« Top Headlines » Open DEMAT Account in 24 hrs  Delhi HC Rules GST Registration Cannot Be Cancelled Retrospectively Without a Clear Show Cause Notice (SCN)  Belated income tax return AY 2026-27: How to file, late filing charges and what you may lose  Major Financial Changes from August 1, 2026: ITR Deadline, RBI MPC Meeting, Tatkal Ticket Rules & More  Government proposes to ease tax relief conditions for offshore funds  TallyPrime Connected Banking: Automating Banking and Accounting  ITR Filing Deadline 2026: Is July 31 the Last Date to File Your Income Tax Return? Latest Official Update  ITR filing deadline nears: How to file income tax return online on e-filing portal - quick 15-step guide  Will the ITR Filing Deadline Be Extended Beyond July 31 for FY 2025-26? Here's the Latest Update for Taxpayers  Income Tax Refund Delayed for AY 2026-27? 5 Common Reasons Your Refund May Be Stuck and How to Fix It  ITR Filing 2026: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Asks Tax Officials to Let Honest Taxpayers Correct Genuine Mistakes  Will Your FCNR Deposit Stay Tax-Free After Returning to India? Tax Rules Explained for NRIs «  No service tax on defence construction in Cantt area... Rustagi panel likely to submit services tax report... » CAs get half a breather on service tax July, 14th 2006 The finance ministry today gave chartered accountants, cost accountants, and company secretaries some reason to cheer by exempting some of their services from payment of service tax.    The exemption has been limited to representational services provided by them through appearance before a statutory authority in course of a legal proceeding.    The government had earlier brought all services provided by practising chartered accountants, cost accountants, and company secretaries under the purview of service tax, with effect from March 1, 2006.    The decision to impose service tax on their services became contentious, with a chartered accountants lobby pointing at the exemption from service tax made available to lawyers.    Official sources said the latest decision had been taken following representations from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India, and the Association of Company Secretaries of India, seeking an exemption on specified services provided by these professionals, to bring them on a par with similar services provided by other professionals which were out of the purview of the tax.    The decision to impose service tax on the three categories had also attracted writ petitions in court. The Delhi High Court saw two writ petitions being filed by chartered accountants, including one by an individual CA, Sunil Gupta.