Section 93 - Insertion of new Chapter VA - Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act, 1975

93. Insertion of new Chapter VA. After Chapter V of the Wealth tax Act, the following Chapter shall be inserted, namely: CHAPTER VA SETTLEMENT OF CASES 22A. Definitions. In this Chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, (a) case means any proceeding under. this Act for or in connection with the assessment or re-assessment, of any person in respect of any year or years which may be pending before a Wealth-tax authority on the date on which an application referred to in section 22C is made; (b) Wealth-tax authority means a Director of Inspection, a Commissioner, an Appellate Assistant Commissioner,-an Inspecting Assistant Commissioner or a Wealth-tax Officer. 22B. Wealth tax Settlement Commission. (1) The Central Government shall constitute-a Commission to be called the Wealth-tax Settlement Commission (hereafter in this Chapter referred to as the Settlement- Commission ) for the settlement of cases under this Chapter. (2) The Settlement Commission shall consist of a Chairman and two other, members, and shall function within the Department of the Central Government dealing with direct taxes. (3) The Chairman and other members of the Settlement Commission shall be appointed by the Central Government from amongst persons of integrity and outstanding ability, having special knowledge of, and experience in, problems relating to direct taxes and business accounts: Provided that where a member of the Board is appointed as the Chairman Or as a member of the Settlement Commission, he shall cease to be a member of the Board: Provided further that, until the members are appointed under-this sub-section, it shall be competent for the Central Government to require,-from time to time, any two members of the Board to serve as members of the Settlement Commission for such period as the Central Government thinks fit, in addition to their duties as members of the Board. 22C. Application for settlement of cases. (1) An assessee may, at any stage of a case relating to him, make an application in such form and in such manner and containing such particulars, as may be prescribed to the Settlement Commission to have the case settled and any such application shall be disposed of in the manner hereinafter provided. (2) Every application made under sub-section (1) shall be accompanied by such fees as may be prescribed. (3) An application made under sub-section (2) shall not be allowed to be withdrawn by the applicant. 22D. Procedure on receipt of an application under section 22C. (1) On receipt of an application under section 22C, the Settlement Commission shall call for a report from the Commissioner and on the basis of the materials contained in such report and having regard to the nature arid circumstances of the case or the complexity of the investigation involved therein, the Settlement Commission may, by order, allow the application to be proceeded with or reject the application: Provided that an application shall not be rejected under this sub-section unless an opportunity has been given to the applicant of being heard: Provided further that an application shall not be proceeded with under this sub-section if the Commissioner objects to the application being proceeded with on the ground that concealment of particulars of the net wealth on the part of the applicant or perpetration of fraud by him for evading any tax-or other sum chargeable or imposable under this Act has been established or is likely to he established by any Wealth-tax authority, in relation to the case. (2) A copy of every order under sub-section (1) shall be sent to the applicant and to the Commissioner. (3) Where an application is allowed to be proceeded with under sub-section (1), the Settlement Commission may-call for the relevant records from the Commissioner and after examination of such records, if the Settlement Commission is of the opinion that any further enquiry or investigation in the matter is necessary, it may direct the to make or cause to be made such further enquiry or investigation and furnish a report on the matters covered by the application and any other matter relating to the case. (4) After examination of the records and the report, of the Commissioner received under sub-section (1) and the, report, if any, of the Commissioner received under sub-section (3), and after giving an opportunity to the applicant and to the Commissioner to be heard, either in person or through a representative duly authorised in this behalf, and after examining such further evidence as may be placed before it or obtained by it, the Settlement Commission may, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, pass such order as it thinks fit on the matters covered by the application and any other matter relating to the case not covered by the application but referred to in the report of the Commissioner under sub-section (1) or sub-section (3). (5) The materials brought on record before the Settlement Commission. shall be considered by all the members thereof before passing any order under sub-section (4) and, in the case of a difference of opinion among the members, the opinion of the majority shall prevail and such order shall be expressed in terms of the views of the majority. (6) Every order passed under sub-section (4) shall provide for the terms of settlement including any demand by way of tax, penalty or interest, the manner in which any sum due under the settlement shall be paid and all other matters to make the settlement effective and shall also provide that the settlement shall be void if it is subsequently found by the Settlement Commission that it has been obtained by fraud or misrepresentation of facts. (7) Where a settlement becomes void as provided in sub-section (6), the proceedings with respect to the matters covered by the settlement shall be deemed to have been revived from the stage at which the application was allowed to be proceeded with by the Settlement Commission and the Wealth-tax authority concerned, may, notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act, complete such proceedings at any time before the expiry of two years from the end of the financial year in which the settlement became void. 22E. Power of settlement Commission to reopen completed proceedings. If the Settlement Commission is of the opinion (the reasons for such opinion to be recorded by it in writing) that, for the proper disposal of the case pending before it, it is necessary or expedient to re-open any proceeding connected with the case, but which has been completed under this Act by any Wealth-tax authority before the application under section 22C was made, it may, with the concurrence of the applicant, re-open such proceeding and pass such order thereon as it thinks fit as if the case in relation to which the application for settlement had been made by the applicant under that section covered such proceeding also: Provided that no. proceeding shall be re-opened by the Settlement Commission under this section after the expiry of a period of eight years from the end of the assessment year to which such proceeding relates. 