Companies Act, 1956
Sec 210 - Annual
accounts and balance sheet.
(1) At every annual general meeting of a
company held in pursuance of section 166, the Board of directors of the company
shall lay before the company :
(a) a balance sheet as at the end of the
period specified in sub-section (3); and
(b) a profit and loss account for that period.
(2) In the case of a company not carrying on
business for profit, an income and expenditure account shall be laid before the
company at its annual general meeting instead of a profit and loss account, and
all references to " profit and loss account ", " profit "
and " loss " in this section and elsewhere in this Act, shall be
construed, in relation to such a company, as references respectively to the
" income and expenditure account ", " the excess of income over
expenditure ", and " the excess of expenditure over income ".
(3) The profit and loss account shall relate:
(a) in the case of the first annual general
meeting of the company, to the period beginning with the incorporation of the
company and ending with a day which shall not precede the day of the meeting by
more than nine months; and
(b) in the case of any subsequent annual
general meeting of the company, to the period beginning with the day
immediately after the period for which the account was last submitted and
ending with a day which shall not precede the day of the meeting by more than
six months, or in cases where an extension of time has been granted for holding
the meeting under the second proviso to sub-section (1) of section 166, by more
than six months and the extension so granted.
(4) The period to which the account aforesaid
relates is referred to in this Act as a " financial year " and it may
be less or more than a calendar year, but it shall not exceed fifteen months :
Provided that it may extend to eighteen months
where special permission has been granted in that behalf by the Registrar.
(5) If any person, being a director of a
company, fails to take all reasonable steps to comply with the provisions of
this section, he shall, in respect of each offence, be punishable with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to ten
thousand rupees, or with both :
Provided that in any proceedings against a
person in respect of an offence under this section, it shall be a defense to
prove that a competent and reliable person was charged with the duty of seeing
that the provisions of this section were complied with and was in a position to
discharge that duty :
Provided further that no person
shall be sentenced to imprisonment for any such offence unless it was committed
willfully.
(6) If any person, not being a director of the
company, having been charged by the Board of directors with the duty of seeing
that the provisions of this section are complied with, makes default in doing
so, he shall, in respect of each offence, be punishable with imprisonment for a
term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to ten
thousand rupees, or with both:
Provided that no person shall be sentenced to
imprisonment for any such offence unless it was committed willfully.
Circular(s) under this Section
1. Circular No. 12/77 [1/1/77-CL-V and
2/331/75-CL-II], Dt. 21. 11. 1977.
2. Circular No. 2-85
[8/1(210/220)/85-CL-V], Dt. 20. 3. 1985.
3. Circular No. 7, Dt. 23. 5. 1988.