Power to transfer cases
[As per the Income Tax Act, 2025 (this Act) w.e.f. 1st April, 2026.]
Section 243(1) of Income Tax Act 2025
(1) The specified income-tax authority may transfer any case from one or more Assessing Officers subordinate to him (whether with or without concurrent jurisdiction) to any other Assessing Officer or Assessing Officers (whether with or without concurrent jurisdiction) subordinate to him.
Section 243(2) of Income Tax Act 2025
(2) If the Assessing Officer or Assessing Officers, from whom the case is to be transferred and the Assessing Officer or Assessing Officers, to whom the case is to be transferred are not subordinate to the same specified income-tax authority, and the concerned specified income-tax authorities––
(a) are in agreement, then the specified income-tax authority from whose jurisdiction the case is to be transferred may pass the order;
(b) are not in agreement, the order transferring the case may be passed by the Board or any such specified income-tax authority as the Board may, by notification, specify.
Section 243(3) of Income Tax Act 2025
(3) The order of transfer under sub-section (1) or (2) may be passed by the specified income-tax authority after giving the assessee a reasonable opportunity of being heard wherever it is possible to do so and after recording his reasons therefor.
Section 243(4) of Income Tax Act 2025
(4) Nothing in sub-section (1) or (2) or (3) shall be considered to require any opportunity of being heard to be given, where the transfer is from any Assessing Officer or Assessing Officers (whether with or without concurrent jurisdiction) to any other Assessing Officer or Assessing Officers (whether with or without concurrent jurisdiction) and the offices of all such officers are situated in the same city, locality or place.
Section 243(5) of Income Tax Act 2025
(5) The transfer of a case under sub-section (1) or (2) may be made at any stage of the proceedings, and it shall not be necessary to re-issue any notice already issued by the Assessing Officer or Assessing Officers from whom the case is transferred.
Section 243(6) of Income Tax Act 2025
(6) For the purposes of section 241 and this section, “case”, in relation to any person whose name is specified in any order or direction issued thereunder, means all proceedings under this Act in respect of any year, which may—
(a) be pending on the date of that order or direction; or
(b) have been completed on or before such date; or
(c) be commenced after the date of such order or direction in respect of any year.
Section 243(7) of Income Tax Act 2025
(7) For the purposes of sections 241, 242 and this section, “specified income-tax authority” means the Principal Director General or Director General or Principal Chief Commissioner or Chief Commissioner or Principal Commissioner or Commissioner.