Chapter XI REFUNDS AND ADJUSTMENTS

1. (1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, the prescribed authority shall refund to a person the amount of tax, penalty and interest, if any, paid by such person in excess of the amount due from him in such manner as may be prescribed.
2. (2) Where on account of death, incapacity, insolvency liquidation or other cause a person is unable to claim or receive any refund due to him, his legal representative or the trustee or guardian or receiver, as the case may be, shall be entitled to claim or receive such refund in the manner prescribed: Provided that the prescribed authority shall first apply such excess amount towards the recovery of any amount for any period in respect of which a notice under section 39 has been issued and shall then refund the balance, if any.

1. (1) If a registered dealer files any returns or produces any other evidence as required by or under this Act, and the return or evidences produced show any amount to be refundable to the dealer, then the dealer may apply in the prescribed form to the prescribed authority for grant of provisional refund.
2. (2) The prescribed authority may require the said dealer to furnish such security as may be prescribed for an amount equal to the amount of refund and on receipt of such security, the prescribed authority shall, subject to rules, grant the dealer a provisional refund of the amount claimed refundable as aforesaid.
3. (3) (a) Subject to other provisions of this Act, the refund under sub-section (1) shall be deemed to be final if the dealer has no liability under the Act as per his annual return filed under section 24 and the report submitted under sub-section (2) of section 54.
   • (b) Upon the said refund being final, the security, if any, furnished under sub-section (2) shall be returned to the said dealer.
   • (c) If any amount in excess of the amount refunded under sub-section (1) is found to be payable by the said dealer in respect of the period for which he had claimed and was allowed such provisional refund, such excess shall be recovered as arrears of tax from the dealer and he shall be liable to pay simple interest on such excess amount at the rate of one and half per cent. per month or part thereof from the date of grant of provisional refund till the date of the payment of such excess amount.

1. (1) Where an amount required to be refunded by the prescribed authority to any person is not refunded to him or the application for refund is not rejected, as the case may be, within ninety days of the amount having become refundable, the prescribed authority shall pay such person simple interest at the rate of six per cent. per annum or part thereof on the said amount from the date immediately following the expiry of the period of ninety days to the date of the refund: Provided that where the amount becomes refundable by virtue of an order of the Tribunal or the High Court or the Supreme Court, the interest under the provisions of this section shall be payable from the date immediately following the expiry of the period of ninety days from the date of receipt of the order of the Tribunal, the High Court or the Supreme Court, by the officer whose order forms the subject matter of the proceedings before the Tribunal, the High Court or the Supreme Court, to the date of refund.
2. (2) If the delay in granting the refund within the period of ninety days aforesaid is attributable to the said person, whether wholly or in part, the period of the delay attributable to him shall be excluded from the period for which interest is payable.
3. (3) Where any question arises as to the period to be excluded for the purposes of calculation of interest under the provisions of this section, such question shall be determined by the Commissioner, whose decision shall be final.

Where an order giving rise to a refund is the subjectmatter of an appeal or further proceeding or where any other proceeding under this Act is pending, and the authority competent to grant such refund is of the opinion that the grant of the refund is likely to adversely affect the revenue, such authority (not being the Commissioner) with the previous approval of the Commissioner may withhold the refund till such time as is deemed fit: Provided that the Commissioner may, on application or otherwise, order for release of such refund if he is of the opinion that the situation does not require such action on the part of the prescribed authority.