THE CENTRAL GOODS AND SERVICES TAX ACT, 2017
INSPECTION, SEARCH, SEIZURE AND ARREST
Section 71:
Access to business premises.
(1) Any officer under this Act, authorised by
the proper officer not below the rank of Joint Commissioner, shall have access
to any place of business of a registered person to inspect books of account,
documents, computers, computer programs, computer software whether installed in
a computer or otherwise and such other things as he may require and which may
be available at such place, for the purposes of carrying out any audit,
scrutiny, verification and checks as may be necessary to safeguard the interest
of revenue.
(2)
Every person in charge of place referred to in sub-section (1) shall, on
demand, make available to the officer authorised under sub-section (1) or the
audit party deputed by the proper officer or a cost accountant or chartered
accountant nominated under section 66—
(i) such records as prepared or
maintained by the registered person and declared to the proper officer in such
manner as may be prescribed;
(ii) trial balance or its
equivalent;
(iii) statements of annual financial
accounts, duly audited, wherever required;
(iv) cost audit report, if any,
under section 148 of the Companies Act, 2013;
(v) the income-tax audit report, if
any, under section 44AB of the Income-tax Act, 1961; and
(vi) any other relevant record,
for the scrutiny by the officer or audit party or the chartered accountant or
cost accountant within a period not exceeding fifteen working days from the day
when such demand is made, or such further period as may be allowed by the said
officer or the audit party or the chartered accountant or cost accountant.