Waiver of Penalty U/s 273AA by Principal Commissioner or Commissioner

Section 273AA empowers the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner to grant immunity from imposition of any penalty under the Income-tax Act in a case where the taxpayer has made an application for settlement under section 245C and the proceedings for settlement have been abated under section 245HA and penalty proceedings are initiated under the Income-tax Act.

Initiation to be taken by the taxpayer

For obtaining waiver, the taxpayer has to make an application to the Commissioner.

Time-limit for passing order under section 273AA

The Principal Commissioner or Commissioner, as the case may be, shall pass order, either accepting or rejecting assessee’s application to reduce or waive penalty, within a period of 12 months from the end of the month in which application is received.

However, order shall be passed on or before May 31, 2017 in case of application pending as on June 1, 2016.

Further, no order rejecting the application shall be passed unless the assessee has been given an opportunity of being heard.

Other provisions applicable to the case of waiver under section 273AA

 The application to the Commissioner for waiver shall not be made after the imposition of penalty after abatement.

 The Commissioner may, subject to such conditions as he may think fit to impose, grant to the person immunity from the imposition of any penalty under the Income-tax Act.

 Before granting the waiver, the Commissioner should be satisfied that the taxpayer has, after the abatement, co-operated with the Income-tax authority in the proceedings before him and made a full and true disclosure of his income and the manner in which such income has been derived.

 The immunity granted under section 273AA shall stand withdrawn, if such person fails to comply with any condition subject to which the immunity was granted and after the withdrawal of the immunity, the provisions of the Act shall apply as if such immunity had not been granted.

 The immunity granted under section 273AA may, at any time, be withdrawn by the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner, if he is satisfied that such person had, in the course of any proceedings, after abatement, concealed any particulars material to the assessment from the income-tax authority or had given false evidence, and thereupon such person shall become liable to the imposition of any penalty under the Act to which such person would have been liable, had not such immunity been granted.