Value Added Tax Act 1994 (c. 23)

(The document as of February, 2008)

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(e) as to the time when a supply is to be treated as taking place.

(3) In this section"tour operator" includes a travel agent acting as principal and any other person providing for the benefit of travellers services of any kind commonly provided by tour operators or travel agents.

(4) Section 97(3) shall not apply to an order under this section, notwithstanding that it makes provision for excluding any VAT from credit under section 25.

54 Farmers etc

(1) The Commissioners may, in accordance with such provision as may be contained in regulations made by them, certify for the purposes of this section any person who satisfies them--

(a) that he is carrying on a business involving one or more designated activities;

(b) that he is of such a description and has complied with such requirements as may be prescribed; and

(c) where an earlier certification of that person has been cancelled, that more than the prescribed period has elapsed since the cancellation or that such other conditions as may be prescribed are satisfied.

(2) Where a person is for the time being certified under this section, then (whether or not that person is a taxable person) so much of any supply by him of any goods or services as, in accordance with provision contained in regulations, is allocated to the relevant part of his business shall be disregarded for the purpose of determining whether he is, has become or has ceased to be liable or entitled to be registered under Schedule 1.

(3) The Commissioners may by regulations provide for an amount included in the consideration for any taxable supply which is made--

(a) in the course or furtherance of the relevant part of his business by a person who is for the time being certified under this section;

(b) at a time when that person is not a taxable person; and

to be treated, for the purpose of determining the entitlement of the person supplied to credit under sections 25 and 26, as VAT on a supply to that person.

(4) The amount which, for the purposes of any provision made under subsection (3) above, may be included in the consideration for any supply shall be an amount equal to such percentage as the Treasury may by order specify of the sum which, with the addition of that amount, is equal to the consideration for the supply.

(5) The Commissioners' power by regulations under section 39 to provide for the repayment to persons to whom that section applies of VAT which would be input tax of theirs if they were taxable persons in the United Kingdom includes power to provide for the payment to persons to whom that section applies of sums equal to the amounts which, if they were taxable persons in the United Kingdom, would be input tax of theirs by virtue of regulations under this section; and references in that section, or in any other enactment, to a repayment of VAT shall be construed accordingly.

(6) Regulations under this section may provide--

(a) for the form and manner in which an application for certification under this section, or for the cancellation of any such certification, is to be made;

(b) for the cases and manner in which the Commissioners may cancel a person's certification;

(c) for entitlement to a credit such as is mentioned in subsection (3) above to depend on the issue of an invoice containing such particulars as may be prescribed, or as may be notified by the Commissioners in accordance with provision contained in regulations; and

(d) for the imposition on certified persons of obligations with respect to the keeping, preservation and production of such records as may be prescribed and of obligations to comply with such requirements with respect to any of those matters as may be so notified;

and regulations made by virtue of paragraph (b) above may confer on the Commissioners power, if they think fit, to refuse to cancel a person's certification, and to refuse to give effect to any entitlement of that person to be registered, until the end of such period after the grant of certification as may be prescribed.

(7) In this section references, in relation to any person, to the relevant part of his business are references--

(a) where the whole of his business relates to the carrying on of one or more designated activities, to that business; and

(b) in any other case, to so much of his business as does so relate.

(8) In this section"designated activities" means such activities, being activities carried on by a person who, by virtue of carrying them on, falls to be treated as a farmer for the purposes of Article 25 of the directive of the Council of the European Communities dated 17th May 1977 No.77/388/EEC (common flat-rate scheme for farmers), as the Treasury may by order designate.

55 Customers to account for tax on supplies of gold etc

(1) Where any person makes a supply of gold to another person and that supply is a taxable supply but not a zero rated supply, the supply shall be treated for purposes of Schedule 1--

(a) as a taxable supply of that other person (as well as a taxable supply of the person who makes it); and

(b) in so far as that other person is supplied in connection with the carrying on by him of any business, as a supply made by him in the course or furtherance of that business;

but nothing in paragraph (b) above shall require any supply to be disregarded for the purposes of that Schedule on the grounds that it is a supply of capital assets of that other person's business.

