Proof of Official Entries in Tax Prosecutions : Clause 493 of the Income Tax Bill, 2025 Vs. Section 279B of the Income Tax Act, 1961

Admissibility of official tax records: certified copies allowed as evidence, easing prosecution while preserving challenge rights.

Clause 493 mandates that entries in records or documents in the custody of an income-tax authority 'shall be admitted in evidence' in prosecution proceedings under the chapter and permits proof either by production of the original records or by production of a certified copy signed by the custodian stating it is a true copy and that the originals are in its custody. The clause covers varied formats of records, limits application to criminal proceedings under the chapter, and preserves courts' power to test genuineness and require originals where fairness demands.