Reopening of assessment u/s 147 - Time limit for notice to be...

Reopening of assessment u/s 147 - Time limit for notice to be issued u/s 149 - escaped income from an asset outside India - there is no bar on the retrospectivity of a statute - Our humble understanding is that so far as escaped income from an asset outside India is concerned, any completed assessment can be reopened as long as sixteen years have not elapsed from the end of the relevant assessment year. Admittedly, that is not the position in the present case, as the relevant assessment year was completed on 31st March 2000, and the assessment was reopened on 27th March 2015. The plea of the Assessing Officer is thus indeed well taken. - AT