(2) Where a taxable person makes a supply of gold to a person who--

(a) is himself a taxable person at the time when the supply is made; and

(b) is supplied in connection with the carrying on by him of any business,

it shall be for the person supplied, on the supplier's behalf, to account for and pay tax on the supply, and not for the supplier.

(3) So much of this Act and of any other enactment or any subordinate legislation as has effect for the purposes of, or in connection with, the enforcement of any obligation to account for and pay VAT shall apply for the purposes of this section in relation to any person who is required under subsection (2) above to account for and pay any VAT as if that VAT were VAT on a supply made by him.

(4) Section 6(4) to (10) shall not apply for determining when any supply of gold is to be treated as taking place.

(5) References in this section to a supply of gold are references to--

(a) any supply of goods consisting in gold, including gold coins, or

(b) any supply of goods containing gold where the consideration for the supply (apart from any VAT) is, or is equivalent to, an amount which does not exceed, or exceeds by no more than a negligible amount, the open market value of the gold contained in the goods.

(6) The Treasury may by order provide for this section to apply, as it applies to the supplies specified in subsection (5) above, to such other supplies of--

(a) goods consisting in or containing any precious or semi-precious metal or stones; or

(b) services relating to, or to anything containing, any precious or semi-precious metal or stones,

as may be specified or described in the order.

56 Fuel for private use

(1) The provisions of this section apply where, in any prescribed accounting period, fuel which is or has previously been supplied to or imported or manufactured by a taxable person in the course of his business--

(a) is provided or to be provided by the taxable person to an individual for private use in his own vehicle or a vehicle allocated to him and is so provided by reason of that individual's employment; or

(b) where the taxable person is an individual, is appropriated or to be appropriated by him for private use in his own vehicle; or

(c) where the taxable person is a partnership, is provided or to be provided to any of the individual partners for private use in his own vehicle.

(2) For the purposes of this section fuel shall not be regarded as provided to any person for his private use if it is supplied at a price which--

(a) in the case of fuel supplied to or imported by the taxable person, is not less than the price at which it was so supplied or imported; and

(b) in the case of fuel manufactured by the taxable person, is not less than the aggregate of the cost of the raw material and of manufacturing together with any excise duty thereon.

(3) For the purposes of this section and section 57--

(a) "fuel for private use" means fuel which, having been supplied to or imported or manufactured by a taxable person in the course of his business, is or is to be provided or appropriated for private use as mentioned in subsection (1) above;

(b) any reference to fuel supplied to a taxable person shall include a reference to fuel acquired by a taxable person from another member State and any reference to fuel imported by a taxable person shall be confined to a reference to fuel imported by that person from a place outside the member States;

(c) any reference to an individual's own vehicle shall be construed as including any vehicle of which for the time being he has the use, other than a vehicle allocated to him;

(d) subject to subsection (9) below, a vehicle shall at any time be taken to be allocated to an individual if at that time it is made available (without any transfer of the property in it) either to the individual himself or to any other person, and is so made available by reason of the individual's employment and for private use; and

(e) fuel provided by an employer to an employee and fuel provided to any person for private use in a vehicle which, by virtue of paragraph (d) above, is for the time being taken to be allocated to the employee shall be taken to be provided to the employee by reason of his employment.

(4) Where under section 43 any bodies corporate are treated as members of a group, any provision of fuel by a member of the group to an individual shall be treated for the purposes of this section as provision by the representative member.

(5) In relation to the taxable person, tax on the supply, acquisition or importation of fuel for private use shall be treated for the purposes of this Act as input tax, notwithstanding that the fuel is not used or to be used for the purposes of a business carried on by the taxable person (and, accordingly, no apportionment of VAT shall fall to be made under section 24(5) by reference to fuel for private use).

