Taxation (Tax) | CRACKER

Taxation | CRACKER is a solved question book for CA Intermediate | Group I | Paper 3. It is not a textbook. There is no theory to read and nothing to skim. From the first page to the last, it is questions and fully worked answers.

The book gives you past exam questions with model answers, written the way you are expected to write them in the exam. Theory answers are short and to the point. Sums are set out as proper working statements, with clear steps, working notes and short explanations that tell you which section or rule applies. Nothing is left for you to guess.

Every answer has been brought up to date for A.Y. 2026-27 and the latest GST law. Old questions have not simply been reprinted. Where the law has changed, the answer has been rewritten, so you never learn an outdated position by mistake.

The book opens with three tables that show you where to spend your time: which chapters carry the most marks, what was asked in each recent exam, and how the book's chapters line up with the ICAI Study Material. Read those first and you will know exactly what to study hard and what to study lightly.

The Present Publication is the 15th Edition, authored by CA. (Dr) K.M. Bansal & Dr Sanjay Kumar Bansal, with the following noteworthy features:

• [Solved Past Exam Papers up to September 2026] More than 540 questions from past exams, each with a full answer. Questions go back over a decade, with the heaviest coverage from the recent attempts
• [Answers Written the Way You Must Write Them] Sums are laid out as clean working statements with step-by-step amounts, working notes and short explanations. Theory answers are given in crisp points, not long paragraphs
• [Every Answer Updated] Older questions have been reworked as per A.Y. 2026-27 and the latest GST law, so nothing you practise is out of date
• [260 Application-Based MCQs] A separate bank of MCQs for Income Tax and GST, arranged chapter by chapter, with answer keys
• [42 Integrated Case Studies] Long case-based questions with several linked parts each, the kind now asked in the objective section, with answers
• [Two Full Solved Papers] The May 2026 and September 2026 papers in full, with suggested answers and marks shown against every question
• [Chapter-wise Marks Distribution] A table showing what each chapter scored in the last eight exams, with an average for every chapter. It tells you at a glance which chapters are worth the most
• [Previous Exams Trend Analysis] A question-by-question look at the recent exams, showing the marks and whether the question was theory or practical
• [Chapter-wise Comparison with Study Material] Every chapter mapped to the matching ICAI Study Material chapter, so you always know where you are
• [Extra Questions from RTPs and MTPs] Selected questions from ICAI's Revision Test Papers and Mock Test Papers, with answers
• [Marks Shown on Every Question] You can see what a question is worth before you attempt it, and practise to length
• [GST Answers Made Easy to Follow] GST sums show CGST, SGST and IGST in separate columns, with a note against each entry explaining why it is treated that way
• [Honest Answer Keys] Where an old question has no correct option, the book says so instead of forcing an answer

The coverage of the book is as follows:

• Section A | Income Tax Law (50 Marks) | Chapters 1 to 15
• Basic Concepts
• Residence and Scope of Total Income
• Incomes which do not form part of Total Income
• Income from Salaries
• Income from House Property
• Profits and Gains from Business or Profession
• Capital Gains
• Income from Other Sources
• Clubbing of Income
• Set-off and Carry Forward of Losses
• Deductions from Gross Total Income
• Agricultural Income
• Computation of Total Income and Tax Payable
• Advance Tax, TDS and TCS
• Filing of Return
• Section B | GST (50 Marks) | Chapters 16 to 30
• GST in India: An Introduction
• Supply under GST
• Charge of GST
• Place of Supply
• Exemptions from GST
• Time of Supply
• Value of Supply
• Input Tax Credit
• Registration
• Tax Invoice, Credit and Debit Notes
• Accounts and Records
• E-Way Bill
• Payment of Tax
• Tax Deduction at Source and Collection of Tax at Source
• Returns
• Section C | MCQs and Integrated Case Studies (Income Tax Law) | Chapters 31 to 32
• Multiple Choice Questions, arranged chapter by chapter, with answer keys
• Integrated Case Studies, with answer keys
• Section D | MCQs and Integrated Case Studies (GST) | Chapters 33 to 34
• Multiple Choice Questions, arranged chapter by chapter, with answer keys
• Integrated Case Studies, with answer keys
• Solved Papers
• Solved Paper: May 2026 (Suggested Answers)
• Solved Paper: September 2026 (Suggested Answers)

The structure of the book is as follows:

• Three Planning Tables Open the Book — Marks distribution, exam trend analysis and the Study Material comparison, placed before the chapters so you can plan before you start
• Section A | Income Tax Law — Chapter by chapter, with each question followed straight away by its answer
• Section B | GST — The same treatment, chapter by chapter, question followed by answer
• Section C | Income Tax MCQs and Case Studies — MCQs first, then the integrated case studies, each ending with an answer key
• Section D | GST MCQs and Case Studies — Same layout as Section C, for GST
• Two Solved Papers Close the Book — The May 2026 and September 2026 papers in full, with suggested answers
• Each Chapter Numbered on Its Own — You can pick up any chapter and work through it on its own, in any order

About the Author

K.M. Bansal

CA (Dr) K.M. Bansal is an Associate Professor of Commerce at Dr B.R. Ambedkar College, University of Delhi. A Gold Medalist from Shri Ram College of Commerce and a University Rank Holder in M.Com. He later earned his M.Phil. (Accounting & Finance) from the Delhi School of Economics and now supervises research at the same level.

Dr Bansal, a chartered accountant and seasoned educator, has taught for over two decades. He regularly serves as visiting faculty for ICAI and ICSI and is a sought-after speaker at conferences, seminars, and faculty development programmes across India.

His commitment to professional excellence has been recognised repeatedly by the Northern India Regional Council of ICAI, honouring him with certificates of appreciation in its Diamond Jubilee year (2011) and again in 2016, alongside an award for "Commendable Contribution to the Profession."

Known for staying abreast of every shift in accounting standards and business law, Dr Bansal brings a uniform, practical approach to problem-solving, making him a favourite among students and fellow professionals.

Sanjay Kumar Bansal

Dr Sanjay Kumar Bansal has devoted more than three decades to higher education since beginning his academic career in 1990. He is an Associate Professor at a constituent college of Chaudhary Charan Singh University, where he teaches and mentors students in finance and taxation.

A prolific scholar, Dr Bansal has published twenty-four research papers in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. He is the author of Vyavasayik Evam Karyalaya Sanghthan and has contributed chapters to numerous books on Income Tax, Financial Management, E-Commerce, Security Analysis & Portfolio Management.

Dr Bansal actively participates in national and international seminars, webinars, and conferences, frequently presenting his research findings. He supervises six doctoral candidates, guiding them through their PhD pursuits in finance and taxation.