Finance Act 1989

Distress and poinding etc. U.K.

152 Distress for non-payment of tax. U.K.

(1) Section 61 of the M1 Taxes Management Act 1970 (distress)shall be amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1), for the words “the collector shall” onwards thereshall be substituted the words “the collector may distrain upon the goods and chattels of the personcharged (in this section referred to as “the person indefault”).”

(3) In subsection (2), for the words from “a collector” to “Commissioners” there shall be substituted the words “a justice of thepeace, on being satisfied by information on oath that there is reasonableground for believing that a person is neglecting or refusing to pay a sumcharged, may issue a warrant in writing authorising a collector to”.

(4) In subsection (4), for the words “neglecting or refusing to pay”there shall be substituted the words “in default”.

(5) In subsection (5)—

(a) for the word “aforesaid” there shall be substituted the words “indefault”,

(b) the words “within the said five days” shall be omitted,

(c) for the words from “two or more inhabitants of the parish” to “sufficient persons” there shall be substituted the words “one or moreindependent persons appointed by the collector”, and

(d) the words from “The costs” to “the collector, and” shall beomitted.

(6) The following subsection shall be added after that subsection—

“(6) The Treasury may by regulations make provision with respect to—

(a) the fees chargeable on or in connection with the levying of distress, and

(b) the costs and charges recoverable where distress has been levied;

and any such regulations shall be made by statutory instrument whichshall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of the House ofCommons.”

(7) This section shall come into force on such day as the Treasury may byorder made by statutory instrument appoint.

Marginal Citations

M1 1970 c. 9.

153 Priority in cases of distraint by others. U.K.

(1) Section 62 of the M2 Taxes Management Act 1970 (priorityof claim for tax) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1)—

(a) for the words from the beginning to “shall be” there shall besubstituted the words “If at any time at which any goods or chattelsbelonging to any person (in this section referred to as “the personin default”) are”,

(b) for the word “unless” there shall be substituted the words “theperson in default is in arrears in respect of any such sums as are referredto in subsection (1A) below, the goods or chattels may not be so taken unlesson demand made by the collector”, and

(c) for the words “arrears of tax” onwards there shall be substituted thewords “such sums as have fallen due at or before the date of seizure.”

(3) The following subsection shall be inserted after that subsection—

“(1A) The sums referred to in subsection (1) above are—

(a) sums due from the person in default on account of deductions of income taxfrom emoluments paid during the period of twelve months next before the dateof seizure, being deductions which the person in default was liable to makeunder section 203 of the principal Act (pay as you earn) less the amount ofthe repayments of income tax which he was liable to make during that period;and

(b) sums due from the person in default in respect of deductions required tobe made by him for that period under section 559 of the principal Act(sub-contractors in the construction industry).”

(4) In subsection (2)—

(a) for the words from the beginning to “the collector shall” there shallbe substituted the words “If the sums referred to in subsection (1) aboveare not paid within ten days of the date of the demand referred to in thatsubsection, the collector may”,

(b) for the words “shall proceed” there shall be substituted the words “may proceed”, and

(c) for the words “the tax charged and claimed” there shall besubstituted the words “those sums”.

Marginal Citations

M2 1970 c. 9.

154 Recovery of tax from debtor in Scotland. U.K.

(1) Section 63 of the M3 Taxes Management Act 1970 (recoveryof tax in Scotland) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (3), for the words “which relates to” onwards thereshall be substituted the words “insofar as it relates to sums due in respect of—

(a) deductions of income tax which any person specified in the application wasliable to make under section 203 of the principal Act (pay as you earn); or

(b) deductions required to be made under section 559 of the principal Act(sub-contractors in the construction industry) by any person specified in theapplication.”

(3) The following subsection shall be added after that subsection—

“(4) In this section references to amounts of tax due and references to sumsdue in respect of deductions include references to amounts which are deemedto be—

(a) amounts of tax which the person is liable to pay by virtue of the Income Tax (Employments) Regulations 1973; or

(b) amounts which the person is liable to pay by virtue of the Income Tax(Sub-Contractors in the Construction Industry)Regulations 1975.”

Marginal Citations

M3 1970 c. 9.

155 Priority in cases of poinding etc. by others in Scotland. U.K.

(1) Section 64 of the Taxes Management Act 1970 (priority of claim for tax inScotland) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1)—

(a) for the words from the beginning to “shall be” there shall besubstituted the words “If at any time at which any moveable goods andeffects belonging to any person (in this section referred to as “theperson in default”) are”,

(b) for the word “unless” there shall be substituted the words “theperson in default is in arrears in respect of any such sums as are referredto in subsection (1A) below, the goods and effects may not be so taken unlesson demand made by the collector”, and

(c) for the words “the tax so in arrear” onwards there shall besubstituted the words “such sums as have fallen due at or before the dateof poinding or, as the case may be, other diligence or assignation.”

(3) The following subsection shall be inserted after that subsection—

“(1A) The sums referred to in subsection (1) above are—

(a) sums due from the person in default on account of deductions of income taxfrom emoluments paid during the period of twelve months next before the dateof poinding, being deductions which the person in default was liable to makeunder section 203 of the principal Act (pay as you earn) less the amount ofthe repayments of income tax which he was liable to make during that period;and

(b) sums due from the person in default in respect of deductions required tobe made by him for that period under section 559 of the principal Act(sub-contractors in the construction industry).”

(4) In subsection (2)—

(a) for the words from the beginning to “the tax claimed shall” thereshall be substituted the words “If the sums referred to in subsection (1)above are not paid within ten days of the date of the demand referred to inthat subsection, the sums shall”, and

(b) for the words “proceeding at his instance” there shall be substitutedthe word “proceedings”.