(6) At the time at which fuel for private use is put into the fuel tank of an individual's own vehicle or of a vehicle allocated to him, the fuel shall be treated for the purposes of this Act as supplied to him by the taxable person in the course or furtherance of his business for a consideration determined in accordance with subsection (7) below (and, accordingly, where the fuel is appropriated by the taxable person to his own private use, he shall be treated as supplying it to himself in his private capacity).

(7) In any prescribed accounting period of the taxable person in which, by virtue of subsection (6) above, he is treated as supplying fuel for private use to an individual, the consideration for all the supplies made to that individual in that period in respect of any one vehicle shall be that which, by virtue of section 57, is appropriate to a vehicle of that description, and that consideration shall be taken to be inclusive of VAT.

(8) In any case where--

(a) in any prescribed accounting period, fuel for private use is, by virtue of subsection (6) above, treated as supplied to an individual in respect of one vehicle for a part of the period and in respect of another vehicle for another part of the period; and

(b) at the end of that period one of those vehicles neither belongs to him nor is allocated to him,

subsection (7) above shall have effect as if the supplies made to the individual during those parts of the period were in respect of only one vehicle.

(9) In any prescribed accounting period a vehicle shall not be regarded as allocated to an individual by reason of his employment if--

(a) in that period it was made available to, and actually used by, more than one of the employees of one or more employers and, in the case of each of them, it was made available to him by reason of his employment but was not in that period ordinarily used by any one of them to the exclusion of the others; and

(b) in the case of each of the employees, any private use of the vehicle made by him in that period was merely incidental to his other use of it in that period; and

(c) it was in that period not normally kept overnight on or in the vicinity of any residential premises where any of the employees was residing, except while being kept overnight on premises occupied by the person making the vehicle available to them.

(10) In this section and section 57--

"employment" includes any office; and related expressions shall be construed accordingly;
"vehicle" means a mechanically propelled road vehicle other than--

(a) a motor cycle as defined in section 185(1) of the [1988 c. 54.] Road Traffic Act 1988 or, for Northern Ireland, in Article 37(1)(f) of the [S.I.1981/154 (N.I.1).] Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, or

(b) an invalid carriage as defined in that section or, for Northern Ireland, in Article 37(1)(g) of that Order.

57 Determination of consideration for fuel supplied for private use

(1) This section has effect to determine the consideration referred to in section 56(7) in respect of any one vehicle; and in this section--

"the prescribed accounting period" means that in respect of supplies in which the consideration is to be determined; and
"the individual" means the individual to whom those supplies are treated as made.

(2) Where the prescribed accounting period is a period of 3 months, the consideration appropriate to any vehicle is that specified in relation to a vehicle of the appropriate description in the second column of Table A below.

(3) Where the prescribed accounting period is a period of one month, the consideration appropriate to any vehicle is that specified in relation to a vehicle of the appropriate description in the third column of Table A below.

TABLE A

Description of vehicle (Type of engine and cylinder capacity in cubic centimetres)	3 month period	1 month period
	£	£
Diesel engine
2000 or less	145	48
More than 2000	187	62
Any other type of engine
1400 or less	160	53
More than 1400 but not more than 2000	202	67
More than 2000	300	100

(4) The Treasury may by order taking effect from the beginning of any prescribed accounting period beginning after the order is made substitute a different Table for Table A for the time being set out above.

(5) Where, by virtue of section 56(8), subsection (7) of that section has effect as if, in the prescribed accounting period, supplies of fuel for private use made in respect of 2 or more vehicles were made in respect of only one vehicle, the consideration appropriate shall be determined as follows--

(a) if each of the 2 or more vehicles falls within the same description of vehicle specified in Table A above, that Table shall apply as if only one of the vehicles were to be considered throughout the whole period, and

(b) if one of those vehicles falls within a description of vehicle specified in that Table which is different from the other or others, the consideration shall be the aggregate of the relevant fractions of the consideration appropriate for each description of vehicle under that Table.

