Finance (No. 2) Act 2017

Decision of GAAR Advisory Panel and opinion notices

34 (1) The sub-panel must produce—

(a) one opinion notice stating the joint opinion of all the members of the sub-panel, or

(b) two or three opinion notices which taken together state the opinions of all the members.

(2) The sub-panel must give a copy of the opinion notice or notices to the designated HMRC officer.

(3) An opinion notice is a notice which states that in the opinion of the members of the sub-panel, or one or more of those members—

(a) the entering into and carrying out of tax arrangements such as are described in the referral statement is a reasonable course of action in relation to the relevant tax provisions,

(b) the entering into or carrying out of such tax arrangements is not a reasonable course of action in relation to the relevant tax provisions, or

(c) it is not possible, on the information available, to reach a view on that matter,

and the reasons for that opinion.

(4) In forming their opinions for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3) members of the sub-panel must—

(a) have regard to all the matters set out in the referral statement,

(b) have regard to the matters mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (c) of paragraph 3(3) and paragraph 3(4), and

(c) take account of paragraph 3(5) to (7).

(5) For the purposes of the giving of an opinion under this paragraph, the arrangements are to be assumed to be tax arrangements.

(6) For the purposes of this Schedule—

(a) an opinion of the GAAR Advisory Panel is to be treated as having been given on a referral under paragraph 26 when an opinion notice (or notices) has been given under this paragraph in respect of the referral, and

(b) any requirement to consider the opinion of the GAAR Advisory Panel given on such a referral is a requirement to consider the contents of the opinion notice (or notices) given on the referral.