In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1A) of section 143 of Income Tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Board of Direct Taxes hereby specifies the following scheme for processing of returns of income, namely:-
1. Short title and commencement.—
(1). This Scheme may be called the Centralised Processing of Returns Scheme, 2011.
(2). It shall come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
2.
Definition. – In this scheme, unless the context otherwise requires –
(a) ‘Act’ means the Income Tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961).
(b) ‘Board’ means Central Board of Direct Taxes constituted under the Central Board of Revenues Act, 1963 (54 of 1963).
(c) ‘Centre’ means the Centralised Processing Centre having jurisdiction over such return of income as may be specified by the Board.
(d) ‘Commissioner’ means the Commissioner of Income-tax, Centralised Processing Centre.
(e) ‘Director General’ means the Director General of Income-tax (Systems).
(f) words and expressions used herein but not defined and defined in the Act shall have the meaning respectively assigned to them in the Act.
3. Scope of the Scheme.—This scheme shall be applicable in cases where return of income has been furnished in,-
(i) electronic form; or
(ii) paper form, in case of a class or classes of persons, as notified by the Board in this behalf.
4. Receipt and Acknowledgment of Return of Income.—
(1) Where a return of income is filed electronically with digital signature, on successful transmission of the data, an acknowledgment as generated by the server of the Central Government shall be available to the person in printable format.
(2) The acknowledgment shall contain the acknowledgment number of the electronic transmission and the date of transmission as an evidence of filing of the return.
(3) A copy of the electronic transmission of filing the return of income shall be downloaded and kept by the person.
(4) Where a return of income is filed electronically without digital signature, on successful transmission of the data, an acknowledgment in Form ITR-V as provided in rule 12 of the Income Tax Rules, 1962 shall be generated by the server of the Central Government and available to the person.
(5) The Form ITR-V shall also contain the acknowledgment number of the electronic transmission and the date of transmission as an evidence of filing of the return.
(6) A copy of ITR-V shall be downloaded and after taking a printout of such a form, it shall be physically verified under the signature of the person and forwarded to the Centre.
(7) The Form ITR-V duly verified shall be sent to the Centre, either through ordinary or speed post, within such period of uploading the electronically filed return as may be specified by the Director General in this behalf.
(8) The date of transmitting the data electronically shall be the date of furnishing the return if the Form ITR-V is furnished in the prescribed manner and within the period specified.
(9) In case Form ITR-V furnished after the prescribed time is rejected on account of it being unsigned, illegible, mutilated, bad quality or not as per specification, it shall be deemed that the return in respect of which the Form ITR-V has been filed was never furnished and it shall be incumbent on the person to electronically file the return of income again followed by submission of the new Form ITR-V.
(10) The Form ITR-V shall be submitted at the address, in the mode and within the period or extended period specified by the Commissioner in this behalf.
(11) The Commissioner may, in order to avoid hardship in a case or class of cases, condone the delay in receipt of Form ITR-V.
(12) The Commissioner may call for fresh Form ITR-V in special circumstances, where the Form ITR-V earlier submitted cannot be considered for technical reasons.
5. Revised return of income.—
(1) If the original return of income is an electronically filed return, the revised return shall be filed through electronic mode only.
(2) The Centre will process only the revised return and no further action will be taken on the original return if it has not already been processed.
6. Invalid or defective return.
(i) The Commissioner may declare-
(a) a return invalid for non-compliance of procedure for using any software not validated and approved by the Director General.
(b) a return defective under sub-section (9) of section 139 of the Act on account of incomplete or inconsistent information in the return or in the schedules or for any other reason.
(ii) In case of a defective return, the Centre shall intimate this to the person through e-mail or by placing a suitable communication on the e-filing website.
(iii) A person may comply with the notice regarding defective return by uploading the rectified return within the period of time mentioned in the notice.
(iv) The Commissioner may, in order to avoid hardship to the person, condone the delay in uploading of rectified return.
(v) In case no response is received from the person in reply to the notice of defective return, the Commissioner may declare a return as not having been uploaded at all or process the return on the basis of information available.