(6) For the purposes of subsection (5)(b) above, the relevant fraction in relation to any vehicle is that which the part of the prescribed accounting period in which fuel for private use was supplied in respect of that vehicle bears to the whole of that period.

(7) In the case of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine with one or more reciprocating pistons, its cubic capacity for the purposes of Table A above is the capacity of its engine as calculated for the purposes of the [1994 c. 22.] Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994.

(8) In the case of a vehicle not falling within subsection (7) above, its cubic capacity shall be such as may be determined for the purposes of Table A above by order by the Treasury.

Part IV Administration, collection and enforcement

General administrative provisions

58 General provisions relating to the administration and collection of VAT

Schedule 11 shall have effect, subject to section 92(6), with respect to the administration, collection and enforcement of VAT.

Default surcharges and other penalties and criminal offences

59 The default surcharge

(1) If, by the last day on which a taxable person is required in accordance with regulations under this Act to furnish a return for a prescribed accounting period--

(a) the Commissioners have not received that return, or

(b) the Commissioners have received that return but have not received the amount of VAT shown on the return as payable by him in respect of that period,

then that person shall be regarded for the purposes of this section as being in default in respect of that period.

(2) Subject to subsections (9) and (10) below, subsection (4) below applies in any case where--

(a) a taxable person is in default in respect of a prescribed accounting period; and

(b) the Commissioners serve notice on the taxable person (a "surcharge liability notice") specifying as a surcharge period for the purposes of this section a period ending on the first anniversary of the last day of the period referred to in paragraph (a) above and beginning, subject to subsection (3) below, on the date of the notice.

(3) If a surcharge liability notice is served by reason of a default in respect of a prescribed accounting period and that period ends at or before the expiry of an existing surcharge period already notified to the taxable person concerned, the surcharge period specified in that notice shall be expressed as a continuation of the existing surcharge period and, accordingly, for the purposes of this section, that existing period and its extension shall be regarded as a single surcharge period.

(4) Subject to subsections (7) to (10) below, if a taxable person on whom a surcharge liability notice has been served--

(a) is in default in respect of a prescribed accounting period ending within the surcharge period specified in (or extended by) that notice, and

(b) has outstanding VAT for that prescribed accounting period,

he shall be liable to a surcharge equal to whichever is the greater of the following, namely, the specified percentage of his outstanding VAT for that prescribed accounting period and £30.

(5) Subject to subsections (7) to (10) below, the specified percentage referred to in subsection (4) above shall be determined in relation to a prescribed accounting period by reference to the number of such periods in respect of which the taxable person is in default during the surcharge period and for which he has outstanding VAT, so that--

(a) in relation to the first such prescribed accounting period, the specified percentage is 2 per cent;

(b) in relation to the second such period, the specified percentage is 5 per cent;

(d) in relation to each such period after the third, the specified percentage is 15 per cent.

(6) For the purposes of subsections (4) and (5) above a person has outstanding VAT for a prescribed accounting period if some or all of the VAT for which he is liable in respect of that period has not been paid by the last day on which he is required (as mentioned in subsection (1) above) to make a return for that period; and the reference in subsection (4) above to a person's outstanding VAT for a prescribed accounting period is to so much of the VAT for which he is so liable as has not been paid by that day.

(7) If a person who, apart from this subsection, would be liable to a surcharge under subsection (4) above satisfies the Commissioners or, on appeal, a tribunal that, in the case of a default which is material to the surcharge--

(a) the return or, as the case may be, the VAT shown on the return was despatched at such a time and in such a manner that it was reasonable to expect that it would be received by the Commissioners within the appropriate time limit, or

(b) there is a reasonable excuse for the return or VAT not having been so despatched,

he shall not be liable to the surcharge and for the purposes of the preceding provisions of this section he shall be treated as not having been in default in respect of the prescribed accounting period in question (and, accordingly, any surcharge liability notice the service of which depended upon that default shall be deemed not to have been served).

