Section 279
Section 279: income escaping assessment
Section 279 is the reopening/reassessment provision of the Income-tax Act, 2025. Where income chargeable to tax has escaped assessment for a tax year (called the "relevant tax year" in Sections 280 to 286), it lets the Assessing Officer assess or reassess that income, or recompute a loss, depreciation allowance or other deduction - always subject to the safeguards laid out in Sections 280 to 286.
This explanation is AI-assisted and pending review by our CA/CS team. It is general information, not professional advice - always cross-check against the bare law text above or talk to our tax team for guidance specific to your situation.
The core power to reassess
If any income chargeable to tax has escaped assessment for any tax year in the case of an assessee, the Assessing Officer may, subject to sections 280 to 286, assess or reassess such income, or recompute the loss, depreciation allowance or any other allowance or deduction, for that tax year.
Sections 280 to 286 refer to that tax year as the "relevant tax year".
Assessing issues that surface during the proceedings
While making the assessment, reassessment or recomputation, the Assessing Officer may also assess or reassess income on any other issue that has escaped assessment and comes to his notice during the course of these proceedings - even if the procedure in section 281 (show-cause before issuing notice) has not separately been followed for that issue.
Which Assessing Officer applies
For the purposes of sections 280 and 281, the "Assessing Officer" means an Assessing Officer other than the National Faceless Assessment Centre or any assessment unit referred to in section 273(3).
Frequently asked questions
What does "income escaping assessment" mean?
It refers to income chargeable to tax that was not assessed for a tax year. Section 279 lets the Assessing Officer assess or reassess such income, or recompute a loss, depreciation allowance or deduction for that year, subject to the procedure in sections 280 to 286.
Can the Assessing Officer add a new issue discovered during reassessment proceedings?
Yes - under Section 279(2), if a further issue of escaped income comes to the Assessing Officer's notice during the reassessment proceedings, he may assess or reassess that issue too, even without separately following the show-cause procedure in section 281 for it.
Related sections
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Get help responding to an income-escaping-assessment noticeLast updated 9 September 2026