INDIRECT TAXES

# Rate reduction in central excise duties has been partially rolled back and the standard rate on all non-petroleum products enhanced from 8 per cent to 10 per cent ad valorem.

# Excise duty on large cars, multi-utility vehicles and sports-utility vehicles has been increased from 20 per cent to 22 per cent.

# The basic duty of 5 per cent on crude petroleum, 7.5 per cent on diesel and petrol, and 10 per cent on other refined products has been restored. Central excise duty on petrol and diesel has been enhanced by Re 1 per litre each.

# Excise duty on all non-smoking tobacco such as scented tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco etc has been enhanced.

# The service tax rate has been retained at 10 per cent to pave the way for GST. But certain services, hitherto untaxed, are being brought within its purview which include health checkups, services by electricity exchanges, services of sponsorship of sports, services of promoting of a "brand" of goods, services and events amongst others. However accredited news agencies which provide news feed online and meet certain criteria have been exempted from service tax.

# Refrigeration units required for the manufacture of refrigerated vans or trucks will be fully exempt from customs duty. Specified equipment for preservation, storage and processing of agriculture and related sectors will be exempt from Central excise.

# To build the corpus of a National Clean Energy Fund, a clean energy cess on coal produced in India at a nominal rate of Rs 50 per tonne will be levied. This cess will also apply to imported coal.

# Central excise on LED lights has been reduced from 8 per cent to 4 per cent, at par with Compact Fluorescent Lamps.

INDIRECT TAXES