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INSPECTION, SEARCH, SEIZURE AND ARREST

79. Power of inspection, search and seizure

  1. Where the CGST/SGST officer, not below the rank of Joint Commissioner, has reasons to believe that –
    1. a taxable person has suppressed any transaction relating to supply of goods and/or services or the stock of goods in hand, or has claimed input tax credit in excess of his entitlement under the Act or has indulged in contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or rules made thereunder to evade tax under this Act; or
    2. any person engaged in the business of transporting goods or an owner or operator of a warehouse or a godown or any other place is keeping goods which have escaped payment of tax or has kept his accounts or goods in such a manner as is likely to cause evasion of tax payable under this Act,
      3. he may authorize in writing any other officer of CGST/SGST to inspect any places of business of the taxable person or the persons engaged in the business of transporting goods or the owner or the operator of warehouse or godown or any other place.
  2. Where the CGST/SGST officer, not below the rank of Joint Commissioner, either pursuant to an inspection carried out under sub-section (1) or otherwise, has reasons to believe that any goods liable to confiscation or any documents or books or things, which in his opinion shall be useful for or relevant to any proceedings under this Act, are secreted in any place, he may authorize in writing any other CGST/SGST officer to search and seize or may himself search and seize such goods, documents, books or things:

    3. PROVIDED that where it is not practicable to seize any such goods, the proper officer may serve on the owner or the custodian of the goods an order that he shall not remove, part with, or otherwise deal with the goods except with the previous permission of such officer:

    PROVIDED FURTHER that the documents or books or things so seized shall be retained by such officer only for so long as may be necessary for their examination and for any inquiry or proceeding under this Act.

  3. The documents, books or things referred to in sub-section (2) or any other documents, books or things produced by a taxable person or any other person, which have not been relied on for the issue of notice under the Act or rules made thereunder, shall be returned to such person within a period not exceeding thirty days of the issue of the said notice.
  4. The officer authorised under sub-section (2) shall have the power to seal or 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 person are suspected to be concealed, where access to such premises, almirah, box or receptacle is denied.
  5. The person from whose custody any documents are seized under sub-section (2) shall be entitled to make copies thereof or take extracts therefrom in the presence of an officer of CGST/SGST at such place and time as the authorised officer may indicate in this behalf except where making such copies or taking such extracts may, in the opinion of the proper officer, prejudicially affect the investigation.
  6. The goods so seized under sub-section (2) shall be released, on a provisional basis, upon execution of a bond and furnishing of a security, in such manner and of such quantum, respectively, as may be prescribed or on payment of applicable tax, interest and penalty payable, as the case may be.
  7. Where any goods are seized under sub-section (2) and no notice in respect thereof is given within six months of the seizure of the goods, the goods shall be returned to the person from whose possession they were

    8. PROVIDED that the aforesaid period of six months may, on sufficient cause being shown, be extended by the proper officer for a further period not exceeding six months.

