Text of ITO Section 131

Appeal to the Appellate Tribunal. —

(1) Subject to section 126A, any person, other than an SOE, aggrieved by any order passed by an officer of Inland Revenue or Commissioner or Chief Commissioner or the Board under this Ordinance or the rules made thereunder may, within thirty days of the receipt of such order, prefer an appeal to the Appellate Tribunal or, as the case may be, a reference to the High Court: Provided that where sub-section (11) of section 134A apply, an SOE may prefer an appeal under this sub-section.

(2) An appeal under sub-section (1) shall be —
(a) in the prescribed form;
(b) verified in the prescribed manner;
(c) accompanied, by the prescribed fee specified in sub-section (3); and
(d) preferred to the Appellate Tribunal within thirty days of the date of service of order on the taxpayer.

(3) The prescribed fee shall be twenty thousand rupees in case of a company and five thousand rupees in case other than a company.

(4) The Appellate Tribunal may, upon application in writing, admit an appeal after the expiration of the period specified in clause (d) of sub-section (2) if it is satisfied that the person preferring appeal was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal within that period.

(5) Notwithstanding that an appeal has been filed under this section, tax shall, unless recovery thereof has been stayed by the Appellate Tribunal, be payable in accordance with the assessment made in the case:

Provided that on filing of application in a particular case, the Appellate Tribunal may after affording an opportunity of being heard to the Commissioner having jurisdiction, for reasons to be recorded, stay the recovery of tax for ninety days:

Provided further that the stay order shall cease to have effect, and the Commissioner shall be entitled to recover tax, if the taxpayer does not adhere to the hearing schedule for the appeal, as determined by the Appellate Tribunal in accordance with the rules made under sub-section (2) of section 130:
Provided also that where an appeal is not decided within the statutory period by the Appellate Tribunal, the stay order under the second proviso shall not cease to have effect till finalization of the appeal by the Appellate Tribunal.]