Section 23(5) in The Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act, 2002
(5)[ (a) [During the course of any proceedings under this Act, if the prescribed authority is satisfied that the tax has been evaded or sought to be evaded or the tax liability has not been disclosed correctly or excess of set-off has been claimed by any dealer or person] [This sub-section was substituted by Maharashtra 14 of 2005 (w.e.f 1-4-2005), Section 17.] in respect of any period or periods by not recording or recording in an incorrect manner, any transaction of sale or purchase, or that any claim has been incorrectly made, then in such a case notwithstanding that any notice for assessment has been issued under other provisions of this section or any other section of this Act, the prescribed authority may, after giving such dealer or person a notice in the prescribed form and a reasonable opportunity of being heard, initiate assessment of the dealer or person in respect of such transaction or claim.[Provided that, where, -(i)a registered dealer has claimed refund in his last return or a revised return containing last day of the year, or(ii)an auditor has mentioned about eligibility for refund in his audit report under section 61,then the prescribed authority may, subject to the conditions, restrictions and safeguards as may be prescribed, after adjusting the refund so claimed or, as the case may be, so mentioned, against the tax liability, interest and penalty, if any, determined in the proceedings initiated under this clause, grant net refund to such dealer or, as the case may be, determine the net tax liability :Provided further that, the amount of refund claimed in the return filed or mentioned in the audit report filed under section 61, whichever is filed later, but not later than the 31st March 2019, in any case, may only be considered for the purposes of the first proviso.] [Inserted by Maharashtra Act No. 16 of 2019, dated 9.7.2019.](b)During the course of any proceedings under section 64, if the prescribed authority is satisfied that the tax has been or is sought to be evaded, as provided under clause (a) by any dealer or person, the said authority may, after issuing a notice in the prescribed form and after giving a reasonable opportunity of being heard to such dealer or person, proceed to assess such dealer or person as provided in clause (a) in respect of any such transaction or claim relating to any period or periods and such authority shall, notwithstanding anything contained in section 59, be deemed to have the requisite jurisdiction and power to assess such dealer or person in respect of such transaction of sale or purchase or claim, covered by clause (a) and such assessment proceedings shall, for all purposes of this Act, be deemed to have been transferred to such authority.(c)The assessment proceedings under this sub-section shall be without prejudice to the assessment proceedings in respect of the said period or periods under any other provisions of this Act by any authority who otherwise has the jurisdiction to assess such dealer or person in respect of other transactions of sale or purchase or any other claim which are not covered by clause (a) and clause (b).(d)The assessment under this sub-section shall be made separately in respect of the transaction or claim relating to the said period or periods to the best of the judgment of the prescribed authority where necessary and irrespective of any assessment made under this sub-section, the dealer may be assessed separately under the other provisions of this section in respect of the said period or periods:Provided that, once the dealer or person is assessed under this sub-section, no tax from such transaction or claim and penalty and interest, if any, consequent upon such tax shall be levied or demanded from such dealer or person, at the time of assessment to tax under the other provisions of this section in respect of the said period or periods relating to such transaction or claim.][Explanation.- For the purposes of this sub-section, "prescribed authority", "the said authority", "such authority" and "any authority" shall mean the Commissioner or, as the case may be, the authorities appointed under section 10 and other officers or persons to whom the Commissioner has delegated his powers in this behalf.] [Explanation was inserted by The Maharashtra Tax Laws (Levy and Amendment) Act, 2010, Section 12(b), (w.e.f 1-5-2010).]