(8) For the purposes of subsection (7) above, a default is material to a surcharge if--

(a) it is the default which, by virtue of subsection (4) above, gives rise to the surcharge; or

(b) it is a default which was taken into account in the service of the surcharge liability notice upon which the surcharge depends and the person concerned has not previously been liable to a surcharge in respect of a prescribed accounting period ending within the surcharge period specified in or extended by that notice.

(9) In any case where--

(a) the conduct by virtue of which a person is in default in respect of a prescribed accounting period is also conduct falling within section 69(1), and

(b) by reason of that conduct, the person concerned is assessed to a penalty under that section,

the default shall be left out of account for the purposes of subsections (2) to (5) above.

(10) If the Commissioners, after consultation with the Treasury, so direct, a default in respect of a prescribed accounting period specified in the direction shall be left out of account for the purposes of subsections (2) to (5) above.

60 VAT evasion: conduct involving dishonesty

(1) In any case where--

(a) for the purpose of evading VAT, a person does any act or omits to take any action, and

(b) his conduct involves dishonesty (whether or not it is such as to give rise to criminal liability),

he shall be liable, subject to subsection (6) below, to a penalty equal to the amount of VAT evaded or, as the case may be, sought to be evaded, by his conduct.

(2) The reference in subsection (1)(a) above to evading VAT includes a reference to obtaining any of the following sums--

(a) a refund under any regulations made by virtue of section 13(5);

(b) a VAT credit;

(d) a repayment under section 39,

in circumstances where the person concerned is not entitled to that sum.

(3) The reference in subsection (1) above to the amount of the VAT evaded or sought to be evaded by a person's conduct shall be construed--

(a) in relation to VAT itself or a VAT credit as a reference to the aggregate of the amount (if any) falsely claimed by way of credit for input tax and the amount (if any) by which output tax was falsely understated; and

(b) in relation to the sums referred to in subsection (2)(a), (c) and (e) above, as a reference to the amount falsely claimed by way of refund or repayment.

(4) Statements made or documents produced by or on behalf of a person shall not be inadmissible in any such proceedings as are mentioned in subsection (5) below by reason only that it has been drawn to his attention--

(a) that, in relation to VAT, the Commissioners may assess an amount due by way of a civil penalty instead of instituting criminal proceedings and, though no undertaking can be given as to whether the Commissioners will make such an assessment in the case of any person, it is their practice to be influenced by the fact that a person has made a full confession of any dishonest conduct to which he has been a party and has given full facilities for investigation, and

(b) that the Commissioners or, on appeal, a tribunal have power under section 70 to reduce a penalty under this section,

and that he was or may have been induced thereby to make the statements or produce the documents.

(5) The proceedings mentioned in subsection (4) above are--

(a) any criminal proceedings against the person concerned in respect of any offence in connection with or in relation to VAT, and

(b) any proceedings against him for the recovery of any sum due from him in connection with or in relation to VAT.

(6) Where, by reason of conduct falling within subsection (1) above, a person is convicted of an offence (whether under this Act or otherwise), that conduct shall not also give rise to liability to a penalty under this section.

(7) On an appeal against an assessment to a penalty under this section, the burden of proof as to the matters specified in subsection (1)(a) and (b) above shall lie upon the Commissioners.

61 VAT evasion: liability of directors etc

(1) Where it appears to the Commissioners--

(a) that a body corporate is liable to a penalty under section 60, and

(b) that the conduct giving rise to that penalty is, in whole or in part, attributable to the dishonesty of a person who is, or at the material time was, a director or managing officer of the body corporate (a "named officer"),

the Commissioners may serve a notice under this section on the body corporate and on the named officer.

(2) A notice under this section shall state--

(a) the amount of the penalty referred to in subsection (1)(a) above ("the basic penalty"), and

(b) that the Commissioners propose, in accordance with this section, to recover from the named officer such portion (which may be the whole) of the basic penalty as is specified in the notice.

