Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979

[F1 PART 6A U.K. Wholesaling of controlled liquor

Textual Amendments

F1 Pt. 6A inserted (26.3.2015 for specified purposes, 1.1.2016 for specified purposes, 1.4.2017 in so far as not already in force) by Finance Act 2015 (c. 11), s. 54(3) (with s. 54(8)-(12)); S.I. 2017/494, reg. 2

88A Definitions U.K.

(1) This section defines certain expressions used in this Part.

(2) A sale is of “controlled liquor” if—

(a) it is a sale of dutiable alcoholic liquor on which duty is charged under this Act at a rate greater than nil, and

(b) the excise duty point for the liquor falls at or before the time of the sale.

(3) Controlled liquor is sold “wholesale” if—

(a) the sale is of any quantity of the liquor,

(b) the seller is carrying on a trade or business and the sale is made in the course of that trade or business,

(c) the sale is to a buyer carrying on a trade or business, for sale or supply in the course of that trade or business, and

(d) the sale is not an incidental sale, a group sale or an excluded sale,

and a reference to buying controlled liquor wholesale is to be read accordingly.

(4) A sale is an “incidental sale” if—

(a) the seller makes authorised retail sales of alcoholic liquor of any description, and

(b) the sale is incidental to those sales.

(5) A sale is an “authorised retail sale” if it is made by retail under and in accordance with a licence or other authorisation under an enactment regulating the sale and supply of alcohol.

(6) A sale is a “group sale” if the seller and the buyer are both bodies corporate which are members of the same group (see section 88J).

(7) A sale is an “excluded sale” if it is of a description prescribed by or under regulations made by the Commissioners.

(8) “Controlled activity” means—

(a) selling controlled liquor wholesale,

(b) offering or exposing controlled liquor for sale in circumstances in which the sale (if made) would be a wholesale sale, or

(c) arranging in the course of a trade or business for controlled liquor to be sold wholesale, or offered or exposed for sale in circumstances in which the sale (if made) would be a wholesale sale.

(9) “UK person” means a person who is UK-established for the purposes of value added tax (see paragraph 1(10) of Schedule 1 to the Value Added Tax Act 1994).

(10) “Enactment” includes an enactment contained in—

(a) an Act of the Scottish Parliament;

(b) an Act or Measure of the National Assembly for Wales;

(c) Northern Ireland legislation.

88B Further provision relating to definitions U.K.

(1) The Commissioners may by regulations make provision as to the cases in which sales are, or are not, to be treated for the purposes of this Part as—

(a) wholesale sales,

(b) sales of controlled liquor,

(c) incidental sales,

(d) authorised retail sales, or

(e) group sales.

(2) The Commissioners may by regulations make provision as to the cases in which a person is, or is not, to be treated for the purposes of this Part as carrying on a controlled activity by virtue of section 88A(8)(b) or (c) (offering and exposing for sale and arranging for sale etc).

88C Approval to carry on controlled activity U.K.

(1) A UK person may not carry on a controlled activity otherwise than in accordance with an approval given by the Commissioners under this section.

(2) The Commissioners may approve a person under this section to carry on a controlled activity only if they are satisfied that the person is a fit and proper person to carry on the activity.

(3) The Commissioners may approve a person under this section to carry on a controlled activity for such periods and subject to such conditions or restrictions as they may think fit or as they may by or under regulations made by them prescribe.

(4) The conditions or restrictions may include conditions or restrictions requiring the controlled activity to be carried on only at or from premises specified or approved by the Commissioners.

(5) The Commissioners may at any time for reasonable cause revoke or vary the terms of an approval under this section.

(6) In this Part “approved person” means a person approved under this section to carry on a controlled activity.

88D The register of approved persons U.K.

(1) The Commissioners must maintain a register of approved persons.

(2) The register is to contain such information relating to approved persons as the Commissioners consider appropriate.

(3) The Commissioners may make publicly available such information contained in the register as they consider necessary to enable those who deal with a person who carries on a controlled activity to determine whether the person in question is an approved person in relation to that activity.

(4) The information may be made available by such means (including on the internet) as the Commissioners consider appropriate.

88E Regulations relating to approval, registration and controlled activities U.K.

(1) The Commissioners may by regulations make provision—

(a) regulating the approval and registration of persons under this Part,

(b) regulating the variation or revocation of any such approval or registration or of any condition or restriction to which such an approval or registration is subject,

(c) about the register maintained under section 88D,

(d) regulating the carrying on of controlled activities, and

(e) imposing obligations on approved persons.

