Tax Authorities & Power

Income-Tax Authorities :
There shall be the following classes of income-tax authorities for the purposes of the Act 116, namely:-

(a)	the Central Board of Direct Taxes constituted under the Central Boards of Revenue Act, 1963 (54 of 1963),
(b)	Directors-General of Income-tax or Chief Commissioners of Income-tax,
(c)	Directors of Income-tax or Commissioners of Income-tax or Commissioners of Income-tax (Appeals),
(cc)	Additional Directors of Income-tax or Additional Commissioners of Income-tax or Additional Commissioners of Income-tax (Appeals),
(cca)	Joint Directors of Income-tax or Joint Commissioners of Income-tax.
(d)	Deputy Directors of Income-tax or Deputy Commissioners of Income-tax or Deputy Commissioners of Income-tax (Appeals),
(e)	Assistant Directors of Income-tax or Assistant Commissioners of Income-tax,
(f)	Income-tax Officers,
(g)	Tax Recovery Officers,
(h)	Inspectors of Income-tax.

Powers of the authorities :

For all purposes of the Income-tax Act, the IT authorities are vested with the various powers which are vested in a Court of Law under the Code of Civil Procedure while trying a suit in respect of any case. More particularly, the provisions of the Code of Civil procedure and the powers granted to the tax authorities under the code would be in respect of :

1. Discovery and inspection
2. enforcing the attendance, including any officer of a bank and examining him on oath
3. compelling the production of books of account and the documents
4. collection certain information [section 133B-inserted by the finance act, 1986]
5. Issuing commissions and summons

It shall be duty of every person who has been allotted permanent account number to quote such number in all his returns or correspondence with income tax authorities, in all challans for the payment of any sum, in all documents prescribed by the board in the interest of revenue.