Clause 85(D) - Insertion of Section 71 and 72 - Scheme for submission of Returns through Service Tax Preparers and Best Judgment Assessment - Finance Act, 1994 - Finance Bill, 2008

( D ) after section 70, the following sections shall be inserted, namely:— '71. ( 1 ) Without prejudice to the provisions of section 70, the Board may, by notification in the Official Gazette, frame a Scheme for the purposes of enabling any person or class of persons to prepare and furnish a return under section 70, and authorise a Service Tax Return Preparer to act as such under the Scheme. ( 2 ) A Service Tax Return Preparer shall assist the person or class of persons to prepare and furnish the return in such manner as may be specified in the Scheme framed under this section. ( 3 ) For the purposes of this section,— ( a ) "Service Tax Return Preparer" means any individual, who has been authorised to act as a Service Tax Return Preparer under the Scheme framed under this section; ( b ) "person or class of persons" means such person, as may be specified in the Scheme, who is required to furnish a return required to be filed under section 70. ( 4 ) The Scheme framed by the Board under this section may provide for the following, namely:— ( a ) the manner in which and the period for which the Service Tax Return Preparer shall be authorised under sub-section ( 1 ); ( b ) the educational and other qualifications to be possessed, and the training and other conditions required to be fulfilled, by a person to act as a Service Tax Return Preparer; ( c ) the code of conduct for the Service Tax Return Preparer; ( d ) the duties and obligations of the Service Tax Return Preparer; ( e ) the circumstances under which the authorisation given to a Service Tax Return Preparer may be withdrawn; ( f ) any other matter which is required to be, or may be, specified by the Scheme for the purposes of this section. 72. If any person, liable to pay service tax,— ( a ) fails to furnish the return under section 70; ( b ) having made a return, fails to assess the tax in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter or rules made thereunder, the Central Excise Officer, may require the person to produce such accounts, documents or other evidence as he may deem necessary and after taking into account all the relevant material which is available or which he has gathered, shall by an order in writing, after giving the person an opportunity of being heard, make the assessment of the value of taxable service to the best of his judgment and determine the sum payable by the assessee or refundable to the assessee on the basis of such assessment.';