Finance Act 1994

Administration and enforcement U.K.

40 Administration and enforcement. U.K.

(1) Air passenger duty shall be a duty of excise and, accordingly, shall be under the care and management of the Commissioners.

(2) Schedule 6 to this Act (administration and enforcement) shall have effect.

41 Offences. U.K.

(1) A person who is knowingly concerned—

(a) in the fraudulent evasion (by him or another person) of duty, or

(b) in taking steps with a view to such fraudulent evasion,

is guilty of an offence.

(2) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) above is liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a penalty of—

(i) [F1 £20,000,] or

(ii) if greater, treble the amount of the duty evaded or sought to be evaded,

or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both, or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a penalty of any amount or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding [F2 14] years, or to both.

(3) A person who in connection with duty—

(a) makes a statement that he knows to be false in a material particular or recklessly makes a statement that is false in a material particular, or

(b) with intent to deceive, produces or makes use of a book, account, return or other document that is false in a material particular,

is guilty of an offence.

(4) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (3) above is liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a penalty of [F3 £20,000] or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both, or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a penalty of any amount or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both.

Textual Amendments

F1 Sum in s. 41(2)(a)(i) substituted (12.3.2015) by The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Fines on Summary Conviction) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/664), reg. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 7(2)(a) (with reg. 5(1))

F2 Word in s. 41(2)(b) substituted (22.2.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), s. 32(1) (with s. 32(6))

F3 Sum in s. 41(4)(a) substituted (12.3.2015) by The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Fines on Summary Conviction) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/664), reg. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 7(2)(b) (with reg. 5(1))

[F4 41A Northern Ireland long haul rates of duty: disclosure of information U.K.

(1) An officer of Revenue and Customs may disclose to the Secretary of State, the Treasury or the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland any information for purposes connected with the setting of rates of duty under section 30A above, including (in particular) to enable the setting of rates under that section to be taken into account for the purposes of section 58 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (payments by Secretary of State into Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland).

(2) Information disclosed under subsection (1) above may not be further disclosed without the consent of the Commissioners (which may be general or specific).

(3) In section 19 of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 (wrongful disclosure) references to section 18(1) of that Act are to be read as including a reference to subsection (2) above.]

Textual Amendments

F4 S. 41A inserted (17.7.2012) by Finance Act 2012 (c. 14), Sch. 23 para. 13