Taxes Management Act 1970

[F1 12B Records to be kept for purposes of returns. U.K.

(1) Any person who may be required by a notice under section 8, 8A, 11 or 12AA of this Act (or under any of those sections as extended by section 12 of this Act) to make and deliver a return for a year of assessment or other period shall—

(a) keep all such records as may be requisite for the purpose of enabling him to make and deliver a correct and complete return for the year or period; and

[F2 (b) preserve those records until the end of the relevant day, that is to say, the day mentioned in subsection (2) below or, where a return is required by a notice given on or before that day, whichever of that day and the following is the latest, namely—

(i) where enquiries into the return or any amendment of the return are made by an officer of the Board, the day on which, by virtue of section 28A(5) or 28B(5) of this Act, those enquiries are treated as completed; and

(ii) where no enquiries into the return or any amendment of the return are so made, the day on which such an officer no longer has power to make such enquiries.]

(2) The day referred to in subsection (1) above is—

(a) in the case of a person carrying on a trade, profession or business alone or in partnership or a company, the fifth anniversary of the 31st January next following the year of assessment or (as the case may be) the sixth anniversary of the end of the period;

(b) in any other case, the first anniversary of the 31st January next following the year of assessment F3 ...

[F4 (2A) Any person who—

(a) is required, by such a notice as is mentioned in subsection (1) above given at any time after the end of the day mentioned in subsection (2) above, to make and deliver a return for a year of assessment or other period; and

(b) has in his possession at that time any records which may be requisite for the purpose of enabling him to make and deliver a correct and complete return for the year or period,

shall preserve those records until the end of the relevant day, that is to say, the day which, if the notice had been given on or before the day mentioned in subsection (2) above, would have been the relevant day for the purposes of subsection (1) above.]

(3) In the case of a person carrying on a trade, profession or business alone or in partnership—

(a) the records required to be kept and preserved under subsection (1) [F5 or (2A)] above shall include records of the following, namely—

(i) all amounts received and expended in the course of the trade, profession or business and the matters in respect of which the receipts and expenditure take place, and

(ii) in the case of a trade involving dealing in goods, all sales and purchases of goods made in the course of the trade; and

(b) the duty under that subsection shall include a duty to preserve until [F6 the end of the relevant day] all supporting documents relating to such items as are mentioned in paragraph (a)(i) or (ii) above.

(4) The duty under subsection (1) [F7 or (2A)] above to preserve records may be discharged by the preservation of the information contained in them; and where information is so preserved a copy of any document forming part of the records shall be admissible in evidence in any proceedings before the Commissioners to the same extent as the records themselves.

(5) [F8 Subject to subsection (5A) below,] any person who fails to comply with subsection (1) [F9 or (2A)] above in relation to a year of assessment or accounting period shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £3,000.

[F10 (5A) Subsection (5) above does not apply where the records which the person fails to keep or preserve are records which might have been requisite only for the purposes of claims, elections or notices which are not included in the return.]

(6) For the purposes of this section—

(a) a person engaged in the letting of property shall be treated as carrying on a trade; and

(b) “supporting documents” includes accounts, books, deeds, contracts, vouchers and receipts.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 12B and cross-heading inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 199(2)(3) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), Sch. 19 para. 3; S.I. 1998/3173, art. 2

F2 S. 12B(1)(b) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 103(7) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 105(1)

F3 Words in s. 12B(2) repealed (with effect in accordance with s. 103(7) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 105(2), Sch. 29 Pt. 8(14)

F4 S. 12B(2A) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 103(7) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 105(3)

F5 Words in s. 12B(3)(a) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 103(7) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 105(4)(a)

F6 Words in s. 12B(3)(b) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 103(7) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 105(4)(b)

F7 Words in s. 12B(4) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 103(7) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 105(5)

F8 Words in s. 12B(5) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 103(7) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 105(6)(a)

F9 Words in s. 12B(5) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 103(7) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 105(6)(b)

F10 S. 12B(5A) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 103(7) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 105(7)