Section 482 — False Statement in Verification | ITA 2025

Section 482 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 corresponds to s. 277 of the Income-tax Act, 1961. STATUTORY ARCHITECTURE Imprisonment 6 months to 7 years (above INR 25 lakhs evasion); 3 months to 2 years (below). Punishes false statement in any…

Section 482 — - FALSE STATEMENT IN VERIFICATION

Section 482 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 corresponds to s. 277 of the Income-tax Act, 1961.

Statutory text — Income-tax Act, 2025

If a person makes a statement in any verification under this Act or under any rule made thereunder, or delivers an account or statement which is false, and which he either knows or believes to be false, or does not believe to be true, he shall be punishable,— 27[(a) with simple imprisonment for a term up to two years, or with fine, or with both, where the amount of tax, which would have been evaded if the statement or account had been accepted as true, exceeds fifty lakh rupees; or

(b) with simple imprisonment for a term up to six months, or with fine, or with both, where the amount of tax, which would have been evaded if the

26. Sections 480 and 481 substituted by the Finance Act, 2026, w.e.f. 1-4-2026. Prior to their substitution, sections 480 and 481 read as under : “480. Failure to furnish return of income in search cases.—If a person wilfully fails to furnish in due time the return of total income which is required to be furnished by notice given under section 294(1)(a), he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three months but which may extend to three years and with fine.

481. Failure to produce accounts and documents.—If a person wilfully fails to produce, or cause to be produced, the accounts and documents as are referred to in the notice served on him under section 268(1) on or before the date specified in such notice, or wilfully fails to comply with a direction issued to him under section 268(5), he shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year and with fine.”

27. Clauses (a), (b) and (c) substituted for clauses (a) and (b) by the Finance Act, 2026, w.e.f. 1-4-2026. Prior to their substitution, clauses (a) and (b) read as under : “(a) in a case, where the amount of tax, which would have been evaded if the statement or account had been accepted as true, exceeds twenty-five lakh rupees, with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to seven years, and with fine;

(b) in any other case, with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three months but which may extend to two years, and with fine.” statement or account had been accepted as true, exceeds ten lakh rupees but does not exceed fifty lakh rupees; or

(c) with fine, in any other case.] Falsification of books of account or document, etc.

STATUTORY ARCHITECTURE

Imprisonment 6 months to 7 years (above INR 25 lakhs evasion); 3 months to 2 years (below). Punishes false statement in any verification (return, statement, document) under the Act with mens rea.

PRACTITIONER PLANNING NOTES

Verification on Form ITR is signed declaration; false statements expose to prosecution.
Inadvertent error / clerical mistake is not 'false statement'; bona fide computation defended via Reliance Petroproducts.
Companion offence to s. 478 [276C] -- prosecution often combined.

CROSS-REFERENCES

s. 491 [279] -- sanction and compounding.
s. 486 [278AA] -- reasonable cause.
s. 487 [278B] -- offences by companies.
s. 490 [278E] -- presumption of culpable mental state.

← All sections (537)Act 2025 hub

INCOME-TAX ACT, 2025	INCOME-TAX ACT, 1961
2025 provision	1961 counterpart
s. 482 -- False Statement in Verification	s. 277