Time limit for completion of assessment and reassessment

Section 17A of the Wealth-tax Act, 1957 deals with time limit for completion of assessment and reassessment. No order of assessment shall be made under section 16 at any time after the expiry of two years from the end of the assessment year in which the net wealth was first assessable: [Provided that,— (a) where the net wealth was first assessable in the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, The Act came into force on 01 Apr 1957.

[(1) No order of assessment shall be made under section 16 at any time after the expiry of two years from the end of the assessment year in which the net wealth was first assessable: [Provided that,—

(a) where the net wealth was first assessable in the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1987, or any earlier assessment year, such assessment may be made on or before the 31st day of March, 1991;

(b) where the net wealth was first assessable in the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1988, such assessment may be made on or before the 31st day of March, 1992:] [Provided further that in case the assessment year in which the net wealth was first assessable is the assessment year [commencing on or after the 1st day of April, 2004 but before the 1st day of April, 2010], the provisions of this sub-section shall have effect as if for the words “two years”, the words “twenty-one months” had been substituted.] (2) No order of assessment or reassessment shall be made under section 17 after the expiry of [one year] from the end of the financial year in which the notice under sub-section (1) of that section was served]: [Provided that where the notice under sub-section (1) of section 17 was served on or after the 1st day of April, 1999 but before the 1st day of April, 2000, such assessment or reassessment may be made at any time up to the 31st day of March, 2002:] [Provided further that where the notice under sub-section (1) of section 17 was served on or [after the 1st day of April, 2005 but before the 1st day of April, 2011], the provisions of this sub-section shall have effect as if for the words "one year", the words "nine months" had been substituted.]

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(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (1) and (2), an order of fresh assessment in pursuance of an order passed on or after the 1st day of April, 1975, under section [23A], section 24 or year] from the end of the financial year in which the order under section [23A] or section 24 is received by the [Chief Commissioner or Commissioner] or, as the case may be, the order under section 25 is passed by the Commissioner: 4 [Provided that where the order under section 23A or section 24 is received by the Chief Commissioner or Commissioner or, as the case may be, the order under section 25 is passed by the Commissioner, on or after the 1st day of April, 1999 but before the 1st day of April, 2000, such an order of fresh assessment may be made at any time up to the 31st day of March, 2002:] [Provided further that where the order under section 23A or section 24 is received by the Chief Commissioner or Commissioner or, as the case may be, the order under section 25 is passed by the Commissioner, on or [after the 1st day of April, 2005 but before the 1st day of April, 2011], the provisions of this sub-section shall have effect as if for the words "one year", the words "nine months" had been substituted.] (4) The provisions of sub-sections (1) and (2) shall not apply to the assessment or reassessment made on the assessee or any other person in consequence of, or to give effect to, any finding or direction contained in an order under section 23, section 24, section 25, section 27 or section 29 or in an order of any court in a proceeding otherwise than by way of appeal or reference under this Act, and such assessment or reassessment may, subject to the provisions of sub-section (3), be completed at any time.

Explanation 1.—In computing the period of limitation for the purposes of this section—

(i) the time taken in reopening the whole or any part of the proceeding or in giving an opportunity to the assessee to be reheard under the proviso to section 39, or (ii) the period during which the assessment proceeding is stayed by an order or injunction of any court, or [(iia) the period (not exceeding sixty days) commencing from the date on which the [Assessing Officer] received the declaration under sub-section (1) of section 18C and ending with the date on which the order under sub-section (3) of that section is made by him, or] (iii) in a case where an application made before the Wealth-tax Settlement Commission under the date on which such application is made and ending with the date on which the order under sub-section (1) of section 22D is received by the Commissioner under sub-section (2) of that section, shall be excluded: [Provided that where immediately after the exclusion of the aforesaid time or period, the period of limitation referred to in sub-sections (1), (2) and (3) available to the Assessing Officer for making an order of assessment or reassessment, as the case may be, is less than sixty days, such remaining period shall be extended to sixty days and the aforesaid period of limitation shall be deemed to be extended accordingly:]

1 [Provided further that where a proceeding before the Settlement Commission abates under making an order of assessment or reassessment, as the case may be, shall, after the exclusion of the period under sub-section (4) of section 22HA, be not less than one year; and where such period of limitation is less than one year, it shall be deemed to have been extended to one year.] Explanation 2.—Where, by an order referred to in sub-section (4), any asset is excluded from the net wealth of one person and held to be the asset of another person, then, an assessment in respect of such asset on such other person shall, for the purposes of sub-section (2) of section 17 and this section, be deemed to be one made in consequence of, or to give effect to, any finding or direction contained in the said order, provided such other person was given an opportunity of being heard before the said order was passed.]

Section 17A, The Wealth-tax Act, 1957 (Act 27 of 1957).