18. Liability to maintain and produce accounts and supply of information.
(1)Every registered dealer shall keep a true and complete account in respect of all goods produced, raised, manufactured, processed, purchased, sold or delivered by him:Provided that the Commissioner may, by notification, lay down the forms or registers or the manner in which the said dealers shall maintain the accounts as aforesaid as well as cash memoranda, bills, invoices etc, and the dealer shall maintain the accounts and documents accordingly.(2)The prescribed authority may direct the dealer to produce accounts or any information in such manner as may be required for the purpose of assessment of tax under this Act 'if the said authority is not satisfied that the accounts maintained and produced by the dealer are sufficiently clear and intelligible for determining the correct amount of the tax payable. by the dealer.(3)Subject to such rules as may be made by the State Government under this Act, the prescribed authority may, either before or after the assessment of tax under this Act, require any dealer, including a dealer not registered under this Act, to produce before him all or any of the accounts, registers and documents maintained by the dealer and also to furnish any information relating to financial transactions of the dealer relating to his business, including information regarding stocks of goods held, imported, produced, manufactured, processed, bought, 'sold or delivered, the sale price realized, the profit derived there from, and the dealer shall comply with such requirements.(4)Subject as aforesaid, all accounts and documents connected with the business of the dealer, stocks of all goods purchased or kept by him for sale, the cash, or bank pass books, statements or deposit receipts kept in any place of business shall at all reasonable times, be open to inspection and search by the prescribed authority or by any person appointed to assist him under sub-section (I) of section 3 or by such other person as may be authorised by him for the purpose in writing and the dealer shall render all possible assistance to such authority or person in the search or inspection, as the case may be.Explanation 1. - It shall be open to the said authority or person to take or cause to be taken such copies of, or extracts from, the aforesaid accounts, registers and documents as may be considered by it or him necessary and to require the dealer or any of his employees present at the time to authenticate or witness such copies or extracts, as the case may be.Explanation 2. - The authority or person may, subject to such rules as may be made, break open any door, window, almirah, safe or other containers in the place of business in which he has reason to believe that the dealer has kept or is keeping any accounts registers or documents or stocks of goods or cash relating to the business which the dealer has refused to open or produce for inspection.(5)If the prescribed authority has reason to suspect that any dealer is attempting to evade the payment of any tax due under this Act or under the Central Sales Tax Act, 1956,(74 of 1956) such authority or person may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, seize or cause to be seized such accounts, registers or documents including bank pass books or statements, as may be considered necessary, and shall grant a receipt for the same Such seized accounts, registers or documents may be retained by the said authority for so long as may be necessary for examination or for conducting any prosecution under section 23 and shall thereafter be returned to the dealer who shall acknowledge in writing the receipt of the same:Provided that the seized accounts, registers and documents shall not be retained by any authority other than the prescribed authority for over 90 days save with the approval, in writing, obtained from the prescribed authority.