22F. Powers and procedure of Settlement Commission. (1) In addition to the powers conferred on the Settlement Commission under this Chapter, it shall have all the powers which are vested in a Wealth-tax authority under this Act. (2) Where an application made under section 22C has been allowed to be proceeded with under section 22D, the Settlement Commission shall, until an order is passed under sub-section (4) of section 22D, have, subject to the provisions of sub-section (3) of that section, exclusive jurisdiction to exercise the powers and perform the functions of a Wealth-tax authority under this Act in relation to the case. (3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2) and in the absence of any express direction to the contrary by the-Settlement Commission, nothing contained in this section shall affect the operation of .any other provision of this Act requiring the applicant to pay tax on the basis of self-assessment in relation to the matters before the Settlement Commission. (4) For the removal of doubt, it is hereby declared that in the absence of any express direction by the Settlement Commission to the contrary, nothing in this Chapter shall affect the operation of the provisions of this Act in so far as they relate to any matters other than those before the Settlement Commission. (5) The Settlement Commission shall, subject to the provisions of this Chapter, have power to, regulate its own procedure (including the fixation of places and times of its meetings) and may act notwithstanding that all the members of the Settlement Commission are not present at any of its meetings. 22G. Inspection, etc., of reports. No person shall be entitled to inspect, or obtain copies of, any reports made by any Wealth-tax authority to the Settlement Commission; but the Settlement Commission may, in its discretion, e furnish copies thereof to any such person on an application made to it in this behalf and on payment of the prescribed fee: Provided that, for the purpose of enabling any person whose case is under consideration to rebut any evidence brought on the record against him in any such report, the Settlement Commission shall, on an application made in this behalf and on payment of the prescribed fee by such person, furnish him with a certified copy of any such report or part thereof relevant for the purpose. 22H. Powers of Settlement Commission to grant immunity from prosecution. (1) The Settlement Commission may, if it is satisfied that any person who made the application for settlement under section 22C has co-operated with the Settlement Commission in the proceedings before it and has made a full and true disclosure of his net wealth and the manner in which such wealth has been acquired, grant to such person, subject to such conditions as it may think fit to impose, immunity from prosecution for any offence under this Act or under the Indian Penal Code or under any other Central Act (of 1860) for the time being in force and also from the Imposition of any penalty under this, Act, with respect to the case covered by the settlement. (2) An immunity granted to a person under sub-section (1) may, at any time, be withdrawn by the Settlement Commission, if it is satisfied that such person has not complied with the conditions subject to which the immunity was granted or that such person had, in the course of the settlement proceedings, concealed any particulars material to the settlement or had given false evidence, and thereupon such person may be tried for the offence with respect to which the immunity was granted or for any other offence of which he appears to have been guilty in connection with the settlement and shall also become liable to the imposition of any penalty under this Act to which such person would have been liable, had no such immunity been granted. 22I. Order of settlement to be conclusive. Every order of settlement passed under sub-section (4) of section 22D shall be conclusive as to the matters stated therein and no matter covered by such order shall, save as otherwise provided in this Chapter, be re-opened in any proceeding under this Act or under any other law for the time being in force. 22J. Recovery of sums due under order of Settlement. Any sum specified in an order of settlement passed under sub-section (4) of section 22D may, subject to such conditions, if any, as may be specified therein, be recovered, and any penalty for default in making payment of such sum may be imposed and recovered in accordance with, the provisions of section 32 by the Wealth-tax Officer having jurisdiction over the person who made the application for settlement under section 22C 22K. Bar on subsequent application for Settlement in certain cases. Where (i) an carder of settlement passed under sub-section (4) of section 22D provides for the imposition off a penalty on the person who made the application under section 22C for settlement, on the ground of concealment of particulars of his net wealth; or (ii) after the passing of an order of settlement under the said subsection (4) in relation to a case, such: person is convicted of any offence under Chapter VIII in relation to that case, then, he; shall not be entitled to apply for settlement-under section 22C in relation to any other matter. 22L. Proceedings before Settlement Commission to be judicial proceedings. Any proceeding under this Chapter before the Settlement Commission shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of sections 193 and 228, and for the purposes of section 196, of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860). 22M. Certain persons who have filed appeals to the Appellate Tribunal entitled to make applications to the settlement Commission. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Chapter, any assessee who has filed an appeal to the Appellate Tribunal under this Act which is pending before it shall, on withdrawing such appeal from the Appellate Tribunal, be entitled to make an application to the Settlement Commission to have his case settled under this Chapter: Provided that no such assessee shall be entitled to make an application in a case where the Wealth-tax Officer has preferred an appeal under sub-section (2) of section 24-against the order to which the assessee s appeal relates. (2) Any assessee referred to in sub-section (1) may make an application to the Appellate Tribunal for permission to withdraw the appeal. (3) On receipt of an application under sub-section (2), the Appellate Tribunal shall grant permission to withdraw the appeal. (4) Upon the withdrawal of the appeal, the proceeding in appeal immediately before such withdrawal shall, for the purposes of this Chapter, be deemed to be a proceeding pending before a Wealth-tax authority. (5) An application to the Settlement Commission under this section shall be made within a period of thirty days from the date on which the order of the Appellate Tribunal permitting the withdrawal of the appeal is communicated to the assessee. (6) An application made to the Settlement Commission under this section shall be deemed to be an application made under sub-section (1) of section 22C and the provisions of this Chapter [except sub-section (7) of section 22D] shall apply accordingly. (7) Where an application made to the Settlement Commission under this section is not entertained by the Settlement Commission, then, the assessee shall not be deemed to have withdrawn the appeal from the Appellate Tribunal and the provisions contained in section 24 and section 26 shall, so far as may be, apply accordingly.;