7. Centralised Processing Centres.—
(1) The Board may set up as many Centralised Processing Centres as it may deem necessary and specify their respective jurisdictions.
(2) The processing of the returns shall be undertaken at the Centralised Processing Centre.
8. Processing of Returns.—
(i) The Centre shall process a valid return of income in the following manner, namely:-
(a) the sum payable to, or the amount of refund due to, the person shall be determined after credit of such Tax collected at Source (TCS), Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) and tax payment claims which can be automatically validated with reference to data uploaded through TDS and TCS statements by the deductors or the collectors, as the case may be, and tax payment challans reported through authorised banks in accordance with the procedures adopted by the Centre in this regard.
(b) an intimation shall be generated electronically and sent to the person by e-mail specifying the sum determined to be payable by, or the amount of the refund due to, the person; and
(c) any intimation to the person to pay any sum determined to be payable shall be deemed to be a notice of demand as per the provisions of section 156 of the Act and all other provisions of the Act shall be applicable accordingly.
(ii) The Commissioner may, –
(a) adopt appropriate procedure for processing of returns; or
(b) decide the order of priority for processing of returns of income based on administrative requirements.
(iii) Wherever a return cannot be processed in the Centre for any reasons, the Commissioner shall arrange to transmit such return to the Assessing Officer having jurisdiction for processing.
9. Rectification of mistake.—
(i) With a view to rectifying any mistake apparent from the record under section 154 of the Act, the Centre, on its own or on receiving an application from the person, may amend any order or intimation passed or sent by it under the provisions of the Act.
(ii) An application for rectification shall be filed electronically to the Centre in the format prescribed and will be processed in the same manner as a return of income-tax.
(iii) Where the rectification order results in a demand of tax, the order under section 154 of the Act passed by the Centre shall be deemed to be a notice of demand under section 156 of the Income-tax Act.
(iv) In case of error in processing due to an error in data entry or a software error or otherwise, resulting in excess refund being computed or reduction in demand of tax, the same will be corrected on its own by the Centre by passing a rectification order and the excess amount shall be recovered as per the provisions of the Act.
(v) Where a rectification has the effect of enhancing an assessment or reducing the refund or otherwise increasing the liability of the person, an intimation to this effect shall be sent to the person electronically by the Centre and the reply of the person has to be furnished through electronic mode only.
10. Adjustment against outstanding tax demand.—The set-off of refund, if any, arising from the processing of a return, against tax remaining payable will be done by using the details of outstanding tax demand lying against the person as uploaded onto the system of the Centre by the Assessing Officer.
11. Appellate Proceedings.—
(i) Where a return is processed at the Centre, the appeal proceedings relating to the processing of the return shall lie with Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) [CIT(A)] having jurisdiction over the jurisdictional Assessing Officer and any reference to Commissioner (Appeals) in any communication from the Centre shall mean such jurisdictional CIT (Appeals).
(ii) Remand reports, giving effect to appellate order and any other reports to be furnished before the CIT (Appeals) shall be submitted by the Assessing Officer having jurisdiction as regards the person.
12. No personal appearance in the Centre.—
(i) A person shall not be required to appear either personally or through authorised representative before the authorities at the Centre in connection with any proceedings.
(ii) Written or electronic communication from such person or authorized representative in the format specified by the Centre in this respect shall be sufficient compliance of the query or clarification received from the Centre.
(iii) The Centre may call for such clarification, evidence or document as may be required for the purpose of facilitating the processing of return and all such clarification, evidence or document shall be furnished electronically.
13. Service of notice or communication.—
(i) The service of a notice or order or any other communication by the Centre may be made by-
a. sending it by post;
b. delivering or transmitting its copy thereof, electronically to the person sent by the Centre’s e-mail;
c. placing its copy in the registered electronic account of the person on the official website ; or
d. any of the modes mentioned in sub-section (1) of section 282 of the Act.
(ii) The date of posting of any such communication on official website, e-mail or other electronic medium shall be deemed to be the date of service.
(iii) The intimation, orders and notices shall be computer generated and need not carry physical signature of the person signing it.
