Mandatory Digital Signature for Firms and Individuals w.e.f. 01.07.2011

Friends, Earlier, digital signature was mandatory for companies only, but now w.e.f. 01.07.2011, digital signature certificate is also mandatory for all Firms and Individuals whose accounts are required to be audited u/s 44AB of the Income Tax Act 1961 vide notification no. S.O. 149(E) dated 1st July, 2011 which can be read as below :-

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 

MINISTRY OF FINANCE 

DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE 

[CENTRAL BOARD OF DIRECT TAXES]

Notification

New Delhi, the 1st  July, 2011 

INCOME-TAX 

S.O.1497(E).-   In exercise of the powers conferred by section 295 read with section 139  of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central  Board of Direct Taxes hereby makes the following rules further to amend  the Income-tax Rules, 1962, namely:- 

1. (1) These rules may be called the Income-tax (Sixth Amendment) Rules, 2011. 

    (2) They shall come into force from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.  

2. In the Income-tax Rules, 1962, in rule 12, in sub-rule (3), in the proviso, for clauses (a) and (aa) the following clause shall be substituted, namely: –  

     “  (a) a firm required to furnish the return in Form ITR-5 or an individual or Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) required to furnish the return in Form ITR-4 and to whom provisions of Section 44AB are applicable, shall furnish the return for Assessment year 2011-12 and subsequent Assessment Years in the manner specified in clause (ii);”  

[Notification No.37/2011/ F.No.149/68/2011- SO (TPL)] 

 (Ashis Mohanty) 

Under Secretary to the Government of India 

Note.-  The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary Part-II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), vide number.S.O.969(E), dated the 26th  March, 1962 and last amended by Income-tax (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2011 vide number  S.O. 1214(E) dated 26.05.2011.