96. Constitution of Authority for Advance Ruling.   (1) The Government shall, by notification, constitute an Authority to be known as the Assam Authority for Advance Ruling:   Provided that the Government may, on the recommendation of the Council, notify any Authority located in another State to act as the Authority for the State.   (2) The Authority shall consist of-   (i) one member from amongst the officers of central tax; and   (ii) one member from amongst the officers of State tax, to be appointed by the Central Government and the State Government respectively.   (3) The qualifications, the method of appointment of the members and the terms and conditions of their services shall be such as may be prescribed.

97. Application for advance ruling.   (1) An applicant desirous of obtaining an advance ruling under this Chapter may make an application in such form and manner and accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed, stating the question on which the advance ruling is sought.   (2) The question on which the advance ruling is sought under this Act, shall be in respect of, -   (a) classification of any goods or services or both;   (b) applicability of a notification issued under the provisions of this Act;   (c) determination of time and value of supply of goods or services or both;   (d) admissibility of input tax credit of tax paid or deemed to have been paid;   (e) determination of the liability to pay tax on any goods or services or both;   (f) whether applicant is required to be registered;   (g) whether any particular thing done by the applicant with respect to any goods or services or both amounts to or results in a supply of goods or services or both, within the meaning of that term.

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.

99. Constitution of Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling.   The Government shall, by notification, constitute an Authority to be known as Assam Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling for Goods and Services Tax for hearing appeals against the advance ruling pronounced by the Advance Ruling Authority consisting of-   (i) the Chief Commissioner of central tax as designated by the Board; and   (ii) the Commissioner of State tax:   Provided that the Government may, on the recommendations of the Council, notify any Appellate Authority located in another State or Union territory to act as the Appellate Authority for the State.

101. Orders of Appellate Authority.   (1) The Appellate Authority may, after giving the parties to the appeal or reference an opportunity of being heard, pass such order as it thinks fit, confirming or modifying the ruling appealed against or referred to.   (2) The order referred to in sub-section (1) shall be passed within a period of ninety days from the date of filing of the appeal under section 100 or a reference under sub-section (5) of section 98.   (3) Where the members of the Appellate Authority differ on any point or points referred to in appeal or reference, it shall be deemed that no advance ruling can be issued in respect of the question under the appeal or reference.   (4) A copy of the advance ruling pronounced by the Appellate Authority duly signed by the Members and certified in such manner as may be prescribed shall be sent to the applicant, the concerned officer, the jurisdictional officer and to the Authority after such pronouncement.

103. Applicability of advance ruling.   (1) The advance ruling pronounced by the Authority or the Appellate Authority under this Chapter shall be binding only -   (a) on the applicant who had sought it in respect of any matter referred to in sub-section (2) of section 97 for advance ruling;   (b) on the concerned officer or the jurisdictional officer in respect of the applicant.   (2) The advance ruling referred to in sub-section (1) shall be binding unless the law, facts or circumstances supporting the original advance ruling have changed.

104. Advance ruling to be void in certain circumstances.   (1) Where the Authority or the Appellate Authority finds that advance ruling pronounced by it under sub-section (4) of section 98 or under sub-section (1) of section 101 has been obtained by the applicant or the appellant by fraud or suppression of material facts or misrepresentation of facts, it may, by order, declare such ruling to be void ab-initio and thereupon all the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder shall apply to the applicant or the appellant as if such advance ruling had never been made:   Provided that no order shall be passed under this sub-section unless an opportunity of being heard has been given to the applicant or the appellant.   Explanation.- (1)The period beginning with the date of such advance ruling and ending with the date of order under this sub-section shall be excluded while computing the period specified in sub-sections (2) and (10) of section 73 or sub-sections (2) and (10) of section 74.   (2) A copy of the order made under sub-section (1) shall be sent to the applicant, the concerned officer and the jurisdictional officer.