High Court · Madras2024§131 · §133(6)
Madras High Court: 45 days is a reasonable period to retrieve a closed bank account's statements
How much time must the Department allow for records of a long-closed bank account?
The Court held 45 days reasonable and directed the authority to grant that period for producing the closed account's statements.
Reviewed by Smt. Saseekala Nair, IRS (R), Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Retd.) · Published 2026-07-07
Facts in brief
- The DDIT (Inv) demanded documents including statements of a long-closed bank account.
- The assessee's request for 45 days to obtain them was refused, prompting a writ petition.
Issue before the bench
Whether the refused timeline was reasonable.
Held
45 days was reasonable; the Income Tax authority was directed to grant it.
Practitioner takeaway
Where third-party records take time, put a specific, justified timeline on record immediately; courts protect documented reasonableness.
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