71. Accounts to be maintained by a dealer

(1) Every dealer liable to pay tax under this Act shall keep and maintain a true and correct account of his business activities in an intelligible form including the value and quantity of the goods received, manufactured, sold or otherwise disposed of or held in stock by him. However, the State Government may exempt, such class of dealers as may be notified, from the provisions of this sub– section.

(2) Notwithstanding any thing contained in sub–rule (1) (sic), the State Government, if deemed proper, may prescribe forms for maintaining accounts of sales and purchase of goods, stock of raw materials used and finished goods produced.

(3) The accounts required to be maintained under sub–section (1) shall be kept by the dealer at the place(s) of business as recorded in his certificate of registration, and the stock book as referred to in sub–section (2) shall be kept at the place where manufacturing activity is carried on; however, final accounts, annual statements, registers and documents shall be kept at the principal place of business.

(4) Where a dealer has established branches at places in the State other than the principal place of business, the necessary accounts, registers and documents relating to the business activities being carried on at each branch shall, without prejudice to the provisions of sub–section (3), be kept by him at such branch.

(5) The accounts, registers and other documents relating to a year, shall be preserved and kept by a dealer for five years excluding the year to which they relate, and this period of five years shall be deemed to have been extended by such time until any pending proceeding referring thereto under this Act is finally disposed of.