Govt to decide on change to I-T laws soon

Seeking to lift investor sentiments, the government on Monday said that it will not wait for the budget, which is due in February, to address the issues concerning retrospective amendment to Income Tax laws. ‘Once we take a view [on Shome Committee report], I see no reason why we should wait for the budget session. We should move whatever changes have to be brought about in Parliament as early as possible,’ finance minister P Chidambaram told reporters here. The committee, headed by tax expert Parthasarathi Shome, had last week submitted its report on retrospective tax amendment.

‘The Shome Committee report on retrospective legislation is under examination and we would have to complete that examination quickly and take a view,’ Chidambaram said. The Committee was mandated to suggest measures to deal with retrospective amendment of I-T laws and tax treatment of cases that involve indirect transfer of Indian assets such as the Vodafone-Hutchison deal in 2007.