25Payment and recovery of tax

(1) The amount of tax--

(a) due where returns have been furnished without the receipt showing full payment thereof; and

(b) assessed, reassessed or re-computed for any period under section 23 or section 24, less the amount if any, already paid by the dealer in respect of the said period,

shall together with any penalty that may be directed to be paid under any of the provisions of this section, sub-section (6) of section 23, section 55, section 56 or section 57 be paid by the dealer or the person liable therefor into a Government Treasury or the Reserve Bank of India or in such other manner as may be prescribed within thirty days from the date of service of notice of demand issued by the Commissioner for this purpose:

Provided that where the Commissioner has reason to believe that it will be detrimental to revenue if the full period of thirty days aforesaid is allowed, he may direct that the sum specified in the notice of demand shall be paid within such period being a period less than the period of thirty days aforesaid, as may be specified by him in that notice.

(2) On an application made before the expiry of the due date under sub-section (1), the Commissioner may, in respect of any particular dealer or person and for reasons to be recorded in writing, extend the time for payment or allow payment by instalments or grant stay, subject to such conditions as he may think fit to impose in the circumstances of the case.

(3) If the amount of tax and penalty, if any, is not paid within the time specified in sub-section (1) or extended under sub-section (2), as the case may be, the dealer or the person liable therefor shall be deemed to be in default in respect of that amount.

(4) In a case where payment by instalments is allowed under sub-section (2) and the dealer or the person liable for such payment commits default in paying any one of the instalments within the time fixed under that sub-section, the dealer or the person aforesaid shall be deemed to be in default in respect of the whole of the amount then outstanding and the other instalment or instalments shall be deemed to have been due on the same date as the instalment actually in default.

(5) When a dealer or a person is in default or is deemed to be in default in making payment of tax and penalty, if any, he shall, in addition to the amount of arrears payable under the foregoing sub-sections, be liable to pay, by way of penalty, an amount which in the case of a continuing default may be increased, from time to time, so however, that total amount of penalty does not exceed the amount in arrears:

Provided that before levying any such penalty, the dealer or the person aforesaid shall be given a reasonable opportunity of being heard.

(6) Where as a result of any final order the amount of tax and penalty, if any, with respect to the default, in the payment of which the penalty was levied, has been wholly reduced, the penalty levied shall be cancelled and the amount of penalty paid shall be refunded.

(7) Any amount of tax or penalty in respect of which a dealer or person is in default, or any composition money due under section 29 or section 54 which remains unpaid, shall be recoverable as an arrear of land revenue:

Provided that where security, other than in the form of surety bond, has been furnished by a dealer under sub-section (2) of section 16 or section 18, the Commissioner may, for good and sufficient reasons in writing, realise any amount of tax or penalty or composition money remaining unpaid as aforesaid or part thereof by ordering forfeiture of the whole or any part of the security.