India FM: Vodafone appeal is unrelated to retrospective taxation

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement


India FM: Vodafone appeal is unrelated to retrospective taxation

Vodafone India Court Appeal

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has defended India's decision to appeal a Bombay High Court ruling in the Rs 8,500 crore ($1.7 billion) Vodafone transfer pricing case, saying it is not related to a separate, retrospective tax issue.



"Why should the government not file an appeal when it thinks that it is an appealable order?" the minister reportedly told ET Now, an online news portal. Jaitley was responding to a question about the tax department's decision to appeal a Bombay High Court ruling made in October 2015. 

Vodafone won its case against the Indian authorities’ (ITAT) transfer pricing adjustment in October 2015 over the sale of a call centre, which the government is now appealing to the Supreme Court using a Special Leave Petition.





Jaitley rejected criticism of the Indian government’s handling of the Bombay High Court case in an interview published on 20 April, asserting that "there is no company in the world that is immune from paying taxes”.

Vodafone is awaiting international arbitration on another case relating to the ITAT’s imposition of retrospective legislation on the 2007 purchase of an Indian telecom group.



more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

The big four firm allegedly reviewed backdated documents and signed off on accounts that removed hundreds of millions of dollars of Abramovich’s assets
New Tier 1 entrants and an expanding cohort of established players indicate that law firms are becoming increasingly credible challengers in Europe's TP market
Awards
Leading firms and individuals gathered in Dubai to celebrate standout legal, dealmaking and tax work across the region
Tax authorities want more revenue, have better tools to find it and are increasingly willing to fight for it
Audifina, the sixth-largest firm of its kind in Lithuania, will bring a 90-strong team with offices in Vilnius and Kaunas to RSM’s international platform
As global capability centres use AI to deliver services, MNEs face a fresh wave of PE and TP exposure that their existing playbooks weren't built for
The deal for Comtax hands Ryan immediate scale in Brazil, with a near-70-strong team serving clients from São Paulo
The arrivals of Julio Castro and Adam Blakemore mean the firm has added six tax partners to its global practice since the start of 2025
Tax authorities have gained unprecedented transparency through CbCR, but a new study suggests they may not be looking in the right places
The future chief tax officer will be judged not only on compliance, but on their ability to harness data, technology and AI to support strategic decision-making
Gift this article