Input Tax Credit

(1) Within ninety days from the date on which an order under sub-section (4) of section 33 was communicated to him the VAT dealer or TOT dealer or any other dealer or the authority prescribed in this behalf may prefer a petition to the High Court against the order on the ground that the Appellate Tribunal has either decided erroneously or failed to decide, any question of law:

Provided that the High Court may admit a petition preferred after the period of ninety days aforesaid, if it is satisfied that the petitioner had sufficient cause for not preferring the petition within that period.

(2) The petition shall be in the prescribed form, shall be verified in the prescribed manner, and shall, where it is preferred by the dealer, be accompanied by a fee of rupees five hundred.

(3) If the High Court perusing the petition, considers that there is no sufficient ground for interfering, it may dismiss the petition summarily:

Provided that no petition shall be dismissed unless the petitioner has had a reasonable opportunity of being heard in support thereof.

(4) (a) If the High Court does not dismiss the petition summarily, it shall, after giving both parties to the petition, a reasonable opportunity of being heard, determine the question or questions of law raised and either reverse, affirm, or amend the order against which the petition was preferred or remit the matter to the Appellate Tribunal with the opinion of the High Court on the question, or questions of law raised, or pass such other order in relation to the matter as the High Court thinks fit;

(b) Where the High Court remits the matter to the Appellate Tribunal under clause (a) with its opinion on the question or questions of law raised, the Appellate Tribunal shall amend the order passed by it in conformity with such opinion.

(5) Before passing an order under sub-section (4), the High Court may if it considers it necessary so to do, remit the petition to the Appellate Tribunal and direct it to return the petition with its finding on any specific question or issue.

(6) (a) Notwithstanding that a petition has been preferred under sub-section (1) tax shall be paid in accordance with the assessment made in the case:

Provided that the High Court may, in its discretion permit the petitioner to pay the tax in such number of instalments, or give such other direction in regard to the payment of tax as it thinks fit:

Provided further that if, as result of the petition, any change becomes necessary in such assessment, the High Court may authorize the authority prescribed to amend the assessment, and on such amendment being made the excess amount paid by the dealer shall be refunded to him without interest, or the further amount of tax due from him shall be collected in accordance with the provisions of the Act, as the case may be;

(b) The payment of tax and penalty, if any due in accordance with the order of the Appellate Tribunal in respect of which a petition has been preferred under sub-section (1) shall not be stayed pending the disposal of the petition, but if such amount is reduced as a result of such petition, the excess tax paid shall be refunded in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

(7) (a) The High Court may, on the application of the dealer or the authority prescribed review any order passed by it under sub-section (4) on the basis of facts which were not before it when it passed the order;

(b) the application for review shall be preferred within such time and in such manner as may be prescribed and shall, where it is preferred by the dealer, be accompanied by a fee of rupees one hundred.

(8) In respect of every petition or application preferred under sub-section (1) or sub-section (7) the costs shall be in the discretion of the High Court.