Detention, seizure and release of goods and conveyances in transit

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, where any person transports any goods or stores any goods while they are in transit in contravention of the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder, all such goods and conveyance used as a means of transport for carrying the said goods and documents relating to such goods and conveyance shall be liable to detention or seizure and after detention or seizure, shall be released,-- (a) on payment of the applicable tax and penalty equal to one hundred per cent. of the tax payable on such goods and, in case of exempted goods, on payment of an amount equal to two per cent of the value of goods or twenty five thousand rupees, whichever is less, where the owner of the goods comes forward for payment of such tax and penalty; (b) on payment of the applicable tax and penalty equal to the fifty per cent. of the value of the goods reduced by the tax amount paid thereon and, in case of exempted goods, on payment of an amount equal to five per cent of the value of goods or twenty five thousand rupees, whichever is less, where the owner of the goods does not come forward for payment of such tax and penalty; (c) upon furnishing a security equivalent to the amount payable under clause (a) or clause (b) in such form and manner as may be prescribed: Provided that no such goods or conveyance shall be detained or seized without serving an order of detention or seizure on the person transporting the goods. (2) The provisions of sub-section (6) of section 67 shall, mutatis mutandis, apply for detention and seizure of goods and conveyances. (3) The proper officer detaining or seizing goods or conveyances shall issue a notice specifying the tax and penalty payable and thereafter, pass an order for payment of tax and penalty under clause (a) or clause (b) or clause (c). (4) No tax, interest or penalty shall be determined under sub-section (3) without giving the person concerned an opportunity of being heard. (5) On payment of amount referred in sub-section (1), all proceedings in respect of the notice specified in sub-section (3) shall be deemed to be concluded. (6) Where the person transporting any goods or the owner of the goods fails to pay the amount of tax and penalty as provided in sub-section (1) within fourteen days of such detention or seizure, further proceedings shall be initiated in accordance with the provisions of section 130: Provided that where the detained or seized goods are perishable or hazardous in nature or are likely to depreciate in value with passage of time, the said period of seven days may be reduced by the proper officer. (11) (a) notwithstanding anything contained in section 12, no tax shall be payable on goods under this Act to the extent the tax was leviable on the said goods under the Tripura Value Added Tax Act, 2004; (b) notwithstanding anything contained in section 13, no tax shall be payable on services under this Act to the extent the tax was leviable on the said services under Chapter V of the Finance Act, 1994; (c) where tax was paid on any supply, both under the Tripura Value Added Tax Act, 2004 and under Chapter V of the Finance Act, 1994, tax shall be leviable under this Act and the taxable person shall be entitled to take credit of value added tax or service tax paid under the existing law to the extent of supplies made after the appointed day and such credit shall be calculated in such manner as may be prescribed. (12) Where any goods sent on approval basis, not earlier than six months before the appointed day, are rejected or not approved by the buyer and returned to the seller on or after the appointed day, no tax shall be payable thereon if such goods are returned within six months from the appointed day: Provided that the said period of six months may, on sufficient cause being shown, be extended by the Commissioner for a further period not exceeding two months: Provided further that the tax shall be payable by the person returning the goods if such goods are liable to tax under this Act, and are returned after the period specified in this sub-section: Provided also that tax shall be payable by the person who has sent the goods on approval basis if such goods are liable to tax under this Act, and are not returned within the period specified in this sub-section. (13) Where a supplier has made any sale of goods in respect of which tax was required to be deducted at source under the Tripura Value Added Tax Act, 2004 and has also issued an invoice for the same before the appointed day, no deduction of tax at source under section 51 shall be made by the deductor under the said section where payment to the said supplier is made on or after the appointed day. (14) Where any goods or capital goods belonging to the principal are lying at the premises of the agent on the appointed day, the agent shall be entitled to take credit of the tax paid on such goods or capital goods subject to fulfilment of the following conditions: (i) the agent is a registered taxable person under this Act; (ii) both the principal and the agent declare the details of stock of goods or capital goods lying with such agent on the day immediately preceding the appointed day in such form and manner and within such time as may be prescribed in this behalf; (iii) the invoices for such goods or capital goods had been issued not earlier than twelve months immediately preceding the appointed day; and (iv) the principal has either reversed or not availed of the input tax credit in respect of such,- (a) goods; or (b) capital goods or, having availed of such credit, has reversed the said credit, to the extent availed of by him. Explanation.-For the purposes of this Chapter, the expression “capital goods” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in the Tripura Value Added Tax Act, 2004.