Finance Act 1989

153 Priority in cases of distraint by others

(1) Section 62 of the [1970 c. 9.] Taxes Management Act 1970 (priority of claim for tax) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1)—

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

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

(c) for the words “arrears of tax” onwards there shall be substituted the words “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 tax from emoluments paid during the period of twelve months next before the date of seizure, being deductions which the person in default was liable to make under section 203 of the principal Act (pay as you earn) less the amount of the 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 to be 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 shall 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 in that subsection, 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 be substituted the words “those sums”.