Section 25 of The Kerala General Sales Tax Act, 1963 (No.15 of 1963) View Chapter 5

Further mode of recovery.

(1) The assessing authority may, at any time or from time to time by notice in writing (a copy of which shall be forwarded to the dealer at his last address known to the assessing authority) require any court or any officer of the Central Government or of the Government of any State or Union Territory or any other person (other than an individual) who holds or may subsequently hold money for or on account of the dealer, to pay to the assessing authority, either forthwith if the money has become due or is so held or within the time specified in the notice (not being before the money becomes due or is held), so much of the money as is sufficient to pay the amount due by the dealer in respect of arrears of tax, fee or penalty or the whole of the money when it is equal to or less than the arrears of tax, fee or penalty.

(2) The assessing authority may at any time or from time to time amend or revoke any such notice or extend the time for making any payment in pursuance of the notice.

(3) Any court, officer or other person making any payment in compliance with a notice under this section shall be deemed to have made the payment under the authority of the dealer and the receipt by the assessing authority shall constitute a good and sufficient discharge of the liability of such court, officer or other person to the extent of the amount referred to in the receipt.

(4) Any court or person other than an officer of the Government making any payment to the dealer after receipt of the notice referred to in this section shall be liable to the assessing authority to the extend of the payment made or to the extent of the liability of the dealer for the amount due under this Act, whichever is less.

(5) Where any court or person other than, an officer of the Government to which or to whom a notice under this Section is sent objects to it on the ground that the sum demanded or any part thereof is not due by it or him to the dealer or that such court or person does not hold any money for or on account of the dealer, then nothing contained in this Section shall be deemed to require such court or person to pay the sum demanded or any part thereof to the assessing authority.

(6) Any amount which a court or person other than any officer of the Government is required to pay the assessing authority or for which it or he is liable to the assessing authority under this section shall, if it remains unpaid, be a charge on the properties of such court or person, as the case may be, and may be recovered as if it were an arrear of public revenue due on land.

Explanation. - For the purposes of this section, the amount due to a dealer or money held for or on account of a dealer by any court, officer or other person shall be computed after taking into account such claims if any, as may have fallen due for payment by such court, officer or other person, as the case may be, and as may be, lawfully subsisting.