Duties to keep records
Section 74 – Duty to keep and preserve records
110.This section sets out the duty of a person who is required to deliver a return in relation to devolved taxes to keep and preserve records that are needed to complete that return. In addition, a person who is liable to be registered for a devolved tax must: a) keep and preserve any records that may be needed to enable the person to notify Revenue Scotland about their intention to carry out, or to cease to carry out, taxable activities; b) make and preserve records relating to material at a landfill site. It lists the types of records that generally need to be kept and sets out the maximum time period for which records need to be kept whilst permitting Revenue Scotland to specify an earlier date.
111.It allows the Scottish Ministers to make regulations to specify the records and supporting documents that must be kept and preserved. The regulations are subject to negative procedure and may make reference to things specified in a notice published and not withdrawn by Revenue Scotland. Examples are given of documents that may be deemed as “supporting documents”.
Section 75 – Preservation of information etc.
112.This section provides that the duty in section 74 to preserve records under that section may be satisfied by preserving records (or the information contained in them) in an alternative form (such as microfiche or an electronic facsimile) and by any means. This is subject to any conditions or exceptions that may be prescribed by the Scottish Ministers in regulations. Such regulations are subject to the negative procedure.