  8. The Central or a State Government may, having regard to the perishable or hazardous nature of any goods, depreciation in the value of the goods with the passage of time, constraints of storage space for the goods or any other relevant considerations, by notification, specify the goods or class of goods which shall, as soon as may be after its seizure under sub-section (2), be disposed of by the proper officer in such manner as the Central or a State Government may prescribe.
  9. Where any goods, being goods specified under sub-section (8), have been seized by a proper officer under sub-section (2), he shall prepare an inventory of such goods in the manner as may be prescribed in this behalf.
  10. The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), relating to search and seizure, shall, so far as may be, apply to search and seizure under this section subject to the modification that sub-section (5) of section 165 of the said Code shall have effect as if for the word “Magistrate”, wherever it occurs, the words [Principal Commissioner/Commissioner of CGST/Commissioner of SGST] were substituted.
  11. Where the proper officer has reason to believe that any person has evaded or is attempting to evade the payment of any tax, he may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, seize such accounts, registers or documents of such person produced before the said officer and shall grant a receipt for the same, and shall retain the same for so long as may be necessary, in connection with any proceeding under this Act or for a prosecution.
  12. The [Commissioner] of CGST/SGST or an officer authorized by him may cause purchase of any goods and/or services by any person authorized by him from the business premises of any taxable person, to check issue of tax invoices or bills of supply by such taxable person, and on return of goods so purchased by such officer, such taxable person or any person in charge of the business premises shall refund the amount so paid towards the goods after cancelling any tax invoice or bill of supply issued.
Utilization of the Fund Unavailed cenvat credit on capital goods, not carried forward in a return, to be allowed in certain situations Treatment of long term construction / works contracts Treatment of branch transfers Treatment of the amount recovered or refunded pursuant to revision of returns Treatment of the amount recovered or refunded in pursuance of assessment or adjudication proceedings Transitional provisions for availing Cenvat credit in certain cases Transfer of property to be void in certain cases Value of taxable supply Taxable person Taxability of supply of services in certain cases Tax wrongfully collected and deposited with the Central or a State Government Tax Return Preparers Tax paid on goods lying with agents to be allowed as credit Tax paid on capital goods lying with agents to be allowed as credit Tax not to be collected by unregistered taxable person Tax invoice Manner of distribution of credit by Input Service Distributor Manner of recovery of credit distributed in excess Tax deduction at source Tax collected but not deposited with the Central or a State Government Taxability of supply of goods in certain cases Taking input tax credit in respect of inputs sent for job work Taking assistance from an IT professional Time of supply of services Time of supply of goods Summary assessment in certain special cases Special procedure for removal of goods for certain purposes Special provision regarding liability to pay tax, interest or penalty in certain cases Special Procedure for certain processes Special audit Short title, extent and commencement Powers of SGST/CGST officers under the Act Service of notice in certain circumstances Semi-finished goods removed for job work and returned on or after the appointed day Self-Assessment Scrutiny of returns Rounding off of tax etc. Revocation of cancellation of registration Revisional powers of Chief Commissioner or Commissioner Matching, reversal and reclaim of reduction in output tax liability Matching, reversal and reclaim of input tax credit Returns Notice to return defaulters Repeal and saving Removal of difficulties Relevancy of statements under certain circumstances Registration Refund of tax Refund claims filed after the appointed day for payments received and tax deposited before the appointed day in respect of services not provided Refund claims filed after the appointed day for goods cleared or services provided before the appointed day and exported before or after the appointed day to be disposed of under earlier law Refund in certain cases Rectification of mistakes or errors apparent from record Rectification of Advance Ruling Recovery of Input Tax Credit and Interest thereon Recovery of tax Publication of rules and notifications and laying of rules before Parliament / State Legislature Publication of information respecting persons in certain cases Provision for transfer of unutilized Cenvat Credit by taxable person having centralized registration under the earlier law Provisional attachment to protect revenue in certain cases Provisional Assessment Prosecution Progressive or periodic supply of goods or services Procedure on receipt of application Power of inspection, search and seizure. Procedure of the Authority and the Appellate Authority Presumption as to documents in certain cases Presumption of culpable mental state Power to summon persons to give evidence and produce documents Power to impose penalty in certain cases Power to grant exemption from tax Power to collect statistics Power of Central (or State) Government to make rules Power of CAG to call for information for audit Power to arrest Persons discharging functions under the Act shall be deemed to be public servants Period of