Hospitality Provided on a Cruise Does Not Alter Its Status as Passenger Carriage Under Tax Law; Section 44B Benefit Upheld: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has delivered a landmark judgment ruling that cruise operators in India continue to qualify for presumptive taxation under Section 44B of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Court clarified that providing hospitality services onboard does not change the fundamental nature of passenger carriage, which is essential for the application of Section 44B. Background of the Case and Dispute The case was brought before the Supreme Court by…