54.  Substituted by the Finance Act, 2001, w.e.f. 1-4-2001. Prior to its substitution, sub-section (1), as amended by the Finance Act, 1963, w.r.e.f. 1-4-1962, Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act, 1967, w.e.f. 1-10-1967, Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act, 1970, w.e.f. 1-4-1971, Finance Act, 1972, w.e.f. 1-4-1972, Direct Tax Laws (Amendment) Act, 1987, w.e.f. 1-4-1989, Direct Tax Laws (Second Amendment) Act, 1989, w.e.f. 1-4-1989, Finance Act, 1990, w.e.f.  1-4-1991, Finance Act, 1992, w.e.f. 1-4-1993, Finance Act, 1994, w.e.f. 1-4-1994, Finance (No. 2) Act, 1996, w.e.f. 1-4-1997, Finance Act, 1997, w.e.f. 1-4-1997, Finance (No. 2) Act, 1998, w.e.f. 1-8-1998 and Finance Act, 1999, w.e.f. 1-6-1999, read as under :

‘(1)  Every person, if his total income or the total income of any other person in respect of which he is assessable under this Act during the previous year exceeded the maximum amount which is not chargeable to income-tax, shall, on or before the due date, furnish a return of his income or the income of such other person during the previous year in the prescribed form and verified in the prescribed manner and setting forth such other particulars as may be prescribed:

        Provided that a person, not furnishing return under this sub-section and residing in such area as may be specified by the Board in this behalf by a notification in the Official Gazette, and who at any time during the previous year fulfils any one of the following conditions, namely :—

   (i)  is in occupation of an immovable property exceeding a specified floor area, whether by way of ownership, tenancy or otherwise, as may be specified by the Board in this behalf; or

  (ii)  is the owner or the lessee of a motor vehicle other than a two-wheeled motor vehicle, whether having any detachable side car having extra wheel attached to such two-wheeled motor vehicle or not; or

(iii)  is a subscriber to a telephone; or

(iv)  has incurred expenditure for himself or any other person on travel to any foreign country; or

  (v)  is the holder of the credit card, not being an “add-on” card, issued by any bank or institution; or

(vi)  is a member of a club where entrance fee charged is twenty-five thousand rupees or more,

        shall furnish a return, of his income during the previous year, on or before the due date in the prescribed form and verified in the prescribed manner and setting forth such other particulars as may be prescribed:

        Provided further that the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify the class or classes of persons to whom the provisions of the first proviso shall not apply.

Explanation 1.—In this sub-section, “due date” means—

  (a)  where the assessee is a company, the 30th day of November of the assessment year;

  (b)  where the assessee is a person, other than a company,—

   (i)  in a case where the accounts of the assessee are required under this Act or any other law to be audited or where the report of an accountant is required to be furnished under section 80HHC or section 80HHD or where the prescribed certificate is required to be furnished under section 80R or section 80RR or sub-section (1) of section 80RRA, or in the case of a co-operative society or in the case of a working partner of a firm whose accounts are required under this Act or any other law to be audited, the 31st day of October of the assessment year ;

  (ii)  in a case where the total income referred to in this sub-section includes any income from business or profession, not being a case falling under sub- clause (i), the 31st day of August of the assessment year;

(iii)  in any other case, the 30th day of June of the assessment year.

        Explanation 2.—For the purposes of sub-clause (i) of clause (b) of Explanation 1, the expression “working partner” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Explanation 4 of clause (b) of section 40.

        Explanation 3.—For the purposes of this sub-section, the expression “motor vehicle” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (28) of section 2 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988).

        Explanation 4.—For the purposes of this sub-section, the expression “travel to any foreign country” does not include travel to the neighbouring countries or to such places of pilgrimage as the Board may specify in this behalf by notification in the Official Gazette.’