What is Joint and several liability of partners for tax payable by firm? Firm dissolved or business discontinued? Section 188A and 189 of Income Tax Act 1961

Joint and several liability of partners for tax payable by firm and Firm dissolved or business discontinued are defined under section 188A and 189 of Income Tax Act 1961. Provisions under these Sections are :

 

Section 188A of Income Tax Act "Joint and several liability of partners for tax payable by firm"

188A. Every person who was, during the previous year, a partner of a firm, and the legal representative of any such person who is deceased, shall be jointly and severally liable along with the firm for the amount of tax, penalty or other sum payable by the firm for the assessment year to which such previous year is relevant, and all the provisions of this Act, so far as may be, shall apply to the assessment of such tax or imposition or levy of such penalty or other sum.

 

Section 189 of Income Tax Act "Firm dissolved or business discontinued"

189. (1) Where any business or profession carried on by a firm has been discontinued or where a firm is dissolved, the Assessing Officer shall make an assessment of the total income of the firm as if no such discontinuance or dissolution had taken place, and all the provisions of this Act, including the provisions relating to the levy of a penalty or any other sum chargeable under any provision of this Act, shall apply, so far as may be, to such assessment.

 

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing sub-section, if the Assessing Officer or the Commissioner (Appeals) in the course of any proceeding under this Act in respect of any such firm as is referred to in that sub-section is satisfied that the firm was guilty of any of the acts specified in Chapter XXI, he may impose or direct the imposition of a penalty in accordance with the provisions of that Chapter.

(3) Every person who was at the time of such discontinuance or dissolution a partner of the firm, and the legal representative of any such person who is deceased, shall be jointly and severally liable for the amount of tax, penalty or other sum payable, and all the provisions of this Act, so far as may be, shall apply to any such assessment or imposition of penalty or other sum.

Explanation.-[Omitted by the Finance Act, 1992, w.e.f. 1-4-1993.]

(4) Where such discontinuance or dissolution takes place after any proceedings in respect of an assessment year have commenced, the proceedings may be continued against the person referred to in sub-section (3) from the stage at which the proceedings stood at the time of such discontinuance or dissolution, and all the provisions of this Act shall, so far as may be, apply accordingly.

(5) Nothing in this section shall affect the provisions of sub-section (6) of section 159.