Meaning of “Income tax officer”

The meaning of income tax officer under section 253 to 255 of the Income Tax Act is not defined in the act itself. But we can take guidance from decisions by the Supreme court. Here is an excerpt of the court’s order in which the Hon’ble Supreme Court tried to explain the meaning of income tax officer.

Meaning of income tax officer defined by court

The phrase “meaning of income tax officer” used in section 253 to 255 of the Income Tax Act came up before Hon’ble Supreme Court in CIT Vs. Anil Kumar Roy Chowdhury [1967] 66 ITR 367 (SC) and it explained

Meaning: The expression ‘income-tax officer’ denotes an ito having jurisdiction over the assessee or the matter.

Section 253 to 255 of Income tax officer

Appeals to the Appellate Tribunal.

253.(1) Any assessee aggrieved by any of the following orders may appeal to the Appellate Tribunal against such order— (a) an order passed by a Deputy Commissioner (Appeals) before the 1st day of October, 1998 or, as the case may be, a Commissioner (Appeals) under section 154, section 250, section 270A, section 271, section 271A, section 271J or section 272A; or (b) an order passed by an Assessing Officer under clause (c) of section 158BC, in respect of search initiated under section 132 or books of account, other documents or any assets requisitioned under section 132A, after the 30th day of June, 1995, but before the 1st day of January, 1997; or

(ba) an order passed by an Assessing Officer under sub-section (1) of section 115VZC; or

(c) an order passed by a Principal Commissioner or Commissioner 54[under section 12AA or section 12AB] or under clause (vi) of sub-section (5) of section 80G or under section 263 or under section 270A or under section 271 or under section 272A or an order passed by him under section 154 amending his order under section 263 or an order passed by a Principal Chief Commissioner or Chief Commissioner or a Principal Director General or Director General or a Principal Director or Director under section 272A; or

(d) an order passed by an Assessing Officer under sub-section (3), of section 143 or section 147 or section 153A or section 153C in pursuance of the directions of the Dispute Resolution Panel or an order passed under section 154 in respect of such order;

(e) an order passed by an Assessing Officer under sub-section (3) of section 143 or section 147 or section 153A or section 153C with the approval of the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner as referred to in sub-section (12) of section 144BA or an order passed under section 154 or section 155 in respect of such order;

(f) an order passed by the prescribed authority under sub-clause (iv) or sub-clause (v) or sub-clause (vi) or sub-clause (via) of clause (23C) of section 10.

(2) The Principal Commissioner or Commissioner may, if he objects to any order passed by a Deputy Commissioner (Appeals) before the 1st day of October, 1998 or, as the case may be, a Commissioner (Appeals) under section 154 or section 250, direct the Assessing Officer to appeal to the Appellate Tribunal against the order.

(2A) [***]

(3) Every appeal under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall be filed within sixty days of the date on which the order sought to be appealed against is communicated to the assessee or to the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner, as the case may be :

Provided that in respect of any appeal under clause (b) of sub-section (1), this sub-section shall have effect as if for the words “sixty days”, the words “thirty days” had been substituted.

(3A) [***]

(4) The Assessing Officer or the assessee, as the case may be, on receipt of notice that an appeal against the order of the Commissioner (Appeals), has been preferred under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) by the other party, may, notwithstanding that he may not have appealed against such order or any part thereof, within thirty days of the receipt of the notice, file a memorandum of cross-objections, verified in the prescribed manner, against any part of the order of the Commissioner (Appeals), and such memorandum shall be disposed of by the Appellate Tribunal as if it were an appeal presented within the time specified in sub-section (3).

(5) The Appellate Tribunal may admit an appeal or permit the filing of a memorandum of cross-objections after the expiry of the relevant period referred to in sub-section (3) or sub-section (4), if it is satisfied that there was sufficient cause for not presenting it within that period.

(6) An appeal to the Appellate Tribunal shall be in the prescribed form55 and shall be verified in the prescribed manner and shall, in the case of an appeal made, on or after the 1st day of October, 1998, irrespective of the date of initiation of the assessment proceedings relating thereto, be accompanied by a fee of,—

(a) where the total income of the assessee as computed by the Assessing Officer, in the case to which the appeal relates, is one hundred thousand rupees or less, five hundred rupees,

(b) where the total income of the assessee, computed as aforesaid, in the case to which the appeal relates is more than one hundred thousand rupees but not more than two hundred thousand rupees, one thousand five hundred rupees,

(c) where the total income of the assessee, computed as aforesaid, in the case to which the appeal relates is more than two hundred thousand rupees, one per cent of the assessed income, subject to a maximum of ten thousand rupees,

(d) where the subject matter of an appeal relates to any matter, other than those specified in clauses (a), (b) and (c), five hundred rupees:

Provided that no fee shall be payable in the case of an appeal referred to in sub-section (2), or, sub-section (2A) as it stood before its amendment by the Finance Act, 2016, or, a memorandum of cross objections referred to in sub-section (4).

(7) An application for stay of demand shall be accompanied by a fee of five hundred rupees.

56[(8) The Central Government may make a scheme, by notification in the Official Gazette, for the purposes of appeal to the Appellate Tribunal under sub-section (2), so as to impart greater efficiency, transparency and accountability by—

(a) optimising utilisation of the resources through economies of scale and functional specialisation;

(b) introducing a team-based mechanism for appeal to the Appellate Tribunal, with dynamic jurisdiction.

(9) The Central Government may, for the purpose of giving effect to the scheme made under sub-section (8), by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that any of the provisions of this Act shall not apply or shall apply with such exceptions, modifications and adaptations as may be specified in the notification:

Provided that no direction shall be issued after the 31st day of March, 2022.

(10) Every notification issued under sub-section (8) and sub-section (9) shall, as soon as may be after the notification is issued, be laid before each House of Parliament.]

In this article, you can get guidance from the Supreme court on the meaning of income tax officer under section 253 to 255 of the Income Tax Act.

Updated up to Finance Act 2021.