From road transport to health insurance, tax rules that changed from Oct 1

A slew of changes to direct and indirect taxes announced by the government earlier came into effect from October 1. 

Here’s the lowdown on the changes:

TAXES

i) 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) applicable on e-commerce operator on sale of goods. However, certain exemptions have been provided to some modes or players such as insurance agents or aggregators after the first premium with some riders

ii) 0.1% tax collected at source (TCS) on sellers receiving ~50 lakh in the previous year from the sale of goods

iii) TCS at the rate of 5% imposed on money remitted outside India. However, if the remittance is made out of a loan taken for higher education, the TCS rate will be 0.5 per cent of the money remitted

TV SETS

Customs duty of 5% applicable on open cell panels, a critical part in TV manufacturing. Manufacturers say this will make TV sets costlier, but finance ministry sources allay fears over any major hike in prices  

ROAD TRANSPORT

No need to carry physical copies of registration certificate and driving license, soft copies will do

Mobiles can be used navigating routes in such a manner that these don’t disturb drivers

LPG CYLINDERS

No free cylinders under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

HEALTH INSURANCE

Prices of premium health insurance will rise as new rules come into effect 

CREDIT CARDS

Permission will have to be taken from banks if plastic cards are to be used outside India. People will now be able to register for preferences such as opt-in or opt-out services, spend limits, and other services for online transactions, etc

BAN ON BLENDING WITH MUSTARD OIL

No other oil can be blended with mustard oil, according to new norms by the food regulator FSSAI