¹[7. Assessment and collection of tax.-

      (1) The amount of tax due from an employer liable to pay tax shall be assessed separately for each year:

                        Provided that, the Commissioner may, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed and for reasons to be recorded in writing, assess the tax due from any employer for a part of a year:

                        Provided further that, when an employer has failed to furnish, by the prescribed date, any return relating to any period of any year, the Commissioner may, if he thinks fit, assess the tax due from such employer separately for different parts of such year.

        (2) The Commissioner on being satisfied that, the returns furnished by an employer in respect of any period are correct and complete, he shall assess the amount of tax due from the employer on the basis of such returns:

                       Provided that, the commissioner on not being satisfied that the returns furnished by the employer in respect of any period are correct and complete, and he is of the opinion that it is necessary to require the presence of the employer or the production of further evidence in that respect, he shall serve on such employer, in the prescribed manner, a notice requiring such employer on a date and at a place specified in the notice, either to attend and produce or cause to be produced all the evidence on which such employer has relied in support of his returns, or to produce such evidence as is specified in the notice.  On the date specified in the notice, or as soon as may be thereafter, the Commissioner shall, after considering all the evidence produced, assess the amount of tax due from the employer:

                           Provided further that, if the employer fails to comply with any of the directions or requirements specified in the notice issued under the above proviso, the Commissioner may, assess, the amount of tax due from the employer on the basis of the record available before him.

        (3) Where all the returns are filed by the employer for any year starting on or after the 1st April 2004 within one month from the end of the year to which such returns relate, no order of assessment under the provisos to sub-section (2) in respect of that year shall be made after the expiry of three years from the end of the said year; and if for any reason such order is not made within the period aforesaid, then the returns so filed shall be deemed to have been accepted as correct and complete for assessing the tax due from such employer:

                             Provided that, in case of returns pertaining to the years ending on or before the 31st March 2004, and filed on or before the 30th September 2004, no order of assessment shall be made under the provisos to sub-section (2) on or after the ²[1st April 2008]:

                            Provided further that, where a fresh assessment has to be made to give effect to any finding or direction contained in any order made under this Act, or to any order of the Tribunal or Court, such assessment shall be made within thirty-six months from the date of communication to the Commissioner of such finding, direction or order, as the case may be:

                             Provided also that, in computing the period specified in the second proviso, the time during which the assessment remained stayed by or under the order of the Tribunal or Court, shall stand excluded.

      (4) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section or any other provisions of this Act, where the assessment involves a decision on a point which is concluded against the State by the judgment of the Tribunal and the State Government or the Commissioner has initiated any proceedings against such judgment before an appropriate forum, in such a case, the Commissioner may complete the assessment as if the point was not so decided by the Tribunal against the State, but shall stay the recovery of such dues including interest and penalty, if any, in so far as they relate to such point, until the decision by the appropriate forum and after such decision, modify the assessment order, in accordance with such decision.

       (5)  In any case where it comes to the notice of the Commissioner that, any employer has not furnished returns in respect of any period by the prescribed date, the Commissioner may, at any time, before the expiry of the period of eight years from the end of the year to which such period relates, after giving such defaulting employer a reasonable opportunity of being heard in that matter, assess, to the best of his judgment, the tax, if any, due from such employer.

        (6) The Commissioner on being satisfied that an employer liable to pay tax in respect of any period, has failed to apply for registration within time as required by this Act, the Commissioner shall, at any time, before the expiry of the period of eight years from the end of the year to which such period relates, after giving such defaulting employer, a reasonable opportunity of being heard, assess, to the best of his judgment, the tax, if any, due from the employer in respect of that period, and any period or periods subsequent thereto.

        (7) The amount of tax so assessed shall be paid within fifteen days of receipt of the notice of demand from the prescribed authority.]

Notes:

1. Section 7 was substituted by Mah. Act No.13 of 2004, dt. 29.6.2004, w.e.f. 1.7.2004.

2. These words and figures were substituted for the words and figures “1st April 2007” by Mah. Act No.6 of 2007, dt. 30.3.2007.