DGGI summons offices of foreign airlines for alleged tax evasion: Report

The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has reportedly issued summons to several Indian offices of prominent foreign airlines, including British Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways, Thai Airways, Qatar Airways, Saudi Arabia Airlines, Emirates, Oman Airlines, and Air Arabia, CNBC TV18 reported citing sources.

The summons are part of ongoing investigations into alleged tax evasion related to the import of services from the airlines' head offices by their Indian branch offices.

Sources familiar with the matter told CNBC that DGGI is particularly interested in seeking clarifications regarding the payment of crew salaries and staff expenses, as well as services provided or billed against head offices abroad.

The investigations are being conducted by DGGI offices in Meerut and Mumbai, with communications already dispatched to the concerned airlines.

The scrutiny comes amid heightened focus on tax compliance and enforcement by authorities.