14. Power to specify procedure and processes.—The Director General may specify procedures and processes from time to time for effective functioning of the Centre in an automated and mechanised environment, including specifying the procedure and processes in respect of the following :-
(i) receipt and processing of electronic rectification applications in the Centre.
(ii) the address or place, the mode and the period or the extended period within which the acknowledgment in Form ITR-V shall be accepted.
(iii) validating any software used for e-filing the return.
(iv) call centres to answer queries and provide taxpayer services which may include outbound calls to persons requesting for clarification to assist in the processing of their returns of income.
(v) managing tax administration functions such as receipt, scanning, data entry, processing, issue of refunds, storage and retrieval of income-tax returns and documents in a centralised manner or receipt of paper documents through authorized intermediaries.
Reference: Section 143 of the income Tax Act, 1961
Assessment
(1) Where a return has been made under section 139, or in response to a notice under sub-section (1) of section 142, such return shall be processed in the following manner, namely:—
(a) the total income or loss shall be computed after making the following adjustments, namely:—
(i) any arithmetical error in the return; or
(ii) an incorrect claim, if such incorrect claim is apparent from any information in the return;
(b) the tax and interest, if any, shall be computed on the basis of the total income computed under clause (a);
(c) the sum payable by, or the amount of refund due to, the assessee shall be determined after adjustment of the tax and interest, if any, computed under clause (b) by any tax deducted at source, any tax collected at source, any advance tax paid, any relief allowable under an agreement under section 90 or section 90A, or any relief allowable under section 91, any rebate allowable under Part A of Chapter VIII, any tax paid on self-assessment and any amount paid otherwise by way of tax or interest;
(d) an intimation shall be prepared or generated and sent to the assessee specifying the sum determined to be payable by, or the amount of refund due to, the assessee under clause (c); and
(e) the amount of refund due to the assessee in pursuance of the determination under clause (c) shall be granted to the assessee:
Provided that an intimation shall also be sent to the assessee in a case where the loss declared in the return by the assessee is adjusted but no tax or interest is payable by, or no refund is due to, him:
Provided further that no intimation under this sub-section shall be sent after the expiry of one year from the end of the financial year in which the return is made.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section,—
(a) “an incorrect claim apparent from any information in the return” shall mean a claim, on the basis of an entry, in the return,—
(i) of an item, which is inconsistent with another entry of the same or some other item in such return;
(ii) in respect of which the information required to be furnished under this Act to substantiate such entry has not been so furnished; or
(iii) in respect of a deduction, where such deduction exceeds specified statutory limit which may have been expressed as monetary amount or percentage or ratio or fraction;
(b) the acknowledgement of the return shall be deemed to be the intimation in a case where no sum is payable by, or refundable to, the assessee under clause (c), and where no adjustment has been made under clause (a).
(1A) For the purposes of processing of returns under sub-section (1), the Board may make a scheme for centralised processing of returns with a view to expeditiously determining the tax payable by, or the refund due to, the assessee as required under the said sub-section.
(1B) Save as otherwise expressly provided, for the purpose of giving effect to the scheme made under sub-section (1A), the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that any of the provisions of this Act relating to processing of returns shall not apply or shall apply with such exceptions, modifications and adaptations as may be specified in that notification; so, however, that no direction shall be issued after the 31st day of March, 2012.
(1C) Every notification issued under sub-section (1B), along with the scheme made under sub-section (1A), shall, as soon as may be after the notification is issued, be laid before each House of Parliament.
(1D)
Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the processing of a return shall not be necessary, where a notice has been issued to the assessee under sub-section (2).
