Time limit for completion of assessments and reassessments.
153.      68[(1) No order of assessment shall be made under section 143 or section 144 at any time after the expiry of—
            ( a)       two years from the end of the assessment year in which the income was first assessable ; or
            ( b)       one year from the end of the financial year in which a return or a revised return relating to the assessment year com­mencing on the 1st day of April, 1988, or any earlier assessment year, is filed under sub-section (4) or sub-section (5) of sec­tion 139,
whichever is later.]
69 [(2) No order of assessment, reassessment or recomputation shall be made under section 147 after the expiry of two years from the end of the financial year in which the notice under section 148 was served :
Provided that where the notice under section 148 was served on or before the 31st day of March, 1987, such assessment, reassessment or recomputation may be made at any time up to the 31st day of March, 1990.]
70 [(2A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (1) and (2), in relation to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1971, and any subsequent assessment year, an order of fresh assessment under section 146 or in pursuance of an order, under section 250, section 254, section 263 or section 264, setting aside or cancelling an assessment, may be made at any time before the expiry of two years from the end of the financial year in which the order under section 146 cancelling the assessment is passed by the 71 [Assessing] Officer or the order under section 250 or section 254 is received by the 72[Chief Commissioner or Commissioner] or, as the case may be, the order under section 263 or section 264 is passed by the 72 [Chief Com­missioner or Commissioner].]
(3) The provisions of sub-sections (1) and (2) shall not apply to the following classes of assessments, reassessments and recompu­tations which may, 73 [subject to the provisions of sub-section (2A),] be completed at any time—
            ( i)        where a fresh assessment is made under section 146 ;
            ( ii)       where the assessment, reassessment or recomputation is made on the assessee or any person in consequence of or to give effect to any finding or direction contained in an order under section 250, 254, 260, 262, 263, or 264 74[or in an order of any court in a proceeding otherwise than by way of appeal or refer­ence under this Act] ;
            ( iii)      where, in the case of a firm, an assessment is made on a partner of the firm in consequence of an assessment made on the firm under section 147.
75 [Explanation 1.—In computing the period of limitation for the purposes of this section—
            ( i)        the time taken in reopening the whole or any part of the proceeding or in giving an opportunity to the assessee to be re-heard under the proviso to section 129, or
            ( ii)       the period during which the assessment proceeding is stayed by an order or injunction of any court, or
            ( iii)      the period commencing from the date on which the 76[Assessing] Officer directs the assessee to get his accounts audited under sub-section (2A) of section 142 and ending with 77[the last date on which the assessee is required to furnish] a report of such audit under that sub-section, or
            ( iv)       78 [* * *]
             79 [(iva)           the period (not exceeding sixty days) commencing from the date on which the 80[Assessing] Officer received the declaration under sub-section (1) of section 158A and ending with the date on which the order under sub-section (3) of that section is made by him, or]
            ( v)        in a case where an application made before the Income-tax Settlement Commission under section 245C is rejected by it or is not allowed to be proceeded with by it, the period commencing from the date on which such application is made and ending with the date on which the order under sub-section (1) of section 245D is received by the Commissioner under sub-section (2) of that section,
shall be excluded :
81 [Provided that where immediately after the exclusion of the aforesaid time or period, the period of limitation referred to in sub-sections (1), (2) and (2A) available to the Assessing Officer for making an order of assessment, reassessment or recomputation, as the case may be, is less than sixty days, such remaining period shall be extended to sixty days and the aforesaid period of limitation shall be deemed to be extended accordingly.]
Explanation 2.—Where, by an order 82[referred to in clause (ii) of sub-section (3)], any income is excluded from the total income of the assessee for an assessment year, then, an assessment of such income for another assessment year shall, for the purposes of section 150 and this section, be deemed to be one made in consequence of or to give effect to any finding or direction contained in the said order.
Explanation 3.—Where, by an order 82[referred to in clause (ii) of sub-section (3)], any income is excluded from the total income of one person and held to be the income of another person, then, an assessment of such income on such other person shall, for the purposes of section 150 and this section, be deemed to be one made in consequence of or to give effect to any finding or direction contained in the said order, provided such other person was given an opportunity of being heard before the said order was passed.