Insertion of new section 158AA.

40. After section 158A of the Income-tax Act, the following section shall be inserted with effect from the 1st day of June, 2015, namely:—

"158AA. Procedure when in an appeal by revenue an identical question of law is pending before Supreme Court.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, where the Commissioner or Principal Commissioner is of the opinion that any question of law arising in the case of an assessee for any assessment year (such case being herein referred to as relevant case) is identical with a question of law arising in his case for another assessment year which is pending before the Supreme Court, in an appeal under section 261 or in a special leave petition under article 136 of the Constitution, against the order of the High Court in favour of the assessee (such case being herein referred to as the other case), he may, instead of directing the Assessing Officer to appeal to the Appellate Tribunal under sub-section (2) or sub-section (2A)of section 253, direct the Assessing Officer to make an application to the Appellate Tribunal in the prescribed form within sixty days from the date of receipt of the order of the Commissioner (Appeals) stating that an appeal on the question of law arising in the relevant case may be filed when the decision on the question of law becomes final in the other case.

(2) The Commissioner or Principal Commissioner shall direct the Assessing Officer to make an application under sub-section (1) only if an acceptance is received from the assessee to the effect that the question of law in the other case is identical to that arising in the relevant case; and in case no such acceptance is received, the Commissioner or Principal Commissioner shall proceed in accordance with the provisions contained in sub-section (2) or sub-section (2A)of section 253.

(3) Where the order of the Commissioner (Appeals) referred to in sub-section (1) is not in conformity with the final decision on the question of law in the other case, the Commissioner or Principal Commissioner may direct the Assessing Officer to appeal to the Appellate Tribunal against such order and save as otherwise provided in this section all other provisions of part B of Chapter XX shall apply accordingly.

(4) Every appeal under sub-section (3) shall be filed within sixty days from the date on which the order of the Supreme Court in the other case is communicated to the Commissioner or Principal Commissioner.