Customer Care No.

91-1145562222

Scope of incriminating
material in block
assessments
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Introduction - Provisions of Section 153 A:

1.With the introduction of the group of sections, viz.,
Sections 153A to 153C, the concept of a single block
assessment was given a go-by. Where a search was
made after 31.05.2003 the AO is obliged to issue
notices calling upon the searched person to furnish
returns for the six assessment years immediately
preceding the assessment year relevant to the
previous year in which the search was conducted.
Under section 153A, the AO is required to exercise
normal assessment powers in respect of the previous
year in which the search took place. Another
significant feature is that the AO has power to assess
and reassess the 'total income' of the aforementioned
six years in separate assessment orders for each of
the six years. This meant that there could be only one
Assessment Order in respect of each of the six
assessment years "in which both the disclosed and the
Customer
Careincome
No. 91-11undisclosed
would be brought to tax".

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Issuance of notice is a mandatory requirement:

2.Once a search takes place under section 132, notice under section 153 A (1) will have to be mandatorily issued
to the person searched requiring him to file returns for six assessment years immediately preceding the previous
year relevant to the assessment year in which the search takes place.
In terms of section 153A (1) it is mandatory for the AO to issue a notice to the searched person once a search
took place whether or not any incriminating material was found. The logical corollary of this is that irrespective of
whether any such incriminating material was found during the search, since notice has been issued under section
153A (1) (a), the returns for the six preceding years has mandatorily to be filed by the Assessee and the
assessment for each of the six previous years has to be carried to the logical end. If in that process any
undisclosed income relating to completed assessment came to light, it would be open to the AO to proceed to
make such additions.
Pending assessments and completed assessments:
3.Assessments and reassessments pending on the date of the search shall abate. The total income for such
assessment years will have to be computed by the AO as a fresh exercise.
The AO will exercise normal assessment powers in respect of the six years previous to the relevant assessment
year in which the search takes place. The AO has the power to assess and reassess the 'total income' of the
aforementioned six years in separate assessment orders for each of the six years. In other words there will be
only one assessment order in respect of each of the six assessment years "in which both the disclosed and the
undisclosed would be brought to tax".

Customer Care No. 91-11-

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4
Insofar as pending assessments are concerned, the jurisdiction to make the original
assessment and the assessment under section 153A merges into one. Only one assessment
shall be made separately for each assessment year on the basis of the findings of the search
and any other material existing or brought on the record of the AO. In the case of completed
assessments the 'total income' would be reassessed on the basis of evidences/materials or
documents found during the search.
Addition when and where:
4.Although section 153A does not say that additions should be strictly made on the basis of
evidence found in the course of the search, or other post-search material or information
available with the AO which can be related to the evidence found, it does not mean that the
assessment "can be arbitrary or made without any relevance or nexus with the seized
material. Obviously an assessment has to be made under this section only on the basis of
seized material."
In absence of any incriminating material, the completed assessment can be reiterated and the
abated assessment or reassessment can be made. The word 'assess' in section 153A is
relatable to abated proceedings (i.e. those pending on the date of search) and the word
'reassess' to completed assessment proceedings.
Comp1eted
under
Customer
Care assessments
No. 91-11- can be interfered with by the AO while making the assessment
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Customer Care No. 91-11-

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