CHAPTER XXII

OFFENCES AND PROSECUTION

Falsification of books of account or document, etc

483. (1) If any person (herein referred to as the first person) wilfully and with intent to enable any other person (herein referred to as the second person) to evade any tax or interest or penalty chargeable and imposable under this Act, makes or causes to be made any entry or statement which is false and which the first person either knows to be false or does not believe to be true, in any books of account or other document relevant to or useful in any proceedings against the first person or the second person, under this Act, the first person shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three months but which may extend to two years and with fine. (2) For the purposes of establishing the charge under this section, it shall not be necessary to prove that the second person has actually evaded any tax, penalty or interest chargeable or imposable under this Act

Note:
1. Substituted by The Finance Bill 2026 dated 01.02.2026 w.e.f. 01.04.2026

For the Word

(a) in a case, where the amount of tax, which would have been evaded if the statement or account had been accepted as true, exceeds twenty-five lakh rupees, with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to seven years, and with fine; (b) in any other case, with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three months but which may extend to two years, and with fine.

Shall be Substituted namely:

“(a) with simple imprisonment for a term up to two years, or with fine, or with both, where the amount of tax, which would have been evaded if the statement or account had been accepted as true, exceeds fifty lakh rupees; or

(b) with simple imprisonment for a term up to six months, or with fine, or with both, where the amount of tax, which would have been evaded if the statement or account had been accepted as true, exceeds ten lakh rupees but does not exceed fifty lakh rupees; or

(c) with fine, in any other case.”.