CBDT unveils new guidelines on condoning delay in filing returns involving refund claims or unabsorbed losses

The CBDT has issued Circular No. 9/2015 dated 9th June 2015 which deals with the issue of condonation of delay in filing refund claim and claim of carry forward of losses under section 119(2)(b) of the Income-tax Act. The said Circular contains containing comprehensive guidelines on the conditions for condonation and the procedure to be followed for deciding such matters.

The circular states that to claim refund of previous period which is limited to 6 assessment years by making an application to Principal Commissioners of Income Tax/CsIT , the power vested in Pr.CsIT/CsIT if amount of Tax refund is not more than Rs. 10 Lakh for any assessment year and for the cases of tax refund of not more than Rs. 50 Lakh in any assessment year the power vested in the Principal Chief Commissioners of Income Tax/Chief Commissioners of Income tax(PLCCsIt/CCsIT) and if refund amount exceeds Rs.50Lakh in any assessment year the application considered by board. The application should be disposed of by the appropriate authority within 6 months from the end of the month application received. 

The Text of Circular is reproduced Below:-

SECTION 119 OF THE INCOME-TAX ACT, 1961 - INCOME-TAX AUTHORITIES - INSTRUCTIONS TO SUBORDINATE AUTHORITIES - CONDONATION OF DELAY IN FILING REFUND CLAIM AND CLAIM OF CARRY FORWARD LOSSES UNDER SECTION 119(2)(b)

CIRCULAR 9/2015 [F.NO.312/22/2015-OT], DATED 9-6-2015

In supersession of all earlier Instructions/Circulars/Guidelines issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (the Board) from time to time to deal with the applications for condonation of delay in filing returns claiming refund and returns claiming carry forward of loss and set-off thereof under section 119(2)(b) of the Income-tax Act, (the Act) the present Circular is being issued containing comprehensive guidelines on the conditions for condonation and the procedure to be followed for deciding such matters.

2. The Principal Commissioners of Income-tax/Commissioners of Income-tax (Pr.CsIT/CsIT) shall be vested with the powers of acceptance/rejection of such applications/claims if the amount of such claims is not more than Rs.10 lakhs for any one assessment year. The Principal Chief Commissioners of Income-tax/Chief Commissioners of Income-tax (Pr.CCsIT/CCsIT) shall be vested with the powers of acceptance/rejection of such applications/claims if the amount of such claims exceeds Rs.10 lakhs but is not more than Rs. 50 lakhs for any one assessment year. The applications/claims for amount exceeding Rs.50 lakhs shall be considered by the Board.

3. No condonation application for claim of refund/loss shall be entertained beyond six years from the end of the assessment year for which such application/claim is made.This limit of six years shall be applicable to all authorities having powers to condone the delay as per the above prescribed monetary limits, including the Board. A condonation application should be disposed of within six months from the end of the month in which the application is received by the competent authority, as far as possible.

4. In a case where refund claim has arisen consequent to a Court order, the period for which any such proceedings were pending before any Court of Law shall be ignored while calculating the said period of six years, provided such condonation application is filed within six months from the end of the month in which the Court order was issued or the end of financial year whichever is later.

5. The powers of acceptance/rejection of the application within the monetary limits delegated to the Pr.CCsIT/CCsIT/Pr.CsIT/CsIT in case of such claims will be subject to Following conditions:

i.		At the time of considering the case under Section 119(2)(b), it shall be ensured that the income/loss declared and/or refund claimed is correct and genuine and also that the case is of genuine hardship on merits.
ii.		The Pr.CCIT/CCIT/Pr.CIT/CIT dealing with the case shall be empowered to direct the jurisdictional assessing officer to make necessary inquiries or scrutinize the case in accordance with the provisions of the Act to ascertain the correctness of the claim.

6. A belated application for supplementary claim of refund (claim of additional amount of refund after completion of assessment for the same year) can be admitted for condonation provided other conditions as referred above are fulfilled. The powers of acceptance/rejection within the monetary limits delegated to the Pr.CCsIT/CCsIT/Pr.CsJT/CsIT in case of returns claiming refund and supplementary claim of refund would be subject to the following further conditions:

i.		The income of the assessee is not assessable in the hands of any other person under any of the provisions of the Act.
ii.		No interest will be admissible on belated claim of refunds.
iii.		The refund has arisen as a result of excess tax deducted/collected at source and/or excess advance tax payment and/or excess payment of self-assessment tax as per the provisions of the Act.

7. In the case of an applicant who has made investment in 8% Savings (Taxable) Bonds, 2003 issued by Government of India opting for scheme of cumulative interest on maturity but has accounted interest earned on mercantile basis and the intermediary bank at the time of maturity has deducted tax at source on the entire amount of interest paid without apportioning the accrued interest/TDS, over various financial years involved, the time limit of six years for making such refund claims will not be applicable.

8. This circular will cover all such applications/claims for condonation of delay under section 119(2xb) which are pending as on the date of issue of the Circular.

9. The Board reserves the power to examine any grievance arising out of an order passed or not passed by the authorities mentioned in para 2 above and issue suitable directions to them for proper implementation of this Circular. However, no review of or appeal against the orders of such authorities would be entertained by the Board.