Finance Act 1989

167 Determination of penalties

The following sections shall be substituted for section 100 of the Taxes Management Act 1970—

“100 Determination of penalties by officer of Board

(1) Subject to subsection (2) below and except where proceedings for a penalty have been instituted under section 100D below or a penalty has been imposed by the Commissioners under section 53 of this Act, an officer of the Board authorised by the Board for the purposes of this section may make a determination imposing a penalty under any provision of the Taxes Acts and setting it at such amount as, in his opinion, is correct or appropriate.

(2) Subsection (1) above does not apply where the penalty is a penalty under—

(a) section 93(1) above as it has effect before the amendments made by section 162 of the Finance Act 1989 or section 93(1)(a) above as it has effect after those amendments,

(b) section 94(1) above as it has effect before the substitution made by section 83 of the [1987 c. 51.] Finance (No.2) Act 1987,

(c) section 98(1) above as it has effect before the amendments made by section 164 of the Finance Act 1989 or section 98(1)(i) above as it has effect after those amendments, or

(d) paragraph (a)(i) of section 98A(2) above as it has effect by virtue of section 165(2) of the Finance Act 1989.

(3) Notice of a determination of a penalty under this section shall be served on the person liable to the penalty and shall state the date on which it is issued and the time within which an appeal against the determination may be made.

(4) After the notice of a determination under this section has been served the determination shall not be altered except in accordance with this section or on appeal.

(5) If it is discovered by an officer of the Board authorised by the Board for the purposes of this section that the amount of a penalty determined under this section is or has become insufficient the officer may make a determination in a further amount so that the penalty is set at the amount which, in his opinion, is correct or appropriate.

(6) In any case where—

(a) a determination under this section is of a penalty under section 94(6) above, and

(b) after the determination has been made it is discovered by an officer of the Board authorised by the Board for the purposes of this section that the amount which was taken into account as the relevant amount of tax is or has become excessive,

the determination shall be revised so that the penalty is set at the amount which is correct; and, where more than the correct amount has already been paid, the appropriate amount shall be repaid.

100A Provisions supplementary to section 100

(1) Where a person who has incurred a penalty has died, a determination under section 100 above which could have been made in relation to him may be made in relation to his personal representatives, and any penalty imposed on personal representatives by virtue of this subsection shall be a debt due from and payable out of his estate.

(2) A penalty determined under section 100 above shall be due and payable at the end of the period of thirty days beginning with the date of the issue of the notice of determination.

(3) A penalty determined under section 100 above shall for all purposes be treated as if it were tax charged in an assessment and due and payable.

100B Appeals against penalty determinations

(1) An appeal may be brought against the determination of a penalty under section 100 above and, subject to the following provisions of this section, the provisions of this Act relating to appeals shall have effect in relation to an appeal against such a determination as they have effect in relation to an appeal against an assessment to tax.

(2) On an appeal against the determination of a penalty under section 100 above section 50(6) to (8) of this Act shall not apply but—

(a) in the case of a penalty which is required to be of a particular amount, the Commissioners may—

(i) if it appears to them that no penalty has been incurred, set the determination aside,

(ii) if the amount determined appears to them to be correct, confirm the determination, or

(iii) if the amount determined appears to them to be incorrect, increase or reduce it to the correct amount,

(b) in the case of any other penalty, the Commissioners may—

(i) if it appears to them that no penalty has been incurred, set the determination aside,

(ii) if the amount determined appears to them to be appropriate, confirm the determination,

(iii) if the amount determined appears to them to be excessive, reduce it to such other amount (including nil) as they consider appropriate, or

(iv) if the amount determined appears to them to be insufficient, increase it to such amount not exceeding the permitted maximum as they consider appropriate.

(3) Without prejudice to section 56 of this Act, an appeal from a decision of the Commissioners against the amount of a penalty which has been determined under section 100 above or this section shall lie, at the instance of the person liable to the penalty, to the High Court or, in Scotland, to the Court of Session as the Court of Exchequer in Scotland; and on that appeal the court shall have the like jurisdiction as is conferred on the Commissioners by virtue of this section.

100C Penalty proceedings before Commissioners

(1) An officer of the Board authorised by the Board for the purposes of this section may commence proceedings before the General or Special Commissioners for any penalty to which subsection (1) of section 100 above does not apply by virtue of subsection (2) of that section.

(2) Proceedings under this section shall be by way of information in writing, made to the Commissioners, and upon summons issued by them to the defendant (or defender) to appear before them at a time and place stated in the summons; and they shall hear and decide each case in a summary way.

(3) Any penalty determined by the Commissioners in proceedings under this section shall for all purposes be treated as if it were tax charged in an assessment and due and payable.

(4) An appeal against the determination of a penalty in proceedings under this section shall lie to the High Court or, in Scotland, the Court of Session as the Court of Exchequer in Scotland—

(a) by any party on a question of law, and

(b) by the defendant (or, in Scotland, the defender) against the amount of the penalty.

(5) On any such appeal the court may—

(a) if it appears that no penalty has been incurred, set the determination aside,

(b) if the amount determined appears to be appropriate, confirm the determination,

(c) if the amount determined appears to be excessive, reduce it to such other amount (including nil) as the court considers appropriate, or

(d) if the amount determined appears to be insufficient, increase it to such amount not exceeding the permitted maximum as the court considers appropriate.

100D Penalty proceedings before court

(1) Where in the opinion of the Board the liability of any person for a penalty arises by reason of the fraud of that or any other person, proceedings for the penalty may be instituted before the High Court or, in Scotland, the Court of Session as the Court of Exchequer in Scotland.

(2) Proceedings under this section which are not instituted (in England, Wales or Northern Ireland) under the [1947 c. 44.] Crown Proceedings Act 1947 by and in the name of the Board as an authorised department for the purposes of that Act shall be instituted—

(a) in England and Wales, in the name of the Attorney General,

(b) in Scotland, in the name of the Lord Advocate, and

(c) in Northern Ireland, in the name of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland.

(3) Any proceedings under this section instituted in England and Wales shall be deemed to be civil proceedings by the Crown within the meaning of Part II of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947 and any such proceedings instituted in Northern Ireland shall be deemed to be civil proceedings within the meaning of that Part of that Act as for the time being in force in Northern Ireland.

(4) If in proceedings under this section the court does not find that fraud is proved but consider that the person concerned is nevertheless liable to a penalty, the court may determine a penalty notwithstanding that, but for the opinion of the Board as to fraud, the penalty would not have been a matter for the court.”