President Donald Trump on Thursday (US local time) signed an executive order formally implementing the US-Japan trade agreement, a landmark pact that lowers tariffs on Japanese autos to 15% and secures a $550 billion investment pledge from Tokyo, the White House announced.The White House confirmed the move in a statement posted on X.Under the agreement,…
Wall Street traded in green on Thursday as pressure from the bond market eased and investors closely watched signs of weakness in the US labour market. The S&P 500 gained 0.17% or 10 points to reach 6,459. Dow Jones Industrial Average began the day in red but jumped 54 points or 0.12%, trading at 45,325…
Jewellers on Thursday welcomed the government’s move to reduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates in several sectors, saying the decision would indirectly benefit the gems and jewellery industry by boosting demand, even though the sector’s tax rate remains unchanged at 3%.“The current GST reforms (GST 2.0) offer no direct and immediate relief to gems…
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits increased slightly last week, reflecting that employers are retaining workers despite the economy showing signs of slowing down.According to the figures released by the US labour department on Thursday, for the week ending 30 August, jobless claims rose by 8,000 to 237,000. The rise was higher than…
Will your travel budget take a hit under the new GST regime? As the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Wednesday approved a two-tier structure of 5% and 18% for most goods and services, concerns have grown over whether premium air tickets and train seats will now cost more.Under the new structure, GST on…
Taxpayers filing their returns using the ITR1 or ITR2 don’t have to bother about this additional form. (AI image) NEW DELHI: Noida-based self-employed professional Alka Sharma was among the early tax return filers last year because she was expecting a fat tax refund. “The 10% TDS deduction on my professional income and fixed deposit interest…
The US trade gap widened sharply in July, hitting its largest level in four months, as businesses rushed in imports ahead of fresh tariffs from US President Donald Trump.Figures from the department of commerce on Thursday showed the deficit rose by 32.5% to $78.3 billion. Imports jumped 5.9% to $358.8 billion, while exports increased only…
India’s sweeping Goods and Services Tax (GST) rationalisation, approved on Wednesday, is being hailed by business leaders as a major step to spur consumption, lift growth, and soften the impact of “lopsided” tariff regimes from the United States.The GST Council decided to compress the current rate structure into two slabs of 5% and 18%. The…
Donald Trump administration’s 50% tariffs on India have rendered the country’s exports uncompetitive in the US markets. (AI image) India, the world’s fastest growing major economy, is preparing to bear the brunt of US President Donald Trump’s trade war and 50% tariffs. In this backdrop, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate cuts couldn’t have…
FM Sitharaman at press conference after GST Council meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit back at opposition criticism over the government’s latest GST reforms, including raising the maximum tax slab from 28 per cent to 40 per cent. The increase, mainly on sin and luxury goods, had drawn jibes from the Congress, who dubbed…