Service of notices: modernised electronic and prescribed modes expand tax communication obligations and board rule making.
Clause 501 prescribes authorised modes for serving statutory tax communications-post or Board approved courier, CPC methods for summons, electronic records under the IT Act, and other prescribed means-while empowering the CBDT to designate addresses (including electronic mail addresses) for service and to prescribe additional modes. It supplies a comprehensive, technology neutral definition of electronic mail covering messages and attachments, thereby modernising and clarifying the law of service and reducing ambiguities present in the earlier statutory cross references.