(2) The regulations may, in particular, make provision—

(a) requiring applications, and other communications with the Commissioners, to be made electronically,

(b) as to the procedure for the approval and registration of bodies corporate which are members of the same group and for members of such a group to be jointly and severally liable for any penalties imposed under—

(i) the regulations, or

(ii) Schedule 2B,

(c) requiring approved persons to keep and make available for inspection such records relating to controlled activities as may be prescribed by or under the regulations,

(d) imposing a penalty of an amount prescribed by the regulations (which must not exceed £1,000) for a contravention of—

(i) the regulations, or

(ii) any condition or restriction imposed under this Part,

(e) for the assessment and recovery of such a penalty, and

(f) for dutiable alcoholic liquor (whether or not charged with any duty and whether or not that duty has been paid) to be subject to forfeiture for a contravention of—

(i) this Part or the regulations, or

(ii) any condition or restriction imposed under this Part.

88F Restriction on buying controlled liquor wholesale U.K.

A person may not buy controlled liquor wholesale from a UK person unless the UK person is an approved person in relation to the sale.

88G Offences U.K.

(1) A person who contravenes section 88C(1) by selling controlled liquor wholesale is guilty of an offence if the person knows or has reasonable grounds to suspect that—

(a) the buyer is carrying on a trade or business, and

(b) the liquor is for sale or supply in the course of that trade or business.

(2) A person who contravenes section 88C(1) by offering or exposing controlled liquor for sale in circumstances in which the sale (if made) would be a wholesale sale is guilty of an offence if the person intends to make a wholesale sale of the liquor.

(3) A person who contravenes section 88C(1) by arranging in the course of a trade or business for controlled liquor to be sold wholesale, or offered or exposed for sale in circumstances in which the sale (if made) would be a wholesale sale, is guilty of an offence if the person intends to arrange for the liquor to be sold wholesale.

(4) A person who contravenes section 88F is guilty of an offence if the person knows or has reasonable grounds to suspect that the UK person from whom the controlled liquor is bought is not an approved person in relation to the sale.

(5) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction—

(a) in England and Wales to—

(i) imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months,

(ii) a fine, or

(iii) both,

(b) in Scotland to—

(i) imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months,

(ii) a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or

(iii) both, and

(c) in Northern Ireland to—

(i) imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months,

(ii) a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or

(iii) both.

(6) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on conviction on indictment to—

(a) imprisonment for a period not exceeding 7 years,

(b) a fine, or

(c) both.

(7) The reference in subsection (5)(a)(i) to 12 months is to be read as a reference to 6 months in relation to an offence committed before the commencement of [F2 paragraph 24(2) of Schedule 22 to the Sentencing Act 2020].

Textual Amendments

F2 Words in s. 88G(7) substituted (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 24 para. 443(1) (with Sch. 24 para. 447, Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2

88H Penalties U.K.

Schedule 2B contains provision about penalties for contraventions of this Part.

88I Regulations U.K.

Regulations under this Part—

(a) may make provision which applies generally or only for specified cases or purposes,

(b) may make different provision for different cases or purposes,

(c) may include incidental, consequential, transitional or transitory provision, and

(d) may confer a discretion on the Commissioners.

88J Groups U.K.

(1) Two or more bodies corporate are members of a group for the purposes of this Part if each is established or has a fixed establishment in the United Kingdom and—

(a) one of them controls each of the others,

(b) one person (whether a body corporate or an individual) controls all of them, or

(c) two or more individuals carrying on a business in partnership control all of them.

(2) For the purposes of this section, a body corporate is to be taken to control another body corporate if—

(a) it is empowered by or under an enactment to control that body's activities, or

(b) it is that body's holding company within the meaning of section 1159 of, and Schedule 6 to, the Companies Act 2006.

(3) For the purposes of this section—

(a) an individual or individuals are to be taken to control a body corporate if the individual or individuals (were the individual or individuals a company) would be that body's holding company within the meaning of section 1159 of, and Schedule 6 to, the Companies Act 2006, and

(b) a body corporate is established or has a fixed establishment in the United Kingdom if it is so established or has such an establishment for the purposes of value added tax.

88K Index U.K.

This Table lists the places where some of the expressions used in this Part are defined or otherwise explained.

approved person	section 88C(6)
authorised retail sale	section 88A(5)
controlled activity	section 88A(8)
enactment	section 88A(10)
group (in relation to bodies corporate)	section 88J(1)
group sale	section 88A(6)
incidental sale	section 88A(4)
sale of controlled liquor	section 88A(2)
UK person	section 88A(9)
wholesale	section 88A(3).]