CHAPTER VIII

(1) An assessing authority or any officer not below the rank of Junior Commercial Taxes Officer authorised by the Commissioner in this behalf with such conditions and restrictions as may be specified by the Commissioner, shall have the power–

(a) to inspect or survey the place of business of a dealer or any other place where it is believed by such authority or officer that business is being done or accounts are being kept by such dealer;

(b) to direct such dealer to produce accounts, registers and documents relating to his business activities for examination;

(c) to inspect the goods in the possession of the dealer or in the possession of anybody else on behalf of such dealer, wherever such goods are placed;

(d) to make search of such place including the search of the person found there, where concealment of facts relating to business is suspected;

(e) to break open the door of any premises or to break open any almirah, box, receptacle in which any goods, accounts, registers or documents of the dealer are suspected to be concealed, where access to such premises, almirah, box or receptacle is denied;

(f) to record the statement of the dealer or his manager, agent or servant or to take extracts from any record and to put identification marks on accounts, registers or documents and on any door, almirah, box or receptacle.

Explanation. – There shall be a presumption in respect of goods, accounts, registers or documents, which are found at any place of business of a dealer during any inspection or search, that they relate to his business unless the contrary is proved by him.

(2) The power under clauses (d) and (e) of sub–section (1) shall be exercised by the Junior Commercial Taxes Officer in the presence of an authority not below the rank of Assistant Commercial Taxes Officer.

(3) Where any accounts, registers or documents are produced before any assessing authority or any officer not below the rank of Assistant Commercial Taxes Officer in any proceeding under this Act, such authority or officer may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, impound and retain them in its custody for a period not exceeding six months, and shall give the dealer or any other person who has produced such accounts, registers or documents a receipt of the same. The dealer may obtain copy of such accounts, registers or documents on payment of copying fee as may be prescribed. However, such copy may not be given unless the dealer produces the remaining accounts, statements, registers and documents required to be maintained under the provisions of this Act or the rules made there under.

(4) Where at the time of inspection, the assessing authority or any officer not below the rank of Assistant Commercial Taxes Officer authorised by the Commissioner in this behalf has reason to suspect that the dealer is attempting to avoid or evade tax or is concealing his tax liability in any manner, it may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, seize such accounts, registers or documents of the dealer as it may consider necessary and shall give the dealer or any other person from whose custody such accounts, registers or documents are seized a receipt for the same, and may retain the same in its custody for examination, enquiry, prosecution or other legal action for a period not exceeding six months. The dealer may obtain copy of the seized record on payment of copying fee as may be prescribed. However, such copy may not be given unless the dealer produces the remaining accounts, statements, registers and documents required to be maintained under the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder.

(5) The accounts, registers or documents impounded under sub–section (3) or seized under sub–section (4) may be retained even beyond a period of six months and up to a maximum period of two years from the date of impounding or seizure, as the case may be, by such authority or officer, after having obtained permission in writing of the Commissioner or the Deputy Commissioner (Administration) authorised by the Commissioner.

(6) The assessing authority or any other officer not below the rank of Assistant Commercial Taxes Officer authorised by the Commissioner under sub–section (4) may seize any goods liable to tax, which are found in the possession of a dealer or in the possession of anybody else on behalf of such dealer and which are not accounted for in his accounts, registers or documents maintained in the course of his business; and a list of goods so seized shall be prepared by such authority or officer and a copy thereof shall be given to the dealer or any other person from whose custody such goods are seized.

(7) Where it is not feasible to seize the accounts, registers or documents under sub– section (4) or the goods under sub–section (6), the assessing authority or the officer concerned may serve on the owner or the person who is in immediate possession or control thereof an order that he shall not remove, part with or otherwise deal with them except with the previous permission of such authority or officer, which may, after serving such order, take such steps as may be deemed necessary under the circumstances.

(8) The assessing authority or the officer referred to in sub–section (6) may, after having given the dealer an opportunity of being heard and after having held such further enquiry as it may consider fit, impose on him, for the possession of goods not accounted for, whether seized or not under sub–section (6), "a penalty equal to the amount of five times of the tax leviable on such goods or thirty percent of the value of such goods, whichever is less", and such authority or officer may release the goods, if seized, on payment of the penalty imposed or on furnishing such security for the payment thereof as it may consider necessary.

(9) The assessing authority or other officer as referred to in sub–section (6) may require any person, –

(a) who transports or holds in custody any goods of a dealer, to give any information in his possession in respect of such goods or to allow inspection thereof, as the case may be; and

(b) who maintains or has in his possession any accounts, registers or documents relating to the business of a dealer, to produce such accounts, registers or documents for inspection.