Section 131 : Liability of directors of private company – Liability To Pay In Certain Cases

131. Liability of directors of private company

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013), where any tax due from a private company in respect of any supply of goods or services for any period or from any other company in respect of any supply of any period during which such other company was a private company cannot be recovered, then, every person who was a director of the private company during such period shall be jointly and severally liable for the payment of such tax unless he proves that the non-recovery cannot be attributed to any gross neglect, misfeasance or breach of duty on his part in relation to the affairs of the company.

(2) Where a private company is converted into a public company and the tax assessed in respect of any supply of goods or services for any period during which such company was a private company cannot be recovered, then, nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall apply to any person who was a director of such private company in relation to any tax due in respect of any supply of such private company.

Explanation.— For the purposes of this section, the expression “tax due” includes penalty, interest or any other sum payable under the Act.