Call for Papers | HPNLU Journal of Tax Law, Vol. V (ISSN 2584-0428)

The HPNLU Journal of Tax Law (ISSN 2584-0428) is an annual, double-blind peer-reviewed journal of the Centre for Business Law and Economics at Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU), Shimla. It promotes scholarly research in tax laws, including international taxation and tax policies.

In the University's own words, the journal is one of the first of its kind in India, where focused research on tax law is encouraged from academicians, professionals, practitioners and researchers. It aims to provide a forum for intellectual discourse on tax laws and policies, along with state welfare policies and their impact on persons, with a view to propelling better tax policies in India.

The journal invites scholarly contributions for its Volume V (2026), which is scheduled to be published online by December 2026. It seeks work on legal and theoretical developments in the field of taxation laws and policies. Every contribution, in whichever category, should offer a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of contemporary issues in tax laws and related policies, including international taxation.

Selection of entries is based on double-blind peer review.

• The call is addressed to academicians, scholars, professionals and policymakers.
• Co-authorship is allowed, with up to one (01) co-author only.
• Submissions are accepted only in the English language.

• Articles: 6,000 to under 10,000 words.
• Essays and Comments: 4,000 to under 6,000 words.
• Book Reviews: 3,000 to under 4,000 words. A book review must be sent along with a new hard copy of the book reviewed. The call gives the journal's postal address as Centre for Business Law and Economics, Himachal Pradesh National Law University, 16 Miles, Shimla-Mandi National Highway, Ghandal, Dist. Shimla 171014.

The call also refers to contributions by way of notes and comments on contemporary issues in tax law.

• Every contribution must carry an abstract of 250 to 300 words. The abstract must expressly state the novelty and usefulness of the idea, and the specific contribution of the paper beyond the existing literature.
• The manuscript must not contain any reference to the author's identity.
• Body text in Times New Roman, font size 12, with 1.5 line spacing. Footnotes in Times New Roman, font size 10, with single line spacing.
• Citations must follow the HPNLU, Shimla Citation Style only, and footnotes are the only permitted method of citation.
• Lengthy quotations and long, multi-paragraph footnotes are discouraged. Footnotes must give the page of the source; for court judgments, the paragraph number as well as the page of the reporter.
• Only authoritative websites may be cited. Wikipedia, blogs and commercial websites are not acceptable sources.
• Manuscripts with more than 10% similarity will be rejected.

Authors must send a covering letter giving the paper's title and the name, designation, details and institutional affiliation of each author. The letter must also carry a solemn declaration that the manuscript is original and has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Paraphrasing another author's work is not treated as original work, and sources must be acknowledged.

Copyright in all articles published in the volume vests in the owner of the journal. The contributor bears the risk of any claim for copyright infringement, defamation or contempt arising from the contribution.

Free. The official call notifies no submission, processing or publication fee.

Email the manuscript in MS Word (.docx) format to jtl@hpnlu.ac.in, with the subject line “Submission to HPNLU-JTL-V5 <Title of Contribution>”, on or before 31 October 2026. Submissions are accepted by email only. Queries about submissions may be sent to the same address.

• Editor-in-Chief: Prof. (Dr.) Priti Saxena, Vice-Chancellor, HPNLU, Shimla
• Executive Editor: Prof. (Dr.) Alok Kumar, Registrar, HPNLU, Shimla
• Editor: Prof. (Dr.) Girjesh Shukla, Professor of Law, HPNLU, Shimla