retention of accounts Pending refund claims to be disposed of under earlier law Penalty for failure to furnish information return Payment of tax, interest, penalty and other amounts Payment of tax and other amount in installments. Sums due to be paid notwithstanding appeal etc. Orders of Appellate Tribunal Orders of the Appellate Authority Officers required to assist CGST/SGST officers Powers of officers under the state Powers of officers under the Central Offences and penalties Offences by Companies and certain other persons Obligation to furnish information return Non Appealable decisions and orders Constitution of the National Appellate Tribunal Migration of existing taxpayers to GST Meaning and scope of supply Liability of partners of firm to pay tax Liability of guardians, trustees etc. Liability of directors of private company Liability of Court of Wards etc. Liability in case of company in liquidation Liability in case of transfer of business Liability in other cases Liability in case of amalgamation /merger of companies Liability of agent and principal Levy of late fee Levy of fees Levy and Collection of Central/State Goods and Services Tax Issue of supplementary invoices, debit or credit notes where price is revised in pursuance of a contract Interest on refund of pre-deposit interest on delayed payment of tax Interest on delayed refunds Instructions to gst officers Inspection of goods in movement Claim of input tax credit and provisional acceptance thereof Inputs removed for job work and returned on or after the appointed day Initiation of recovery proceedings Indemnity Hearing before Supreme Court Powers of sgst/cgst officers under the act gst compliance rating Goods sent on approval basis returned on or after the appointed day General provisions relating to determination of tax General provisions General power to make regulations General penalty General disciplines related to penalty Furnishing details of outward supplies Furnishing details of inward supplies First return Tax to be first charge on property Appeals to first appellate authority Finished goods removed for carrying out certain processes and returned on or after the appointed day Final return Finalization of proceedings relating to output duty or tax liability Exempted goods returned to the place of business on or after the appointed day Exclusion of time taken for copy Eligibility and conditions for taking input tax credit Effect of amendments, etc., of rules, notifications or orders Duty (Tax – in SGST Act) paid goods returned to the place of business on or after the appointed day Drawal of samples Disclosure of information required under section 141 Disclosure of information by a public servant Determination of tax not paid or short paid or erroneously refunded or input tax credit wrongly availed or utilized by reason of fraud or any willfulmisstatement or suppression of facts Determination of tax not paid or short paid or erroneously refunded or input tax credit wrongly availed or utilized for any reason other than fraud or any wilful misstatement or suppression of facts Detention, seizure and release of goods and conveyances in transit Delegation of powers Definitions Deduction of tax source Credit of eligible duties and taxes in respect of inputs held in stock to be allowed in certain situations Credit of eligible duties and taxes in respect of inputs held in stock to be allowed in certain situations Credit of eligible duties and taxes in respect of inputs or input services during transit Credit of eligible duties and taxes on inputs held in stock to be allowed to a taxable person switching over from composition scheme Credit distribution of service tax by ISD Credit and debit notes Continuation and validation of certain recovery proceedings Consumer welfare Fund Constitution of the Appellate Tribunal Confiscation or penalty not to interfere with other punishments Confiscation of goods and/or conveyances and levy of penalty Compounding of offence Composition levy Collection of tax at source Cognizance of offences Classes of officers under the state goods and services tax act Classes of officers under the central goods and services tax act Claim of cenvat credit to be disposed of under the earlier law Change in rate of tax in respect of supply of goods or services Special provisions relating to casual taxable person and non-resident taxable person Cancellation of registration Burden of proof Bar on recovery proceedings Bar of jurisdiction of civil courts Availability of credit in special circumstances Powers of the authority and appellate authority Authority for advance ruling Audit by tax authorities Assessment of unregistered persons Assessment proceedings, etc. not to be invalid on certain grounds Assessment of non-filers of returns Apportionment of credit and blocked credits Appointment of officers under the state goods and services tax act Appointment of officers under the state goods and services tax act Applicability of advance ruling Applicability of advance ruling Appellate authority for advance ruling Appearance by authorised representative Appeal to the supreme court Appeal to the high court Appeals to the appellate tribunal Appeal not to be filed in certain cases Appeal to the appellate authority Anti-profiteering measure Annual return Amount of tax to be indicated in tax invoice and other documents Amount of CENVAT credit carried forward in a return to be allowed as input tax credit Amendment of registration Definitions Advance Ruling to be void in certain circumstances Admissibility of micro films, facsimile copies of documents and computer printouts as documents and as evidence Accounts and other records Admissibility of micro films, facsimile copies of documents and computer printouts as documents and as evidence