In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

[ "Appellate Tribunal " means the Appellate Tribunal constituted under section 252 of the Income-tax Act; [Substituted by Act 46 of 1964, Section 2, for Clauses (b), (c) and (d) (w.e.f. 1.4.1965).]

every person in respect of whom any proceeding under this Act has been taken for the determination of wealth-tax payable by him or by any other person or the amount of refund due to him or such other person;

every person who is deemed to be an assessee under this Act;

[ "Assessing Officer " means the Deputy Commissioner of Income-tax or the Assistant Commissioner or the Income-tax Officer who is vested with the relevant jurisdiction by virtue of directions or orders issued under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) of section 120 or any other provision of the Income-tax Act which apply for the purposes of wealth-tax under section 8 of this Act and also the ] [Substituted by Act 21 of 1998, Section 67, for Clause (ca)(w.e.f. 1.10.1998). ][Additional Commissioner or] [ Inserted by Act 22 of 2007, Section 83 (w.r.e.f. 1.6.1994).][Additional Director or] [ Inserted by Act 22 of 2007, Section 83 (w.r.e.f. 1.10.1996).][Joint Commissioner who is directed under clause (b) of sub-section (4) of the said section 120 to exercise or perform all or any of the powers and functions conferred on or assigned to the Assessing Officer under that Act;] [Substituted by Act 21 of 1998, Section 67, for Clause (ca)(w.e.f. 1.10.1998). ]

[] [ Clause (ca) re-lettered as Clause (cb) by Act 4 of 1988, Section 128 (w.e.f. 1.4.1988).]["assessment " includes re-assessment; [Substituted by Act 46 of 1964, Section 2, for Clauses (b), (c) and (d) (w.e.f. 1.4.1965).]

"assessment year " means the period of twelve months commencing on the 1st day of April every year;]

[ "assets " includes property of every description, movable or immovable, but does not include,— [Substituted by Act 14 of 1969, Section 24, for Clause (e)(w.e.f. 1.4.1969). ]

(1)

in relation to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1969, or any earlier assessment year—

(i) agricultural land and growing crops, grass or standing trees on such land;

(ii) any building owned or occupied by a cultivator of, or receiver of rent revenue out of, agricultural land:

(iii) animals;

(iv) a right to any annuity in any case where the terms and conditions relating thereto preclude the commutation of any portion thereof into a lump sum grant;

(v) any interest in property where the interest is available to an assessee for a period not exceeding six years from the date the interest vests in the assessee;

(2)

in relation to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1970, or any subsequent assessment year ][but before the 1st day of April, 1993] [ Inserted by Act 18 of 1992, Section 89 (w.e.f. 1.4.1993).]-

(i) [ animals; [Substituted by Act 46 of 1964, Section 2, for Clauses (b), (c) and (d) (w.e.f. 1.4.1965).]

(ii) a right to ] [any annuity (not being an annuity purchased by the assessee or purchased by any other person in pursuance of a contract with the assessee)] [ Substituted by Act 20 of 1974, Section 14, for " any annuity " (w.e.f. 1.4.1975).][in any case where the terms and conditions relating thereto preclude the commutation of any portion thereof into a lump sum grant; [Substituted by Act 46 of 1964, Section 2, for Clauses (b), (c) and (d) (w.e.f. 1.4.1965).]

(iii) any interest in property where the interest is available to an assessee for a period not exceeding six years from the date the interest vests in the assessee:]

(a) agricultural land other than land comprised in any tea, coffee, rubber or cardamom plantation;

(b) any building owned or occupied by a cultivator of, or receiver of rent or revenue out of, agricultural land other than land comprised in any tea, coffee, rubber or cardamom plantation:

(c) animals:

(a) agricultural land and growing crops (including fruits on trees), grass or standing trees on such land;

(b) one building or one group of buildings owned or occupied by a cultivator of, or receiver of rent or revenue out of, agricultural land:

(c) animals:]

(a) agricultural land and growing crops (including fruits on trees), grass or standing trees on such land;

(b) one building or one group of buildings owned or occupied by a cultivator of, or receiver of rent or revenue out of, agricultural land:

(c) animals:] [ Inserted by Act 14 of 1982, Section 33 (w.e.f. 1.4.1983).]

(ea) [ "assets ", in relation to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1993, or any subsequent assessment year, means—] [Inserted by Act 18 of 1992, Section 89 (w.e.f. 1.4.1993). ]

(i) [ any building or land appurtenant thereto (hereinafter referred to as "house "), whether used for residential or commercial purposes or for the purpose of maintaining a guest-house or otherwise including a farm-house situated within twenty-five kilometres from local limits of any municipality (whether known as Municipality, Municipal Corporation or by any other name) or a Cantonment Board, but does not include-,- [Substituted by Act 21 of 1998, Section 67, for sub-Clause (i)(w.e.f. 1.4.1999). Earlier sub-Clause (i) was substituted by Act 33 of 1996, Section 56 (w.e.f. 1.4.1997).]