(3) Where a notice is served under this section, the portion of the basic penalty specified in the notice shall be recoverable from the named officer as if he were personally liable under section 60 to a penalty which corresponds to that portion; and the amount of that penalty may be assessed and notified to him accordingly under section 76.

(4) Where a notice is served under this section--

(a) the amount which, under section 76, may be assessed as the amount due by way of penalty from the body corporate shall be only so much (if any) of the basic penalty as is not assessed on and notified to a named officer by virtue of subsection (3) above; and

(b) the body corporate shall be treated as discharged from liability for so much of the basic penalty as is so assessed and notified.

(5) No appeal shall lie against a notice under this section as such but--

(a) where a body corporate is assessed as mentioned in subsection (4)(a) above, the body corporate may appeal against the Commissioners' decision as to its liability to a penalty and against the amount of the basic penalty as if it were specified in the assessment; and

(b) where an assessment is made on a named officer by virtue of subsection (3) above, the named officer may appeal against the Commissioners' decision that the conduct of the body corporate referred to in subsection (1)(b) above is, in whole or part, attributable to his dishonesty and against their decision as to the portion of the penalty which the Commissioners propose to recover from him.

(6) In this section a"managing officer", in relation to a body corporate, means any manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate or any person purporting to act in any such capacity or as a director; and where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, this section shall apply in relation to the conduct of a member in connection with his functions of management as if he were a director of the body corporate.

62 Incorrect certificates as to zero-rating etc

(1) Subject to subsections (3) and (4) below, where--

(a) a person to whom one or more supplies are, or are to be, made--

(i) gives to the supplier a certificate that the supply or supplies fall, or will fall, wholly or partly within Group 5 or 6 of Schedule 8 or Group 1 of Schedule 9; or

(ii) gave to the supplier a certificate that the supplies fell within Group 7 of Schedule 5 to the 1983 Act for the purposes of paragraph 13(4)(f) of Schedule 3 to the [1989 c. 26.] Finance Act 1989; and

(b) the certificate is incorrect,

the person giving or who gave the certificate shall be liable to a penalty.

(2) The amount of the penalty shall be equal to the difference between the amount of the VAT which would have been chargeable on the supply or supplies if the certificate had been correct and the amount of VAT actually so chargeable.

(3) The giving of a certificate shall not give rise to a penalty under this section if the person who gave it satisfies the Commissioners or, on appeal, a tribunal that there is a reasonable excuse for his having given it.

(4) Where by reason of giving a certificate a person is convicted of an offence (whether under this Act or otherwise), the giving of the certificate shall not also give rise to a penalty under this section.

63 Penalty for misdeclaration or neglect resulting in VAT loss for one accounting period equalling or exceeding certain amounts

(1) In any case where, for a prescribed accounting period--

(a) a return is made which understates a person's liability to VAT or overstates his entitlement to a VAT credit, or

(b) an assessment is made which understates a person's liability to VAT and, at the end of the period of 30 days beginning on the date of the assessment, he has not taken all such steps as are reasonable to draw the understatement to the attention of the Commissioners,

and the circumstances are as set out in subsection (2) below, the person concerned shall be liable, subject to subsections (10) and (11) below, to a penalty equal to 15 per cent. of the VAT which would have been lost if the inaccuracy had not been discovered.

(2) The circumstances referred to in subsection (1) above are that the VAT for the period concerned which would have been lost if the inaccuracy had not been discovered equals or exceeds whichever is the lesser of £1,000,000 and 30 per cent. of the relevant amount for that period.

(3) Any reference in this section to the VAT for a prescribed accounting period which would have been lost if an inaccuracy had not been discovered is a reference to the amount of the understatement of liability or, as the case may be, overstatement of entitlement referred to, in relation to that period, in subsection (1) above.

(4) In this section"the relevant amount", in relation to a prescribed accounting period, means--

(a) for the purposes of a case falling within subsection (1)(a) above, the gross amount of VAT for that period; and

(b) for the purposes of a case falling within subsection (1)(b) above, the true amount of VAT for that period.

