Section 21 - Amendment of section 18. - Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act, 2006

Amendment of section 18. 21. In section 18 of the Customs Act, after sub-section (2), the following sub-sections shall be inserted, namely:- (3) The importer or exporter shall be liable to pay interest, on any amount payable to the Central Government, consequent to the final assessment order under sub-section (2), at the rate fixed by the Central Government under section 28AB from the first day of the month in which the duty is provisionally assessed till the date of payment thereof. (4) Subject the sub-section (5), if any refundable amount referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (2) is not refunded under that sub-section within three months from the date of assessment of duty finally, there shall be paid an interest on such unrefunded amount at such rate fixed by the Central Government under section 27A till the date of refund of such amount. (5) The amount of duty refundable under sub-section (2) and the interest under sub-section (4), of any, shall, instead of being credited to the Fund, be paid to the importer or the exporter, as the case may be, if such amount is relatable to- (a) the duty and interest, if any, paid on such duty paid by the importer, or the exporter, as the case may be, if he had not passed on the incidence of such duty and interest, if any, paid on such duty to any other person; (b) the duty and interest, if any, paid on such duty on importers made by an individual for his personal use; (c) the duty and interest, if any, paid on such duty borne by the buyer, if he had not passed on this incidence of such duty and interest, if any, paid on such duty to any other person; (d) the export duty as specified in section 26; (e) drawback of duty payable under sections 74 and 75. .