Finance Act 1985

13 Tax evasion: conduct involving dishonesty

(1) In any case where,—

(a) for the purpose of evading tax, 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 subsections (4) and (7) below, to a penalty equal to the amount of tax evaded or, as the case may be, sought to be evaded, by his conduct.

(2) The reference in subsection (1)(a) above to evading tax includes a reference to obtaining any of the following sums,—

(a) a payment under section 14(5) of the principal Act,

(b) a refund under section 21 or section 22 of that Act, and

(c) a repayment under section 23 of that Act,

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

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

(a) in relation to tax itself or a payment under section 14(5) of the principal Act, 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 paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (2) above, as a reference to the amount falsely claimed by way of refund or repayment.

(4) If a person liable to a penalty under this section has cooperated with the Commissioners in the investigation of his true liability for tax or, as the case may be, of his true entitlement to any payment, refund or repayment, the Commissioners or, on appeal, a value added tax tribunal may reduce the penalty to an amount which is not less than half what it would have been apart from this subsection ; and in determining the extent of any reduction under this subsection, the Commissioners or tribunal shall have regard to the extent of the co-operation which the person concerned has given to the Commissioners in their investigation.

(5) 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 (6) below by reason only that it has been drawn to his attention—

(a) that, in relation to tax, 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 value added tax tribunal have power to reduce a penalty under this section, as provided in subsection (4) above, and, in determining the extent of such a reduction in the case of any person, the Commissioners or tribunal will have regard to the extent of the co-operation which he has given to the Commissioners in their investigation,

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

(6) The proceedings mentioned in subsection (5) above are—

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

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

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