(5) In this section"the gross amount of tax", in relation to a prescribed accounting period, means the aggregate of the following amounts, that is to say--

(a) the amount of credit for input tax which (subject to subsection (8) below) should have been stated on the return for that period, and

(b) the amount of output tax which (subject to that subsection) should have been so stated.

(6) In relation to any return which, in accordance with prescribed requirements, includes a single amount as the aggregate for the prescribed accounting period to which the return relates of--

(a) the amount representing credit for input tax, and

(b) any other amounts representing refunds or repayments of VAT to which there is an entitlement,

references in this section to the amount of credit for input tax shall have effect (so far as they would not so have effect by virtue of subsection (9) below) as references to the amount of that aggregate.

(7) In this section"the true amount of VAT", in relation to a prescribed accounting period, means the amount of VAT which was due from the person concerned for that period or, as the case may be, the amount of the VAT credit (if any) to which he was entitled for that period.

(8) Where--

(a) a return for any prescribed accounting period overstates or understates to any extent a person's liability to VAT or his entitlement to a VAT credit, and

(b) that return is corrected, in such circumstances and in accordance with such conditions as may be prescribed, by a return for a later such period which understates or overstates, to the corresponding extent, that liability or entitlement,

it shall be assumed for the purposes of this section that the statements made by each of those returns (so far as they are not inaccurate in any other respect) are correct statements for the accounting period to which it relates.

(9) This section shall have effect in relation to a body which is registered and to which section 33 applies as if--

(a) any reference to a VAT credit included a reference to a refund under that section, and

(b) any reference to credit for input tax included a reference to VAT chargeable on supplies, acquisitions or importations which were not for the purposes of any business carried on by the body.

(10) Conduct falling within subsection (1) above shall not give rise to liability to a penalty under this section if--

(a) the person concerned satisfies the Commissioners or, on appeal, a tribunal that there is a reasonable excuse for the conduct, or

(b) at a time when he had no reason to believe that enquiries were being made by the Commissioners into his affairs, so far as they relate to VAT, the person concerned furnished to the Commissioners full information with respect to the inaccuracy concerned.

(11) Where, by reason of conduct falling within subsection (1) above--

(a) a person is convicted of an offence (whether under this Act or otherwise), or

(b) a person is assessed to a penalty under section 60,

that conduct shall not also give rise to liability to a penalty under this section.

64 Repeated misdeclarations

(1) In any case where--

(a) for a prescribed accounting period (including one beginning before the commencement of this section), a return has been made which understates a person's liability to VAT or overstates his entitlement to a VAT credit; and

(b) the VAT for that period which would have been lost if the inaccuracy had not been discovered equals or exceeds whichever is the lesser of £500,000 and 10 per cent. of the gross amount of tax for that period,

the inaccuracy shall be regarded, subject to subsections (5) and (6) below, as material for the purposes of this section.

(2) Subsection (3) below applies in any case where--

(a) there is a material inaccuracy in respect of any prescribed accounting period;

(b) the Commissioners serve notice on the person concerned (a "penalty liability notice") specifying a penalty period for the purposes of this section;

(c) that notice is served before the end of 5 consecutive prescribed accounting periods beginning with the period in respect of which there was the material inaccuracy; and

(d) the period specified in the penalty liability notice as the penalty period is the period of 8 consecutive prescribed accounting periods beginning with that in which the date of the notice falls.

(3) If, where a penalty liability notice has been served on any person, there is a material inaccuracy in respect of any of the prescribed accounting periods falling within the penalty period specified in the notice, that person shall be liable, except in relation to the first of those periods in respect of which there is a material inaccuracy, to a penalty equal to 15 per cent. of the VAT for the prescribed accounting period in question which would have been lost if the inaccuracy had not been discovered.

(4) Subsections (3), (5), (8) and (9) of section 63 shall apply for the purposes of this section as they apply for the purposes of that section.

