Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

[F1 606 Default of administrator etc. U.K.

(1) This section applies in relation to a retirement benefits scheme if at any time—

(a) there is no administrator of the scheme, or

(b) the person who is, or all of the persons who are, the administrator of the scheme cannot be traced, or

(c) the person who is, or all of the persons who are, the administrator of the scheme is or are in default for the purposes of this section.

(2) If the scheme is a trust scheme, then—

(a) if subsection (1)(b) or (c) above applies and at the time in question the condition mentioned in subsection (3) below is fulfilled, the trustee or trustees shall at that time be responsible for the discharge of all duties imposed on the administrator under this Chapter (whenever arising) and liable for any tax due from the administrator in the administrator’s capacity as such (whenever falling due);

(b) if subsection (1)(a) above applies, or subsection (1)(b) or (c) above applies and at the time in question the condition mentioned in subsection (3) below is not fulfilled, the employer shall at that time be so responsible and liable;

and paragraph (b) above shall apply to a person in his capacity as the employer even if he is also the administrator, or a trustee, of the scheme.

(3) The condition is that there is at least one trustee of the scheme who—

(a) can be traced,

(b) is resident in the United Kingdom, and

(c) is not in default for the purposes of this section.

(4) If the scheme is a non-trust scheme, then—

(a) if subsection (1)(b) or (c) above applies and at the time in question the condition mentioned in subsection (5) below is fulfilled, the scheme sponsor or scheme sponsors shall at that time be responsible for the discharge of all duties imposed on the administrator under this Chapter (whenever arising) and liable for any tax due from the administrator in the administrator’s capacity as such (whenever falling due);

(b) if subsection (1)(a) above applies, or subsection (1)(b) or (c) above applies and at the time in question the condition mentioned in subsection (5) below is not fulfilled, the employer shall at that time be so responsible and liable;

and paragraph (b) above shall apply to a person in his capacity as the employer even if he is also the administrator of the scheme, or a scheme sponsor.

(5) The condition is that there is at least one scheme sponsor who—

(a) can be traced,

(b) is resident in the United Kingdom, and

(c) is not in default for the purposes of this section.

(6) Where at any time—

(a) paragraph (b) or (c) of subsection (1) above applies in relation to a scheme, and

(b) a person is by virtue of this section responsible for the discharge of any duties, or liable for any tax, in relation to the scheme,

then at that time the person or persons mentioned in paragraph (b) or (as the case may be) paragraph (c) of subsection (1) above shall not, by reason only of being the administrator of the scheme, be responsible for the discharge of those duties or liable for that tax.

(7) Where the scheme is a trust scheme and the employer is not a contributor to the scheme, subsection (2) above shall have effect as if—

(a) for “the employer”, in the first place where those words occur, there were substituted “the scheme sponsor or scheme sponsors”, and

(b) for “the employer”, in the second place where those words occur, there were substituted “scheme sponsor”.

(8) Where the scheme is a non-trust scheme and the employer is not a contributor to the scheme, subsection (4) above shall have effect as if paragraph (b) and the words after that paragraph were omitted.

(9) No liability incurred under this Chapter—

(a) by the administrator of a scheme, or

(b) by a person by virtue of this section,

shall be affected by the termination of a scheme or by its ceasing to be an approved scheme or to be an exempt approved scheme.

[F2 (9A) Where by virtue of this section any person is the person, or one of the persons, responsible for the discharge of the duties of the administrator of a scheme, any power or duty by virtue of this Part to serve any notice on, or to do any other thing in relation to, the administrator may be exercised or performed, instead, by the service of that notice on that person or, as the case may be, by the doing of that other thing in relation to that person.]

(10) Where by virtue of this section a person becomes responsible for the discharge of any duties, or liable for any tax, the Board shall, as soon as is reasonably practicable, notify him of that fact; but any failure to give such notification shall not affect that person’s being responsible or liable by virtue of this section.

(11) A person is in default for the purposes of this section if—

(a) he has failed to discharge any duty imposed on him under this Chapter, or

(b) he has failed to pay any tax due from him by virtue of this Chapter,

and (in either case) the Board consider the failure to be of a serious nature.

[F3 (11A) In determining for the purposes of this section—

(a) whether all of the persons who are the administrator of a scheme are at any time in default in respect of an amount of tax chargeable by virtue of section 591C, or

(b) whether a trustee of a scheme is in default in respect of any amount of tax so chargeable,

the persons who at that time are trustees of the scheme or hold appointments in relation to the scheme under section 611AA(4) to (6) shall be deemed not to include any person who by virtue of section 591D(4) is not liable for that tax.]

(12) References in this section to a trust scheme, a non-trust scheme, trustees and scheme sponsors shall be construed in accordance with section 611AA.

(13) References in this section to the employer include, where the employer is resident outside the United Kingdom, references to any branch or agent of the employer in the United Kingdom, and in this subsection “branch or agent” has the meaning given by section 118(1) of the Management Act.

(14) This section does not apply for the purposes of sections 602 and 603 and Schedule 22.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 606 substituted (with application in accordance with s. 104(3) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 104(1)

F2 S. 606(9A) inserted (retrospectively) by Finance Act 1998 (c. 36), Sch. 15 para. 5(1)

F3 S. 606(11A) inserted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 15 para. 5(3) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1998 (c. 36), Sch. 15 para. 5(2)