Audit of accounts

(1) Where in any particular year the gross turnover of a dealer exceeds five lakh rupees or such other amount as the State Government 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 prescribed authority by the end of the month after expiry of the period of six months during which the audit would have been completed. (3) If any dealer liable to get his accounts audited under sub-section (1) fails to get his accounts audited and furnish a true copy of the audit report within the time specified in sub-section (2), the prescribed authority 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 one percent of the turnover as it may determine to the best of its judgement in respect of the said period. Explanation - For the purpose of this section, "Accountant" means a Chartered Accountant within the meaning of the Chartered Accountants 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 entitled to be appointed to act as an auditor of Companies registered under the said Act.