Electronic record:

Every dealer who maintains the records electronically shall retain them in electronically readable format for the period specified in Section 54 along with hard copies thereof. 57. Requirement to provide information: Notwithstanding anything contrary to the provisions of this Act, or any other act, for time being in force, the Commissioner may, for any purpose related to the administration or enforcement of the provisions of this Act, by notice, require any person to provide the Commissioner, within such reasonable time as is stipulated in the notice, with any information or additional information including a return under this Act, or any document including electronic records as may be specified. 58. Audit of accounts: (1) Where in any particular year, the gross turnover of a dealer exceeds forty lakh rupees or such other amount as the Commissioner may, by a notification in the Official Gazette specify, then such dealer shall get his accounts, in respect of that year audited by an accountant within six months from the end of that year and obtain a report of such audit in the prescribed form duly signed and verified by such accountant and setting forth such particulars as may be prescribed. (2) A true copy of such report shall be furnished by such dealer to the Commissioner by the end of the month after expiry of the period of six months during which the audit would have been completed.

1. (3) If any dealer liable to get his accounts audited under sub-section (1) fails to get his accounts audited and furnished a true copy of the audit report within the time specified in sub-section (2), the Commissioner shall, after giving the dealer a reasonable opportunity of being heard, impose on him, in addition to any tax payable, a sum by way of penalty equal to 0.5 % of the turnover as he may determine to the best of his judgment in his case in respect of the said period Explanation: For the purpose of this Section, 'Accountant' means a Chartered Accountant within the meaning of the Chartered Accountant Act, 1949 and includes a person who by virtue of the provisions of sub-section (2) of Section 226 of the companies Act, 1956, is entitles to be appointed to