G. Rationalization Measures

Amendment in the provisions of section 248 of Income-tax Act and insertion of new section 239A

Section 248 of the Act provides that in a case where, under an agreement or other arrangement, a person who has deducted tax on any income paid to a nonresident, other than interest, under section 195 of the Act, he may appeal to the Commissioner (Appeals) for a declaration that no tax was deductible on such income, if he claims that such tax is to be borne by him since no tax was required to be deducted on such income. Such appeal can be filed after making payment of tax so deducted to the credit of the Government account. Further, section 249 of the Act lays down that an appeal under section 248 of the Act should be filed within 30 days of making payment of such tax to the Government account.

2. To obtain a refund of the tax deducted and paid by a person, where it was not deductible, as per the provisions of section 248 of the Act, a taxpayer has no recourse to approach the Assessing Officer with such request. He has to necessarily enter the appellate process by filing an appeal before the Commissioner (Appeals). At the same time, the agreement or arrangement, under which the tax has been deducted and paid, is not brought on the record of the Assessing Officer or examined by him.

 3. In view of the above, it is proposed that a new section 239A may be inserted in the Act to provide that such a person, who has made the deduction of tax under such an agreement or arrangement and borne the tax liability, when no tax deduction was required, may file an application for refund of such tax deducted before the Assessing Officer.

4. Such person can, if he is not satisfied with the order of the Assessing Officer, go into appeal against such order before the Commissioner (Appeals), under section 246A of the Act. Accordingly, the provisions of section 248 of the Act will not apply in cases where the date of tax payment, to the credit of Central Government is on or after 01.04.2022.

5. These amendments will take effect from 1st April, 2022.

[Clauses 66, 68 and 69]

 

Withholding tax refund procedure now allows the payer to seek refund from the Assessing Officer, with appellate review. A new provision allows a person who deducted and bore tax under an agreement, where no deduction was required, to apply to the Assessing Officer for refund; the Assessing Officer may examine the underlying agreement, and the applicant may appeal the Assessing Officer's order to the Commissioner (Appeals). The previous route under section 248 will not apply for payments on or after the appointed date, effecting a procedural shift to assessment stage review.