(2) Where a return has been furnished under section 139, or in response to a notice under sub-section (1) of section 142, the Assessing Officer shall,—
(i) where he has reason to believe that any claim of loss, exemption, deduction, allowance or relief made in the return is inadmissible, serve on the assessee a notice specifying particulars of such claim of loss, exemption, deduction, allowance or relief and require him, on a date to be specified therein to produce, or cause to be produced, any evidence or particulars specified therein or on which the assessee may rely, in support of such claim:
Provided that no notice under this clause shall be served on the assessee on or after the 1st day of June, 2003;
(ii) notwithstanding anything contained in clause (i), if he considers it necessary or expedient to ensure that the assessee has not understated the income or has not computed excessive loss or has not under-paid the tax in any manner, serve on the assessee a notice requiring him, on a date to be specified therein, either to attend his office or to produce, or cause to be produced, any evidence on which the assessee may rely in support of the return:
Provided that no notice under clause (ii) shall be served on the assessee after the expiry of six months from the end of the financial year in which the return is furnished.
(3) On the day specified in the notice,—
(i) issued under clause (i) of sub-section (2), or as soon afterwards as may be, after hearing such evidence and after taking into account such particulars as the assessee may produce, the Assessing Officer shall, by an order in writing, allow or reject the claim or claims specified in such notice and make an assessment determining the total income or loss accordingly, and determine the sum payable by the assessee on the basis of such assessment;
(ii) issued under clause (ii) of sub-section (2), or as soon afterwards as may be, after hearing such evidence as the assessee may produce and such other evidence as the Assessing Officer may require on specified points, and after taking into account all relevant material which he has gathered, the Assessing Officer shall, by an order in writing, make an assessment of the total income or loss of the assessee, and determine the sum payable by him or refund of any amount due to him on the basis of such assessment:]
Provided that in the case of a—
(a) research association referred to in clause (21) of section 10;
(b) news agency referred to in clause (22B) of section 10;
(c) association or institution referred to in clause (23A) of section 10;
(d) institution referred to in clause (23B) of section 10;
(e) fund or institution referred to in sub-clause (iv) or trust or institution referred to in sub-clause (v) or any university or other educational institution referred to in sub-clause (vi) or any hospital or other medical institution referred to in sub-clause (via) of clause (23C) of section 10,
which is required to furnish the return of income under sub-section (4C) of section 139, no order making an assessment of the total income or loss of such research association, news agency, association or institution or fund or trust or university or other educational institution or any hospital or other medical institution, shall be made by the Assessing Officer, without giving effect to the provisions of section 10, unless—
(i) the Assessing Officer has intimated the Central Government or the prescribed authority the contravention of the provisions of clause (21) or clause (22B) or clause (23A) or clause (23B) or sub-clause (iv) or sub-clause (v) or sub-clause (vi) or sub-clause (via) of clause (23C) of section 10, as the case may be, by such research association, news agency, association or institution or fund or trust or university or other educational institution or any hospital or other medical institution, where in his view such contravention has taken place; and
(ii) the approval granted to such research association or other association or fund or trust or institution or university or other educational institution or hospital or other medical institution has been withdrawn or notification issued in respect of such news agency or fund or trust or institution has been rescinded :
Provided further that where the Assessing Officer is satisfied that the activities of the university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) and clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 are not being carried out in accordance with all or any of the conditions subject to which such university, college or other institution was approved, he may, after giving a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against the proposed withdrawal to the concerned university, college or other institution, recommend to the Central Government to withdraw the approval and that Government may by order, withdraw the approval and forward a copy of the order to the concerned university, college or other institution and the Assessing Officer:
Provided also
that notwithstanding anything contained in the first and the second proviso, no effect shall be given by the Assessing Officer to the provisions of clause (23C)
of section 10 in the case of a trust or institution for a previous year, if the provisions of the first proviso to clause (15)
of section 2 become applicable in the case of such person in such previous year, whether or not the approval granted to such trust or institution or notification issued in respect of such trust or institution has been withdrawn or rescinded
(4) Where a regular assessment under sub-section (3) of this section or section 144 is made,—
(a) any tax or interest paid by the assessee under sub-section (1) shall be deemed to have been paid towards such regular assessment ;
(b) if no refund is due on regular assessment or the amount refunded under sub-section (1) exceeds the amount refundable on regular assessment, the whole or the excess amount so refunded shall be deemed to be tax payable by the assessee and the provisions of this Act shall apply accordingly.
(5) Omitted by the Finance Act, 1999, w.e.f. 1-6-1999.