146. Power to enter and search business premises.-

The Inspecting Additional Commissioner or the Deputy Commissioner or any other officer authorised in this behalf by the Central Board of Revenue or if so authorised in writing by the Inspecting Additional Commissioner or the Deputy Commissioner to whom he is subordinate, an Inspector of Income Tax may, for the purpose of making any inquiry, enter the premises in which a person carries on, or is believed to carry on, his business or profession, and may-

(a)    search such premises and inspect any accounts or documents; .

(b)    stamp such accounts or documents or take extracts or copies thereof;

(c)    impound such accounts or documents and retain them for so long as may be necessary for examination thereof or for the purposes of prosecution; and

(d)    make any inventory of any articles found in such premises.

(2)   The Director-General of Investigation and Intelligence, the Commissioner and the Inspecting Additional Commissioner may make any enquiry which they consider necessary as respects any person liable or believed to be liable to assessment under this Ordinance or require any such person to produce or cause to be produced any accounts or documents which they consider necessary, and shall have the same powers for the purpose of making any such enquiry of requiring the production of accounts or documents under this Ordinance as the Deputy Commissioner has.

(3)   Notwithstanding anything contained in this Ordinance, the Deputy Commissioner may, with the prior approval of the Commissioner, authorise any valuer to enter any place and inspect such accounts and documents as may be necessary to enable him to make a valuation of any asset for the purposes of section 67.