(1) The duty on the goods removed from the factory or the warehouse during a month shall be paid by the 6th day of the following month, if the duty is paid electronically through internet banking and by the 5th day of the following month, in any other case:

Provided that in case of goods removed during the month of March, the duty shall be paid by the 31st day of March:

Provided further that where an assessee is eligible to avail of the exemption under a notification based on the value of clearances in a financial year, the duty on goods cleared during a quarter of the financial year shall be paid by the 6th day of the month following that quarter, if the duty is paid electronically through internet banking and in any other case, by the 5th day of the month following that quarter, except in case of goods removed during the last quarter, starting from the 1st day of January and ending on the 31st day of March, for which the duty shall be paid by the 31st day of March.

Explanation-1. - For the removal of doubts, it is hereby clarified that an assessee, shall be eligible, if his aggregate value of clearances of all excisable goods for home consumption in the preceding financial year, computed in the manner specified in the said notification, did not exceed rupees four hundred lakhs.

Explanation-2. - The manner of payment as specified in this proviso shall be available to the assessee for the whole of the financial year.

(2) Every assessee shall electronically pay duty through internet banking:

Provided that the Assistant Commissioner or the Deputy Commissioner of Central Excise, for reasons to be recorded in writing, allow an assessee payment of duty by any mode other than internet banking.

(3) The duty of excise shall be deemed to have been paid for the purposes of these rules on the excisable goods removed in the manner provided under sub-rule (1) and the credit of such duty allowed, as provided by or under any rule.

(4) If the assessee fails to pay the amount of duty by due date, he shall be liable to pay the outstanding amount along with interest at the rate specified by the Central Government vide notification under section 11AA of the Act on the outstanding amount, for the period starting with the first day after due date till the date of actual payment of the outstanding amount.

(5) If the assessee fails to pay the duty declared as payable by him in the return within a period of one month from the due date, then the assessee is liable to pay the penalty at the rate of one per cent on such amount of the duty not paid, for each month or part thereof calculated from the due date, for the period during which such failure continues.

Explanation.- For the purposes of this sub-rule, 'month' means the period between two consecutive due dates for payment of duty specified under sub-rule (1) or the first proviso to sub-rule (1), as the case may be.

(6) The provisions of section 11 of the Act shall be applicable for recovery of the duty as assessed under rule 6 and mentioned in the return filed under these rules, the interest under sub-rule (4) and the penalty under sub-rule (5) in the same manner as they are applicable for recovery of any duty or other sums payable to the Central Government.

Explanation 1.- For the purposes of this rule,-

(a) the duty liability shall be deemed to have been discharged only if the amount payable is credited to the account of the Central Government by the specified date;

(b) if the assessee deposits the duty by cheque, the date of presentation of the cheque in the bank designated by the Central Board of Excise and Customs for this purpose shall be deemed to be the date on which the duty has been paid subject to realisation of that cheque.

Explanation 2.- For the purposes of this rule, the expressions 'duty' or 'duty of excise' shall also include the amount payable in terms of the CENVAT Credit Rules, 2017.