CBDT CASS Instruction 3-2016. Reasons for Limited Scrutiny, email assessment, online passing of assessment orders etc.

CBDT  has recently issued Computer Aided Scrutiny Selection (CASS) Instruction No. 3 dated 16/09/2016. regarding Income Tax Business Application (ITBA)-Assessment Module-CASS Cycle-3.

The main highlights of the CBDT CASS instructions No. 3 are as under:

Limited and Complete Scrutiny
As per the Instruction, this year in CASS, two types of cases are selected for scrutiny , one is  ‘Limited Scrutiny’ and other is ‘Complete Scrutiny’. The type of case-‘Limited or ‘Complete’ – is displayed on the notice issued u/s 143(2), ‘Scrutiny Register’ ‘MIS Report’ and  on the screen of Income Tax Business Application (ITBA) showing details of the case.

Limited Scrutiny  notices contain reasons identified for examination
This year, ‘Limited Scrutiny ‘ notices contain the issue(s) identified for examination. The description of reasons visible to the Assessing Officer (AO) is different from description of issues printed on the notices. Reason for selection visible to the AO contains detailed description related to the case.

Assessment through email based communication
This year the template of notice u/s. 143(2) includes a brief note regarding benefits of the scheme and procedure of assessment through email based communication . The same has to be printed on other side of the notice. It is notable that email based assessment has been introduced in 7 cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai.

Returns received by non jurisdictional Assessing Officer
The notice u/s 143(2) can only be generated by PAN-Assessing Officer under CASS. At the time of CASS run, the data of returns selected in CASS, which are falling in category of mismatch of PAN AO Code will be auto-transferred to PAN Assess1ng Officer.

Online passing of all scrutiny assessments orders mandatory
The online CASS feedback after the completion of assessment has been made mandatory in AST/ITBA.

New functionality for “Deemed Dividend”
This function is activated for providing information related to deemed dividend for the cases selected under reason “Receipt of Loan/Advance by a substantial share holder u/s 2(22)(e) (Deemed div1dend) (Form 3CD of Lender).

• Penalty u/s 271B for unfilled column 40 in Tax Audit Report Form 3CD deleted by ITAT
• Merely ex-parte rectifying computation without amending assessment order not make it nullity- ITAT
• Once assessee discharges primary onus, it shifts to AO to bring evidence to contrary – ITAT
• Cost Inflation Index for FY/Tax Year 2026-27 notified by CBDT. See Up-to-date Table of CII
• Power of CIT(A) u/s 251(1)(a) to remand case can be exercised only in best judgment assessment