234C. Interest for deferment of advance tax.

(1) Where in any financial year,-

(a) the company which is liable to pay advance tax under section 208 has failed to pay such tax or-

(i) the advance tax paid by the company on its current income on or before the 15th day of June is less than fifteen per cent. of the tax due on the returned income or the amount of such advance tax paid on or before the 15th day of September is less than forty-five per cent. of the tax due on the returned income or the amount of such advance tax paid on or before the 15th day of December is less than seventy-five per cent. of the tax due on the returned income, then, the company shall be liable to pay simple interest at the rate of one and one-fourth per cent. per month for a period of three months on the amount of the shortfall from fifteen per cent. or forty-five per cent. or seventy-five per cent., as the case may be, of the tax due on the returned income;

(ii) the advance tax paid by the company on its current income on or before the 15th day of March is less than the tax due on the returned income, then, the company shall be liable to pay simple interest at the rate of one and one-fourth per cent. on the amount of the shortfall from the tax due on the returned income:

Provided that if the advance tax paid by the company on its current income on or before the15th day of June or the 15th day of September, is not less than twelve per cent. or, as the case may be, thirty-six per cent. of the tax due on the returned income, then, it shall not be liable to pay any interest on the amount of the shortfall on those dates;

(b) the assessee, other than a company, who is liable to pay advance tax under section 208has failed to pay such tax or,-

(i) the advance tax paid by the assessee on his current income on or before the 15th day of September is less than thirty per cent. of the tax due on the returned income or the amount of such advance tax paid on or before the 15th day of December is less than sixty per cent. of the tax due on the returned income,then, the assessee shall be liable to pay simple interest at the rate of one and one-half per cent. per month for a period of three months on the amount of the shortfall from thirty per cent. or, as the case may be, sixty per cent. of the tax due on the returned income;

(ii) the advance tax paid by the assessee on his current income on or before the 15th day of March is less than the tax due on the returned income, then, the assessee shall be liable to pay simple interest at the rate of one and one-fourth per cent. on the amount of the shortfall from the tax due on the returned income:

Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall apply to any shortfall in the payment of the tax due on the returned income where such shortfall is on account of under-estimate or failure to estimate, -

(a) the amount of capital gains; or

(b) income of the nature referred in sub-clause (ix) of clause (24) of section 2,

and the assessee has paid the whole of the amount of tax payable in respect of income referred to in clause (a) or clause (b), as the case may be, had such income been a part of the total income, as part of the remaining instalments of advance tax which are due or where no such instalments are due by the 31st day of March of the financial year:

Provided further that nothing contained in this sub-section shall apply to any shortfall in the payment of the tax due on the returned income where such shortfall is on account of increase in the rate of surcharge under section 2 of the Finance Act, 2000, as amended by the Taxation Laws(Amendment) Act, 2000(1 of 2001), and the assessee has paid the amount of shortfall, on or before the 15th day of March, 2001 in respect of the instalment of advance tax due on the 15th day of June, 2000, the 15th day of September, 2000 and the 15th day of December, 2000;

Provided also that nothing contained in this sub-section shall apply to any shortfall in the payment of the tax due on the returned income where such shortfall is on account of increase in the rate of surcharge under section 2 of the Finance Act, 2000,as amended by the Taxation Laws(Amendment) Act, 2000(4 of 2001), and the assessee has paid the amount of shortfall, on or before the 15th day of March,2001 in respect of the instalment of advance tax due on the 15th day of June,2000, the 15th day of September, 2000 and the 15th day of December, 2000.

Explanation.-In this section, "tax due on the returned income" means the tax chargeable on the total income declared in the return of income furnished by the assessee for the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April immediately following the financial year in which the advance tax is paid or payable, as reduced by the amount of tax deductible or collectible at source in accordance with the provisions of Chapter XVII on any income which is subject to such deduction or collection and which is taken into account in computing such total income.

(2) The provisions of this section shall apply in respect of assessments for the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1989, and subsequent assessment years.