23A. Appealable orders before Commissioner (Appeals).

(1) Any person—

(a)   objecting to the amount of net wealth determined under this Act; or
(b)   objecting to the amount of wealth-tax determined as payable by him under this Act; or
(c)   denying his liability to be assessed under this Act; or
(d)   objecting to any penalty imposed by the Assessing Officer under section 18 or section 18A; or
(e)   objecting to any order of the Assessing Officer under sub-section (2) of section 20; or
(f)   objecting to any penalty imposed by the Assessing Officer under the provisions of section 221 of the Income-tax Act as applied under section 32 for the purposes of wealth-tax; or
(g)   objecting to any order made by the Assessing Officer under section 22 treating him as the agent of a person residing outside India; or
(h)   objecting to any order of the Assessing Officer under section 35 having the effect of enhancing the assessment or reducing a refund or refusing to allow the claim made by the assessee under the said section; or
(i)   objecting to any order of the Valuation Officer under section 35 having the effect of enhancing the valuation of any asset or refusing to allow the claim made by the assessee under the said section; or
(j)   objecting to any penalty imposed by the Deputy Director or Deputy Commissioner under section 18A,

may appeal to the Commissioner (Appeals) against the assessment or order, as the case may be, in the prescribed form and verified in the prescribed manner and on payment of a fee of two hundred and fifty rupees.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section, where on or before the 1st day of October, 1998, the post of Deputy Commissioner has been redesignated as Joint Commissioner and the post of Deputy Director has been redesignated as Joint Director, the references in this sub-section for "Deputy Commissioner" and "Deputy Director" shall be substituted by "Joint Commissioner" and "Joint Director" respectively.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) of section 23, every appeal under this Act which is pending immediately before the appointed day, before the Deputy Commissioner (Appeals) and any matter arising out of or connected with such appeal and which is so pending shall stand transferred on that day to the Commissioner (Appeals) and the Commissioner (Appeals) may proceed with such appeals or matter from the stage on which it was on that day:

Provided that the appellant may demand that before proceeding further with the appeal or matter, the previous proceedings or any part thereof be re-opened or that he be re-heard.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section, "appointed day" means the day appointed under section 246A of the Income-tax Act.

(3) An appeal shall be presented within thirty days of the receipt of the notice of demand relating to the assessment or penalty objected to or the day on which any order objected to is communicated to him, but the Commissioner (Appeals) may admit an appeal after the expiration of the period aforesaid, if he is satisfied that the appellant had sufficient cause for not presenting the appeal within that period.

(4) Where a return has been filed by an assessee, no appeal under this section shall be admitted unless at the time of filing of the appeal, he has paid the tax due on the net wealth returned by him.

(5) The Commissioner (Appeals) shall fix a day and place for the hearing of the appeal and may, from time to time, adjourn the hearing.

(6) If the valuation of any asset is objected to in an appeal under clause (a) or clause (i) of sub-section (1), the Commissioner (Appeals) shall,—

(a)   in case where such valuation has been made by a Valuation Officer under section 16A, give such Valuation Officer an opportunity of being heard;
(b)   in any other case on request being made in this behalf by the Assessing Officer, give an opportunity of being heard to any Valuation Officer nominated for the purpose by the Assessing Officer.

(7) The Commissioner (Appeals) may,—

(a)   at the hearing of an appeal, allow an appellant to go into any ground of appeal not specified in the grounds of appeal;
(b)   before disposing of any appeal, make such further enquiry as he thinks fit or cause further enquiry to be made by the Assessing Officer or, as the case may be, by the Valuation Officer.

(8) In disposing of an appeal, the Commissioner (Appeals) may pass such order as he thinks fit which may include an order enhancing the assessment or penalty:

Provided that no order enhancing the assessment or penalty shall be made unless the person affected thereby has been given a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against such enhancement.

32[(8A) In every appeal, the Commissioner (Appeals), where it is possible, may hear and decide such appeal within a period of one year from the end of the financial year in which such appeal is filed under sub-section (1).]

(9) In disposing of an appeal, the Commissioner (Appeals) may consider and decide any matter arising out of the proceedings in which the order appealed against was passed, notwithstanding that such matter was not placed before the Commissioner (Appeals) by the appellant.

32a[(9A) In disposing of an appeal against the order of assessment in respect of which the proceeding before the Settlement Commission abates under section 22HA, he may, after taking into consideration all the material and other information produced by the assessee before, or the results of the inquiry held or evidence recorded by, the Settlement Commission, in the course of the proceedings before it and such other material as may be brought on his record, confirm, reduce, enhance or annul the assessment.]

(10) The order of the Commissioner (Appeals) disposing of the appeal shall be in writing and shall state the points for determining the decision thereon and reasons for the decision.

(11) A copy of every order passed by the Commissioner (Appeals) under this section shall be forwarded to the appellant and the Chief Commissioner or Commissioner.]