Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

2 (1) In the case of dividends and profits attached thereto payable to the Bank of England out of the public revenue of the United Kingdom, the Bank of England shall set apart the income tax in respect of the amount payable to them.

(2) In the case of dividends and profits attached thereto entrusted to the Bank of England for payment and distribution, dividends payable by the Bank of Ireland at its principal office in Belfast, and dividends payable by the National Debt Commissioners or of which the National Debt Commissioners have the distribution—

(a) the Bank of England, the Bank of Ireland and the National Debt Commissioners respectively shall, before any payment is made by them, retain the amount of the income tax for the purposes of the Income Tax Acts, and

(b) the retaining of the amount shall be deemed to be a payment of the income tax by the persons entitled to the dividends, and shall be allowed by them on the receipt of the residue thereof, and

(c) the Bank of England, the Bank of Ireland and the National Debt Commissioners respectively shall be acquitted and discharged of a sum equal to the amount retained as though that sum had been actually paid.

(3) In relation to dividends payable to the Bank of Ireland out of the public revenue of the United Kingdom, and public revenue dividends which are entrusted to the Bank of Ireland for payment and distribution and are not payable by that Bank out of its principal office in Belfast, the following provisions shall have effect—

(a) the money which, apart from this sub-paragraph, would be issuable to the Bank of Ireland under section 14 of the [1870 c. 71.] National Debt Act 1870, or otherwise payable to the Bank of Ireland for the purpose of dividends on securities of the United Kingdom government entered in the register of the Bank of Ireland in Dublin, shall be issued and paid to the Bank of England; and

(b) the Bank of England shall set apart and retain out of moneys so issued and paid to them the amount of the income tax on the dividends payable to the Bank of Ireland, and on the dividends on the securities of the United Kingdom government entered in the register of the Bank of Ireland in Dublin; and

(c) the Bank of England shall pay to the Bank of Ireland the residue of moneys so issued and paid to them, to be applied by the Bank of Ireland to the payment of the dividends; and

(d) the retaining of the amount shall be deemed to be a payment of the income tax by the persons entitled to the dividends, and shall be allowed by them on the receipt of the residue thereof, and the Bank of England and the Bank of Ireland shall be acquitted and discharged of a sum equal to the amount retained as though that sum had been actually paid.