Deemed assessee in default: consolidated TDS/TCS consequences including interest, asset charge, and conditional relief.
Clause 398 deems persons required to deduct or collect tax who fail to deduct, collect, or remit to be assessee in default, subject to interest, recovery and a statutory charge on assets. A conditional exception applies where the payee has reported and paid the income tax and an accountant's certificate in the prescribed form is furnished; interest is bifurcated between pre-collection and post-collection periods and must be paid before filing the relevant statement. The clause sets a limitation period for default orders and requires satisfaction of good and sufficient reasons before penalties are imposed.

TDS/TCS enforcement: deeming of defaulting deductors as assessees in default triggers interest, charge on assets, and conditioned relief.
Clause 398 deems persons required to deduct or collect tax, including principal officers and specified collectors, to be an assessee in default where tax is not deducted, not collected, or not paid to the government; relief is available if the recipient files a return, includes the relevant sum, pays the tax due and the deductor/collector furnishes a prescribed accountant's certificate. Interest is prescribed for the periods between deductibility, deduction and payment, unpaid tax plus interest is a statutory charge on assets, time limits for default orders are specified, and penalty requires satisfaction of lack of good and sufficient reasons.