Introduction

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is responsible for issuing currency, managing foreign exchange and regulating the financial system of the economy. It plays a key role in managing the flow of money in and out of the country. This is because for two reasons:

• The government wants to ensure that the source of such money being sent into or out of the country does not come from crime or end up being used for an illegal purpose
• To protect the local currency market from being destabilized due to the excessive outflow of the rupees.

What is LRS??

The Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), introduced vide AP (Dir Series) Circular number 64, dated February 4, 2004, is one of the steps taken by the government towards easing the controls on foreign exchange movements in and out of the country in the process of liberalisation.

A remittance can be inward (i.e. when the amount comes into India from abroad) and outward (i.e. when the amount is sent from India to abroad). LRS is applicable only for the outward remittances made. This scheme is described as ‘liberalised’ because till the introduction of this scheme, the individuals were allowed to remit the amount abroad subject to compliances under FEM (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000 and with specific permission from RBI wherever required.

Read more: Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)

1. RBI announces the limit for the stock of External Commercial Borrowings:

RBI in consultation with the Government of India to have a rule-based dynamic limit for outstanding stock of External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) at 6.5 per cent of GDP at current market prices. Based on the GDP figures as on March 31, 2018, the soft limit works out to USD 160 billion for the current financial year. The outstanding stock of ECB as on September 30, 2018 stood at USD 126.29 billion.

For more details, refer press release: 2018-2019/1422 dated December 20, 2018.

Read more: FEMA Updates for the month of December 2018

Key Topics:

AUDIT

• SIA 220 - “CONDUCTING AN OVERALL INTERNAL AUDIT PLANNING"

FEMA

• OVERVIEW ON PROCEDURE FOR SETTING UP OF SEZ UNIT
• LIBERALISED REMITTANCE SCHEME (LRS)

UPDATES

FEMA

• FEMA UPDATES FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2018

GST VALUATION OF STOCK TRANSFERS TO AGENTS, RELATED AND DISTINCT PERSONS

Introduction:

It has been a year since GST has rolled out. Though the trade is familiar with the concept of supply and valuation under GST law, yet few of them are facing certain practical difficulties in aligning their business to GST. In this article, we are going to touch up on the GST aspects relating to establishment of a branch, agent or any other related entity. 

The Concept of Related Persons, Distinct Persons & Agents under GST Law:

• Related persons mean a person who is a member of family, officer, director of another business, partners, employer and employee, a person or an entity who holds 25% or more voting stocks or shares in a company and they can either directly or indirectly controls the other. Related persons also include legal persons, and sole agent or sole distributor or sole concessionaire.
• Distinct persons are the offices or establishments of a single entity which are located in different states for which more than one registration under GST is required to be obtained in each of the states in which such offices or establishments are located. Each such offices or establishments located in different states having separate registration shall be treated as distinct persons for GST law.
• Agent means a person who acts in a way of representative character to supply or to receive goods or services or both on behalf of principal. Agent includes a factor, broker, commission agent and del credere agent etc.,

  Read more: Valuation in case of Stock transfer

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