Finance Act 1942

12 Reduction of duty for hotels and restaurants applicable notwithstanding effect of war circumstances on receipts.

Where in the case of any such licensed hotel or restaurant premises as are mentioned in section forty-five of the Finance (1909-10) Act, 1910, it is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioners as respects any year that by reason of war circumstances the reduction of duty provided for by the said section forty-five, in cases where in the preceding year the receipts from the sale of intoxicating liquor do not exceed a specified proportion of the total receipts of the business, would apart from this section not be applicable, the Commissioners may, if it appears to them necessary so to do to avoid hardship, direct that, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the said reduction is applicable, the said section forty-five shall have effect as if for references to receipts in the preceding year there were substituted references to receipts in such earlier year as the Commissioners think just; but if as the result of such a direction the reduced duty is payable under subsection (1) of the said section forty-five, the amount thereof shall be calculated by reference to the receipts of the preceding year, and not to those of the said earlier year.