(5) An inaccuracy shall not be regarded as material for the purposes of this section if--

(a) the person concerned satisfies the Commissioners or, on appeal, a tribunal that there is a reasonable excuse for the inaccuracy; or

(6) Where by reason of conduct falling within subsection (1) above--

(a) a person is convicted of an offence (whether under this Act or otherwise); or

(b) a person is assessed to a penalty under section 60 or 63,

the inaccuracy concerned shall not be regarded as material for the purposes of this section except, in the case of an inaccuracy by reason of which a person is assessed to a penalty under section 63, for the purposes of subsection (2)(a) above.

(7) In any case where subsection (5) or (6) above applies, any penalty liability notice the service of which depended upon the inaccuracy concerned shall be deemed not to have been served.

65 Inaccuracies in EC sales statements

(1) Where--

(a) an EC sales statement containing a material inaccuracy has been submitted by any person to the Commissioners;

(b) the Commissioners have, within 6 months of discovering the inaccuracy, issued that person with a written warning identifying that statement and stating that future inaccuracies might result in the service of a notice for the purposes of this section;

(c) another EC sales statement containing a material inaccuracy ("the second inaccurate statement") has been submitted by that person to the Commissioners;

(d) the submission date for the second inaccurate statement fell within the period of 2 years beginning with the day after the warning was issued;

(e) the Commissioners have, within 6 months of discovering the inaccuracy in the second inaccurate statement, served that person with a notice identifying that statement and stating that future inaccuracies will attract a penalty under this section;

(f) yet another EC sales statement containing a material inaccuracy is submitted by that person to the Commissioners; and

(g) the submission date for the statement falling within paragraph (f) above is not more than 2 years after the service of the notice or the date on which any previous statement attracting a penalty was submitted by that person to the Commissioners,

that person shall be liable to a penalty of £100 in respect of the statement so falling.

(2) Subject to subsections (3) and (4) below, an EC sales statement shall be regarded for the purposes of this section as containing a material inaccuracy if, having regard to the matters required to be included in the statement, the inclusion or omission of any information from the statement is misleading in any material respect.

(3) An inaccuracy contained in an EC sales statement shall not be regarded as material for the purposes of this section if--

(a) the person who submitted the statement satisfies the Commissioners or, on appeal, a tribunal that there is a reasonable excuse for the inaccuracy; or

(b) at a time when he had no reason to believe that enquiries were being made by the Commissioners into his affairs, that person furnished the Commissioners with full information with respect to the inaccuracy.

(4) Where, by reason of the submission of a statement containing a material inaccuracy by any person, that person is convicted of an offence (whether under this Act or otherwise), the inaccuracy to which the conviction relates shall be regarded for the purposes of this section as not being material.

(5) Where the only statement identified in a warning or notice served for the purposes of subsection (1)(b) or (e) above is one which (whether by virtue of either or both of subsections (3) and (4) above or otherwise) is regarded as containing no material inaccuracies, that warning or notice shall be deemed not to have been issued or served for those purposes.

(6) In this section--

"EC sales statement" means any statement which is required to be submitted to the Commissioners in accordance with regulations under paragraph 2(3) of Schedule 11; and
"submission date", in relation to such a statement, means whichever is the earlier of the last day for the submission of the statement to the Commissioners in accordance with those regulations and the day on which it was in fact submitted to the Commissioners.

66 Failure to submit EC sales statement

(1) If, by the last day on which a person is required in accordance with regulations under this Act to submit an EC sales statement for any prescribed period to the Commissioners, the Commissioners have not received that statement, that person shall be regarded for the purposes of this section as being in default in relation to that statement until it is submitted.

(2) Where any person is in default in respect of any EC sales statement the Commissioners may serve notice on him stating--

(a) that he is in default in relation to the statement specified in the notice;

(b) that (subject to the liability mentioned in paragraph (d) below) no action will be taken if he remedies the default before the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the day after the service of the notice;

(c) that if the default is not so remedied, that person will become liable in respect of his default to penalties calculated on a daily basis from the end of that period in accordance with the following provisions of this section; and

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