Finance (No. 2) Act 1992

44 After section 46 there shall be inserted the following sections—

“46A Taxation under the laws of other member States etc

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, references in this Act, in relation to another member State, to the law of that member State shall be construed as confined to so much of the law of that member State as for the time being has effect for the purposes of any Community instrument relating to value added tax.

(2) Subject to the following provisions of this section—

(a) references in this Act to a person being taxable in another member State are references to that person being taxable under so much of the law of that member State as makes provision for purposes corresponding, in relation to that member State, to the purposes of so much of this Act as makes provision as to whether a person is a taxable person; and

(b) references in this Act to goods being acquired by a person in another member State are references to goods being treated as so acquired in accordance with provisions of the law of that member State corresponding, in relation to that member State, to so much of this Act as makes provision for treating goods as acquired in the United Kingdom from another member State.

(3) Without prejudice to subsection (5) below, the Commissioners may by regulations make provision for the manner in which any of the following are to be or may be proved for any of the purposes of this Act, that is to say—

(a) the effect of any provisions of the law of any other member State;

(b) that provisions of any such law correspond or have a purpose corresponding, in relation to any member State, to or to the purpose of any provision of this Act.

(4) The Commissioners may by regulations provide—

(a) for a person to be treated for prescribed purposes of this Act as taxable in another member State only where he has given such notification, and furnished such other information, to the Commissioners as may be prescribed;

(b) for the form and manner in which any notification or information is to be given or furnished under the regulations and the particulars which it is to contain;

(c) for the proportion of any consideration for any transaction which is to be taken for the purposes of this Act as representing a liability, under the law of another member State, for value added tax to be conclusively determined by reference to such invoices or in such other manner as may be prescribed.

(5) In any proceedings (whether civil or criminal), a certificate of the Commissioners—

(a) that a person was or was not, at any date, taxable in another member State; or

(b) that any value added tax payable under the law of another member State has or has not been paid,

shall be sufficient evidence of that fact until the contrary is proved, and any document purporting to be a certificate under this subsection shall be deemed to be such a certificate until the contrary is proved.

(6) Without prejudice to the generality of any of the powers of the Commissioners under the information provisions of Schedule 7 to this Act, those powers shall, for the purpose of facilitating compliance with any Community obligations, be exercisable with respect to matters that are relevant to a charge to value added tax under the law of another member State, as they are exercisable with respect to matters that are relevant for any of the purposes of this Act.

(7) The reference in subsection (6) above to the information provisions of Schedule 7 to this Act is a reference to the provisions of that Schedule relating to—

(a) the keeping of accounts;

(b) the making of returns and the submission of other documents to the Commissioners;

(c) the production, use and contents of invoices;

(d) the keeping and preservation of records; and

(e) the furnishing of information and the production of documents.

46B Territories included in references to other member States etc

(1) The Commissioners may by regulations provide for the territory of the Community, or for the member States, to be treated for any of the purposes of this Act as including or excluding such territories as may be prescribed.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred by subsection (1) and section 24(1) above, the Commissioners may, for any of the purposes of this Act, by regulations provide for prescribed provisions of any customs and excise legislation to apply in relation to cases where any territory is treated under subsection (1) above as excluded from the territory of the Community, with such exceptions and adaptations as may be prescribed.

(3) In subsection (2) above the reference to customs and excise legislation is a reference to any enactment or subordinate or Community legislation (whenever passed, made or adopted) which has effect in relation to, or to any assigned matter connected with, the importation or exportation of goods.

(4) In subsection (3) above “assigned matter” has the same meaning as in the [1979 c. 2.] Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.”