23A. Definitions.—In this Chapter, unless the context otherwise requires,—
3
[(a) “activity” means production or manufacture of goods and includes any new business of
production or manufacture proposed to be undertaken by the existing producer or manufacturer, as the
case may be;]
(b) “advance ruling” means the determination, by the authority of a question of law or fact specified
in the application regarding the liability to pay duty in relation to an activity proposed to be undertaken,
by the applicant;
4
[(c) “applicant” means—
(i) (a) a non-resident setting up a joint venture in India in collaboration with a non-resident or a
resident; or
(b) a resident setting up a joint venture in India in collaboration with a non-resident; or
(c) a wholly owned subsidiary Indian company, of which the holding company is a foreign
company,
1. Subs. by Act 25 of 2014, s. 95, for “Commissioner of Central Excise”.
2. New Chapter III-A consisting of Ss. 23-A to 23-H ins. by Act 27 of 1999, S. 124.
3. Subs. by Act 17 of 2013, s. 95 for clause ‘(a) “activity” means production or manufacture of goods;’.
4. Subs. by Act 18 of 2005, s. 76, for clause (c).
49
who or which, as the case may be, proposes to undertake any business activity in India;
(ii) a joint venture in India; or
(iii) a resident falling within any such class or category of persons, as the Central Government may,
by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf,
and which or who, as the case may be, makes application for advance ruling under sub-section (1)
of Section 23-C;]
1
[Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, “joint venture in India” means a contractual
arrangement whereby two or more persons undertake an economic activity which is subject to joint
control and one or more of the participants or partners or equity holders is a non-resident having
substantial interest in such arrangement;]
(d) “application” means an application made to the Authority under sub-section (1) of
Section 23-C;
2
[(e) “Authority” means the Authority for Advance Rulings as defined in clause (e) of
Section 28-E of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962);]
3
[(f) “non-resident”, “Indian company” and “foreign company” shall have the meaning assigned to
them in clauses (30), (26) and (23-A) of Section 2 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961).]
23B. [Vacancies, etc., not to invalidate proceedings].— Omitted by Finance Act 2017 (7 of 2017), s.
113.
23C. Application for advance ruling.—(1) An applicant desirous of obtaining an advance ruling
under this Chapter may make an application in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed, stating
the question on which the advance ruling is sought.
(2) The question on which the advance ruling is sought shall be in respect of,—
(a) classification of any goods under the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985;
(b) applicability of a notification issued under sub-section (1) of Section 5A having a bearing on
the rate of duty;
(c) the principles to be adopted for the purposes of determination of value of the goods under the
provisions of this Act;
1. Ins. by Act 22 of 2007, s. 118.
2. Subs. by Act 7 of 2017, s. 112 for clause (e).
3. Subs. by Act 32 of 2003, s. 142, for clause (f).
50
1
[(d) notifications issued, in respect of duties of excise under this Act, the Central Excise Tariff
Act, 1985 (5 of 1986) and any duty chargeable under any other law for the time being in force in the
same manner as duty of excise leviable under this Act;
(e)
2
[admissibility of credit of service tax paid or deemed to have been paid on input service or
excise duty] paid or deemed to have been paid on the goods used in or in relation to the manufacture of
the excisable goods;]
3
[(f) determination of the liability to pay duties of excise on any goods under this Act.]
(3) The application shall be made in quadruplicate and be accompanied by a fee of 4
[ten thousand
rupees].
(4) An applicant may withdraw an application within thirty days from the date of the application.
23D. Procedure on receipt of application.—(1) On receipt of an application, the Authority shall cause
a copy thereof to be forwarded to the 5
[Principal Commissioner of Central Excise or Commissioner of
Central Excise] and, if necessary, call upon him to furnish the relevant records:
Provided that where any records have been called for by the Authority in any case, such records
shall, as soon as possible, be returned to the 5
[Principal Commissioner of Central Excise or
Commissioner of Central Excise].
(2) The Authority may, after examining the application and the records called for, by order, either allow
or reject the application:
Provided that the Authority shall not allow the application 6
[* * *] where the question raised in the
application is,—
(a) already pending in the applicant’s case before any Central Excise Officer, the Appellate
Tribunal or any Court;
(b) the same as in a matter already decided by the Appellate Tribunal or any Court:
Provided further that no application shall be rejected under this sub-section unless an
opportunity has been given to the applicant of being heard:
Provided also that where the application is rejected, reasons for such rejection shall be given in
the order.
