Section 98 - Procedure on receipt of application
Chapter XVII - Advance Ruling
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Finin2min Summary - Section in 2 Minutes
Sets admission and merits procedure before AAR.
Application is rejected if the same question is pending or decided in applicant proceedings, after
hearing and reasons.
Ruling should issue within ninety days.
Member difference means no ruling at AAR level and reference to AAAR.
Exact operative text
98. Procedure on receipt of application.-(1) On receipt of an application, the Authority shall cause a copy
thereof to be forwarded to the concerned officer and, if necessary, call upon him to furnish the relevant
records:
Provided that where any records have been called for by the Authority in any case, such records shall, as
soon as possible, be returned to the said concerned officer.
(2) The Authority may, after examining the application and the records called for and after hearing the
applicant or his authorised representative and the concerned officer or his authorised representative, by
order, either admit or reject the application:
Provided that the Authority shall not admit the application where the question raised in the application is
already pending or decided in any proceedings in the case of an applicant under any of the provisions of this
Act:
Provided further that no application shall be rejected under this sub-section unless an opportunity of hearing
has been given to the applicant: Provided also that where the application is rejected, the reasons for such
rejection shall be specified in the order.
(3) A copy of every order made under sub-section
(2) shall be sent to the applicant and to the concerned officer.
(4) Where an application is admitted under sub-section
(2), the Authority shall, after examining such further material as may be placed before it by the applicant or
obtained by the Authority and after providing an opportunity of being heard to the applicant or his authorised
representative as well as to the concerned officer or his authorised representative, pronounce its advance
ruling on the question specified in the application.
(5) Where the members of the Authority differ on any question on which the advance ruling is sought, they
shall state the point or points on which they differ and make a reference to the Appellate Authority for hearing
and decision on such question.
(6) The Authority shall pronounce its advance ruling in writing within ninety days from the date of receipt of
application.
(7) A copy of the advance ruling pronounced by the Authority duly signed by the members and certified in
such manner as may be prescribed shall be sent to the applicant, the concerned officer and the jurisdictional
officer after such pronouncement.
Paragraph-wise decode
Sets admission and merits procedure before AAR. Application is rejected if the same question is pending or decided in applicant proceedings, after hearing and reasons. Ruling should issue within ninety days. Member difference means no ruling at AAR level and reference to AAAR.
Section-Rule-Form-Notification bridge
No direct Rule certified in Phase 1. Check notifications, circulars, forms and corresponding State law.
The mapping is a legal concordance, not a round-robin related-link list. It is limited to instruments certified in this phase.
Practical example
A pending audit already disputes the same classification; AAR tests the statutory bar before admission.
Professional alert
Full disclosure of pending proceedings is essential; concealment can void the ruling.
Implementation checklist
- Fix the transaction, taxable period and jurisdiction.
- Read every subsection, proviso, explanation and omission marker.
- Open the mapped Rule, form, notification and circular.
- Test State/UT variation and portal version.
- Preserve evidence, approvals, working papers and acknowledgements.
- Record the conclusion, assumptions, source date and reviewer.
Evidence and retention checklist
- Contract, purchase order, invoice or underlying transaction document.
- Registration, return, ledger, challan and portal acknowledgement.
- Official Act/Rule/notification version used and effective date.
- Internal tax position paper, computation and management approval.
- Correspondence, notices, replies, orders and appeal papers where applicable.
Practical Q&A
- What does section 98 regulate?
- It regulates procedure on receipt of application. Read the exact text, conditions, exceptions and transaction date together.
- Which subordinate law should be checked?
- No direct CGST Rule has been certified in this phase. Notifications, circulars, forms and the corresponding SGST/UTGST layer may also apply.
- What evidence should be retained?
- Preserve the contract or transaction record, invoice or form, portal acknowledgement, payment/ledger evidence, correspondence, legal working and the official source version used.
- Can portal behaviour override the statute?
- No. Portal functionality is operational evidence; legal entitlement and liability remain controlled by the Act, Rules, notifications and binding decisions.