Tax Laws & Practice (Tax) | CRACKER – AY 2026-27

Tax Laws & Practice – CRACKER (Direct Tax | GST | Customs) is a fully-solved, examination-oriented question bank for CS-Executive | Group 2 – Paper 7. It is constructed entirely from previous examination questions, arranged topic-wise within each chapter and presented in a clean question-answer format. Crucially, the answers are not reproduced as originally set—every solution is recomputed and rewritten to Assessment Year 2026-27 and the current GST and Customs position, so a student practising a question first asked years ago still works it under today's rates, regimes, and provisions. The book trains candidates to attempt the paper exactly as it is now structured—through theory, computation, and integrated case studies—rather than re-teaching the syllabus. This Edition is applicable for the December 2026 and June 2027 examinations.

The Present Publication is the 7th Edition | June 2026, authored by CA. (Dr) K.M. Bansal & Dr Sanjay Kumar Bansal, with the following noteworthy features:

• [Past Papers, Fully Solved (Latest Pattern)] Previous-exam questions solved in line with the current examination pattern, including the case-based objective format that now commands the highest marks weightage in the paper
• [Topic-Wise Arrangement (up to June 2026)] Every question on a topic is grouped within its chapter and carries its original exam reference (sitting and marks). The pool is predominantly drawn from past CS-Executive papers, with a number of CS-Professional questions (concentrated in the GST chapters) and a few CMA questions for added coverage
• [Updated to AY 2026-27 & Current GST/Customs Law] Answers reflect the default regime under section 115BAC, the special rates effective 23rd July 2024 (STCG u/s 111A; LTCG u/s 112A at 12.5% without indexation and the ₹1.25 lakh threshold), revised surcharge and section 87A rebates, and current GST/Customs provisions (e.g., ITC blocking under sections 16 and 17(5), Baggage Rules, Customs Tariff duty types)
• [Theory & Computation in Every Chapter] Concise, section-referenced descriptive answers for theory questions alongside step-by-step computational solutions for practical problems (salary and house-property formats, GST liability with IGST/CGST/SGST set-off ledgers, value of supply under specific CGST Rules, customs baggage and duty calculations)
• [Marks Distribution & Trend Analysis] A Chapter-wise Marks Distribution Chart (Dec. 2023 to June 2026, with six-exam averages) and a question-level Previous Exams Trend Analysis classifying each question as Practical/Theory/Descriptive
• [Mapped to the ICSI Study Material] A chapter-wise comparison aligning each book chapter with its corresponding study-material chapter
• [Tables & Formats as Revision Aids] Extensive comparison tables, rate tables, and prescribed computation formats, so worked solutions double as revision notes

The coverage of the book is as follows:

• Part I – Direct Tax (Chapters 1–13)
• Direct Tax at a Glance; Basic Concept of Income Tax; Incomes which do not form part of Total Income; the five heads of income (Salary; House Property; Profits and Gains from Business and Profession; Capital Gains; Income from Other Sources); Clubbing provisions and Set-off and/or Carry Forward of Losses; Deductions; Computation of Total Income and Tax Liability of various Entities; Classification and Tax Incidence on Companies; and Procedural Compliance
• Part II – Indirect Tax: GST & Customs (Chapters 14–20)
• Concept of Indirect Taxes at a Glance; Basics of GST; Levy and Collection of GST; Time, Value & Place of Supply; Input Tax Credit & Computation of GST Liability; Procedural Compliance under GST; and Overview of the Customs Act
• Part III – Case-Based Objective Questions
• Organised into Section A – Income Tax and Section B – Indirect Taxes (covering GST and Customs): extended, multi-part case studies (for example, minimum tax liability, SEZ-unit deduction under section 10AA, perquisite valuation, Chapter VI-A deductions including the 80G adjusted-GTI mechanics, GST registration and time of supply, ITC eligibility, customs duty on exports, and old-versus-default regime computations) that mirror the high-mark integrated questions in the current paper
• Solved Paper – June 2026 (Suggested Answers)
• A complete, fully-worked solution to the most recent examination, spanning the descriptive, practical, and case-based segments (for example, a multi-unit house-property loss computation, advance-tax liability under section 208, a partner's income with clubbing of spouse's and minor's income, and types of customs duty)

The structure of the book is as follows:

• Plan-Before-You-Practise — The book opens with three navigational tools: the Marks Distribution Chart, the question-level Trend Analysis, and the ICSI Study-Material comparison, so students can prioritise before they begin practising
• Three-Part Body in ICSI Sequence — The content follows the ICSI order across Part I (Direct Tax), Part II (Indirect Tax – GST & Customs), and Part III (Case-Based Objective Questions, Sections A and B), mirroring the actual split of the paper between descriptive/practical questions and integrated case sets
• Concept-to-Computation Flow Within Each Chapter — Numbered Q&A run from concept-clarifying distinctions toward full computational problems, with each chapter independently paginated for quick reference
• Solved Paper — The volume ends with the June 2026 solved paper, letting students attempt a complete recent paper under fully updated law before the exam