island%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog

Name: Mariam Ketait

Emirate: Dubai

Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language

Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown

Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures

How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

PRO BASH

Thursday’s fixtures

6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors

10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters

Teams

Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.

Squad rules

All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.

Tournament rules

The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.

Brief scoreline:

Al Wahda 2

Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'

Al Nassr 3

Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm

Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Price: from Dh317,671

On sale: now

While you're here
What is a Ponzi scheme?

A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.

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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20WallyGPT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2014%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaeid%20and%20Sami%20Hejazi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%247.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%20round%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Power: 160hp

Torque: 385Nm

Price: Dh116,900

On sale: now

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

England squad

Joe Root (captain), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes (vice-captain), Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Toby Roland-Jones, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Roll of honour 2019-2020

Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain

West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership

UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes

UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II

UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby