Power to call for information [Sections 133] under Powers of Income-tax Authorities [Sections 131 to 136] :

The Assessing Officer, the Deputy Commissioner (Appeals), the Joint Commissioner or the Commissioner (Appeals)] may call for following information for the purposes of this Act-

(1) require any firm to furnish him with a return of the names and addresses of the partners of the firm and their respective shares;

(2) require any Hindu undivided family to furnish him with a return of the names and addresses of the manager and the members of the family;

(3) require any person whom he has reason to believe to be a trustee, guardian or agent, to furnish him with a return of the names of the persons for or of whom he is trustee, guardian or agent, and of their addresses;

(4) require any assessee to furnish a statement of the names and addresses of all persons to whom he has paid in any previous year rent, interest, commission, royalty or brokerage, or any annuity, not being any annuity taxable under the head “Salaries” amounting to more than one thousand rupees, or such higher amount as may be prescribed], together with particulars of all such payments made;

(5) require any dealer, broker or agent or any person concerned in the management of a stock or commodity exchange to furnish a statement of the names and addresses of all persons to whom he or the exchange has paid any sum in connection with the transfer, whether by way of sale, exchange or otherwise, of assets, or on whose behalf or from whom he or the exchange has received any such sum, together with particulars of all such payments and receipts;

(6) require any person, including a banking company or any officer thereof, to furnish information in relation to such points or matters, or to furnish statements of accounts and affairs verified in the manner specified by the Assessing Officer, the Deputy Commissioner (Appeals), the Joint Commissioner or the Commissioner (Appeals), giving information in relation to such points or matters as, in the opinion of the Assessing Officer, the Deputy Commissioner (Appeals)], the Joint Commissioner or the Commissioner (Appeals)], will be useful for, or relevant to, any enquiry or proceeding under this Act :

Under the existing provisions of section 133(6), the prescribed authorities have the power to call for any information from any person which will be useful for or relevant to any proceedings under the Act. Such powers may also be exercised by the Director-General, the Principal Chief Commissioner or Chief Commissioner, the Principal Director or Director and the Commissioner or Principal Commissioner. Further, the power in respect of an inquiry, in a case where no proceeding is pending, shall not be exercised by any income-tax authority below the rank of Principal Director or Director or Commissioner or Principal Commissioner without the prior approval of the Principal Director or Director or as the case may be, the Commissioner or Principal Commissioner.

For facilitating quick collection of information on request from tax authorities outside India, notified income-tax authorities (not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Income-tax) to have powers under section 131(1) for making an inquiry or investigation in respect of any person or class of persons relating to an agreement for exchange of information under section 90 or 90A, even if no proceeding is pending before it or any other income-tax authority with respect to the concerned person or class of persons. Such notified authorities are also empowered, for the purposes of an agreement referred to in section 90 or section 90A, to exercise the powers conferred under section 133 to call for information, irrespective of whether any proceedings are pending before it or any other income-tax authority.