(1)

a house meant exclusively for residential purposes and which is allotted by a company to an employee or an officer or a director who is in whole-time employment, having a gross annual salary of less than five lakh rupees;

(2)

any house for residential or commercial purposes which forms part of stoke-in-trade;

(3)

any house which the assessee may occupy for the purposes of any business or profession carried on by him;

(4)

any residential property that has been let-out for a minimum period of three hundred days in the previous year;

(5)

any property in the nature of commercial establishments or complexes;]

(ii) [ motor cars (other than those used by the assessee in the business of running them on hire or as stock-in-trade); [Inserted by Act 18 of 1992, Section 89 (w.e.f. 1.4.1993). ]

(iii) jewellery, bullion and furniture, utensils or any other article made wholly or partly of gold, silver, platinum or any other precious metal or any alloy containing one or more of such precious metals:

(iv) yachts, boats and aircrafts (other than those used by the assessee for commercial purposes);

(v) urban land;

(vi) cash in hand, in excess of fifty thousand rupees, of individuals and Hindu undivided families and in the case of other persons any amount not recorded in the books of account.] [Substituted by Act 44 of 1980, Section 36, for the proviso (w.e.f. 1.4.1981). Earlier the proviso was added by Act 19 of 1970, Section 26 (w.r.e.f. 1.4.1969). ]

(a) [ "jewellery " includes,—

(b) "urban land " means land situate-,-

(f) "Board " means the [Central Board of Direct Taxes constituted under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963 (54 of 1963)] [ Substituted by Act 54 of 1963, Section 5, for " Central Board of Revenue constituted under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1924 (4 of 1924)" (w.e.f. 1.4.1964).];

(h) [ "company " shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (17) of section 2 of the Income-tax Act;] [ Substituted by Act 4 of 1988, Section 128, for Clause (h)(w.e.f. 1.4.1989).]

(i) "executor " means an executor or administrator of the estate of a deceased person;

(ia) [ "High Court ", in relation to the Union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Goa, Daman and Diu, means the High Court at Bombay;] [ Inserted by Act 3 of 1963, Section 3 and Schedule(w.e.f. 1.4.1963).]

(j) "Income-tax Act " means the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961);

(ka) [ "India " means the territory of India as referred to in article 1 of the Constitution, its territorial waters, seabed and subsoil underlying such waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone or any other maritime zone as referred to in the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976 (80 of 1976), and the air space above its territory and territorial waters;] [ Substituted by Act 46 of 1964, Section 2, for Clause (j)(w.e.f. 1.4.1965).]

(lb) [ "legal representative " has the meaning assigned to it in clause (11) of section 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908);] [ Clauses (l) and (la) omitted by act 4 of 1988, Section 128 (w.e.f. 1.4.1989).]

(lc) [ -"maximum marginal rate " means the rate of wealth-tax applicable in relation to the highest slab of wealth in the case of an individual as specified in Part I of Schedule I;] [ Inserted by Act 4 of 1988, Section 128 (w.e.f. 1.4.1989).]

(ld) [ "National Tax Tribunal " means the National Tax Tribunal established under section 3 of the National Tax Tribunal Act, 2005 (49 of 2005;] [ Inserted by Act 49 of 2005, Section 30 and Schedule (w.e.f. 28.12.2005).]

(m) "net wealth " means the amount by which the aggregate value computed in accordance with the provisions of this Act of all the assets, wherever located, belonging to the assessee on the valuation date, including assets required to be included in his net wealth as on that date under this Act, is in excess of the aggregate value of all the debts owed by the assessee [on the valuation date which have been incurred in relation to the said assets;] [ Substituted by Act 18 of 1992, Section 89, for certain words (w.e.f. 1.4.1993).]

(n) "prescribed " means prescribed by rules made under this Act;

(o) "principal officer ", used with reference to a company, means the secretary, manager, managing agent or managing director of the company, and includes any person connected with the management of the affairs of the company upon whom the [Assessing Officer] [ Substituted by Act4 of 1988, Section 127, for " Wealth-tax Officer " (w.e.f. 1.4.1988).] has served a notice of his intention of treating him as the principal officer thereof;

(oa) [ "public servant " has the same meaning as in section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860);] [ Inserted by Act 46 of 1964, Section 2 (w.e.f. 1.4.1965).]

(oaa) [ "registered valuer " means a person registered as a valuer under section 34 AB;] [ Inserted by Act 45 of 1972, Section 7 (w.e.f. 15.11.1972).]

(ob) "regular assessment " means the assessment made under [sub-section (3) or sub-section (5) of section 16] [ Substituted by Act 12 of 1990, Section 51, for " section 16" (w.r.e.f. 1.4.1989).];

(p) "Ruler " means a Ruler as defined in clause (22) of Article 366 of the Constitution;

(q) "valuation date ", in relation to any year for which an assessment is to be made under this Act, means the last day of the previous year as defined in [section 3] [ Substituted by Act 46 of 1964, Section 2, for " clause (11) of section 2" (w.e.f. 1.4.1965).] of the Income-tax Act if an assessment were to be made under that Act for that year:

(ii) [ in the case of a person who is not an assessee within the meaning of the Income-tax Act, the valuation date for the purposes of this Act shall be the 31st day of March immediately preceding the assessment year;

(iii) where an assessment is made in pursuance of section 19-A, the valuation date shall be the same valuation date as would have been adopted in respect of the net wealth of the deceased if he were alive;] [Substituted by Act 46 of 1964, Section 2, for the proviso (w.e.f. 1.4.1965). ]

(r) [ "Valuation Officer " means a person appointed as a Valuation Officer under section 12-A, and includes a Regional Valuation Officer, a District Valuation Officer and an Assistant Valuation Officer;] [ Substituted by Act 45 of 1972, Section 7, for Clause (r)(w.e.f. 15.11.1972).]

(s) [ the expressions "Chief Commissioner, Director-General, Commissioner, Commissioner (Appeals), Director, Additional Director of Income-tax, Additional Commissioner of Income-tax, Joint Director, Joint Commissioner of Income-tax, Deputy Director, Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, Assistant Director, Income-tax Officer, Inspector of Income-tax and Tax Recovery Officer shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them under section 2 of the Income-tax Act.] [ Substituted by Act 21 of 1998, Section 67, for Clause (s)(w.e.f. 1.10.1998).]