The government on Tuesday increased the windfall profit tax on crude oil produced in the country and reduced the levy on exports of diesel.
The tax, levied in the form of Special Additional Excise Duty or SAED, on domestically produced crude oil was increased to Rs 9,800 per tonne from Rs 9,050 a tonne, according to an official notification.
SAED on the export of diesel was reduced to Rs 2 per litre from Rs 4 a litre and on jet fuel or ATF to nil from Rs 1, the notification said.
SAED on export of petrol will continue to be zero. The new tax rates will come into effect from Wednesday.
India first imposed windfall profit taxes on July 1 last year, joining a growing number of nations that tax supernormal profits of energy companies. At that time, export duties of Rs 6 per litre ($12 per barrel) each were levied on petrol and ATF and Rs 13 a litre ($26 a barrel) on diesel.
A Rs 23,250 per tonne ($40 per barrel) windfall profit tax on crude oil produced by companies such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) was also levied.
The tax rates are reviewed every fortnight based on average oil prices in the previous two weeks.
A windfall tax is levied on domestic crude oil if rates of the global benchmark rise above $75 per barrel. Export of diesel, ATF and petrol attract the levy if product cracks (or margins) rise above $20 per barrel.
Product cracks or margins are the difference between crude oil (raw material) and finished petroleum products.
