Taxes Management Act 1970

20 Powers in connection with trades, professions and vocations

(1) Where—

(a) a person who has been duly required to deliver a statement for purposes of income tax of the profits or gains arising to him from any trade, profession or vocation fails to deliver the statement, or the Board are not satisfied with the statement delivered by any such person, or

(b) a company which has been duly required to make a return under section 11 of this Act relating to profits which consist of or comprise profits arising from a trade or vocation fails to deliver the return, or the Board are not satisfied with the return delivered by any such company, the Board may serve on the person or company a notice in writing or notices in writing requiring that person or company to do any of the following things, that is to say—

(i) to deliver to the inspector copies of such accounts (including balance sheets) relating to the trade, profession or vocation as may be specified or described in the notice within such period as may be therein specified, including, where the accounts have been audited, a copy of the auditor's certificate,

(ii) to make available, within such time as may be specified in the notice, for inspection by the inspector or by any officer authorised by the Board, all such books, accounts and documents in the possession or power of the said person or company as may be specified or described in the notice, being books, accounts and documents which contain information as to transactions of the trade, profession or vocation.

(2) The inspector or other officer may take copies of, or extracts from, any books, accounts or documents made available for his inspection under this section.