Penalty for failure to comply with notices may be imposed subject to reasonable cause and mandatory hearing safeguards.

The substituted provisions create two penalty regimes: one for failure to comply with notices under section 16, imposing penalties subject to a reasonable cause defence, officer-specific limits on imposition, mandatory opportunity to be heard, and a prescribed limitation period with specified exclusions; and another for refusal to answer, sign, attend, produce documents or to furnish information, providing minimum and maximum sanctions, per-day penalties for continuing defaults, reasonable cause exceptions for certain failures, and allocation of imposition authority to specified senior tax officers.

---

---

---