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Section 278: Abetment of false return, etc

The Income-tax Act, 1961Central Act · Act 43 of 1961

Repealed. This text is published for reference. It is not in force, and it should not be relied on as current law without checking what replaced it. Repealed by the Income-tax Act, 2025, with effect from 1 April 2026

Abetment of false return, etc.

If a person abets or induces in any manner another person to make and deliver an account or a statement or declaration relating to any income or any fringe benefits chargeable to tax which is false and which he either knows to be false or does not believe to be true or to commit an offence under sub-section (1) of section 276C, he shall be punishable,—

36[(i(36[(i) with simple imprisonment for a term up to two years, or with fine, or with both, where the amount of tax, penalty or interest which would have been evaded, if the declaration, account or statement had been accepted as true, or which is wilfully attempted to be evaded, exceeds fifty lakh rupees; or

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

(iii) with fine, in any other case.]

Where this provision sits

ActThe Income-tax Act, 1961
Section278
Marginal noteAbetment of false return, etc
JurisdictionCentral
StatusRepealed
Judgments citing it1

How this provision has been amended

Taken from the footnotes printed with the provision by the source. Where a footnote names the amending instrument, it is quoted as printed.

  • substituted, Act No. 4 of 2026. Clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) sub. for clauses (i) and (ii) by Act No. 4 of 2026, w.e.f. 1-3-2026. Prior to their substitution, clauses (i) and (ii), as amended by the Act No. 23 of 2012, w.e.f. 1-7-2012, read as under : "(i) in a case where the amount of tax, penalty or interest which would have been evaded, if the declaration, account or statement had been accepted as true, or which is wilfully a…

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