1. Ins. by Act 32 of 2003, s. 143.
2. Subs. by Act 17 of 2013, s. 96, for “admissibility of credit of excise duty”.
3. Ins. by Act 21 of 2006, s. 65.
4. Subs. by Act 7 of 2017, s. 114, for “two thousand five hundred rupees”.
5. Subs. by Act 25 of 2014, s. 95, for “Commissioner of Central Excise”.
6. The words “except in the case of a resident applicant” omitted by Act 20 of 2002, s. 138.
51
(3) A copy of every order made under sub-section (2) shall be sent to the applicant and to the 1
[Principal
Commissioner of Central Excise or Commissioner of Central Excise].
(4) Where an application is allowed under sub-section (2), the Authority shall, after examining such
further material as may be placed before it by the applicant or obtained by the Authority, pronounce its
advance ruling on the question specified in the application.
(5) On a request received from the applicant, the Authority shall, before pronouncing its advance ruling,
provide an opportunity to the applicant of being heard, either in person or through a duly authorised
representative.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section, “authorised representative” shall have the
meaning assigned to it in sub-section (2) of Section 35-Q.
(6) The Authority shall pronounce its advance ruling in writing within 2
[six months] of the receipt of
application.
(7) A copy of the advance ruling pronounced by the Authority, duly signed by the Members and
certified in the prescribed manner shall be sent to the applicant and to the 1
[Principal Commissioner of
Central Excise or Commissioner of Central Excise], as soon as may be, after such pronouncement.
23E. Applicability of advance ruling.—(1) The advance ruling pronounced by the Authority under
Section 23D shall be binding only—
(a) on the applicant who had sought it;
(b) in respect of any matter referred to in sub-section (2) of Section 23C;
(c) on the 1
[Principal Commissioner of Central Excise or Commissioner of Central Excise], and the
Central Excise Authorities subordinate to him, in request of the applicant.
(2) The advance ruling referred to in sub-section (1) shall be binding as aforesaid unless there is a
change in law or facts on the basis of which the advance ruling has been pronounced.
23F. Advance ruling to be void in certain circumstances.—(1) Where the Authority finds, on a
representation made to it by the 1
[Principal Commissioner of Central Excise or Commissioner of Central
Excise] or otherwise, that an advance ruling pronounced by it under sub-section (6) of 3
[Section 23D] has
been obtained by the applicant by fraud or misrepresentation of facts, it may, by order, declare such ruling
to be void ab initio and thereupon all the provisions of this Act shall apply (after excluding the period
1. Subs. by Act 25 of 2014, s. 95, for “Commissioner of Central Excise”.
2. Subs. by Act 7 of 2017, s. 115, for “ninety days”.
3. Subs. by Act 17 of 2013, s. 97, for “Section 28I”.
52
beginning with the date of such advance ruling and ending with the date of order under this sub-section) to
the applicant as if such advance ruling had never been made.
(2) A copy of the order made under sub-section (1) shall be sent to the applicant and the 1
[Principal
Commissioner of Central Excise or Commissioner of Central Excise].
23G. Powers of Authority.—(1) The Authority shall, for the purpose of exercising its powers
regarding discovery and inspection, enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath,
issuing commissions and compelling production of books of account and other records, have all the powers
of a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
(2) The Authority shall be deemed to be a civil court for the purposes of Section 195, but not for the
purposes of Chapter XXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and every proceeding before the
Authority shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of Sections 193 and 228, and for
the purpose of Section 196 of the Indian Penal Code.
23H. Procedure of Authority.—The Authority shall, subject to the provisions of this Chapter, have
power to regulate its own procedure in all matters arising out of the exercise of its powers under this Act.
2
[23I. Transitional provision.—On and from the date on which the Finance Bill, 2017 receives the
assent of the President, every application and proceeding pending before the erstwhile Authority for
Advance Rulings (Central Excise, Customs and Service Tax) shall stand transferred to the Authority from
the stage at which such application or proceeding stood as on the date of such assent.]]