The Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

Recovery of payments deducted through the income tax system

52.—(1) The provisions of the Taxes Acts and of any Regulations under section 684 of the 2003 Act relating to the recovery of tax apply to the recovery of any amount which the employer is liable to pay to HMRC under regulation 49, 50, 51, 54 or 55 as if that amount had been tax charged by way of an assessment on the employer as employment income under the 2003 Act.

(2) Without prejudice to paragraph (1), regulation 84 of the PAYE Regulations applies to the amount shown in a certificate under regulation 50(5), 51(6), 54(4), or 55(4), with the modification that summary proceedings for the recovery of the amount in respect of student loan repayments or a combined amount, or such part of it as remains unpaid, together with any interest payable on such amount, may be brought at any time before the expiry of 12 months after the date of the certificate.

(3) In the application of any provisions referred to in paragraph (1) to any proceedings under this regulation which limit the amount which is recoverable in those proceedings, any other element of a combined amount which may by virtue of paragraphs (4) to (6) be included as part of the cause of action or matter of complaint in those proceedings is to be disregarded.

(4) Proceedings may be brought for the recovery of—

(a) the total amount which the employer is liable to pay to HMRC under regulation 49, or

(b) the total amount which the employer is liable to pay HMRC as a combined amount including any amount under regulation 49, without specifying the respective amounts of any component of a combined amount or distinguishing the amounts which the employer is liable to pay in respect of each employee and without specifying the employees in question.

(5) For the purposes of—

(a) proceedings under section 66 or 67 of the 1970 Act (including proceedings under either section as applied by the provisions of this regulation), and

(b) summary proceedings (including, in Scotland, proceedings in the sheriff court),

the total amount specified in paragraph (4) will, subject to the provisions of paragraphs (3) and (6), be one cause of action or one matter of complaint.

(6) Nothing in paragraph (4) or (5) prevents the bringing of separate proceedings for the recovery of each of the several amounts referred to in paragraph (4) which the employer is liable to pay to HMRC for any income tax period in respect of each of the employer’s employees.