Finance Act 1997

Assessments in cases of untrue declarations etc.

5 After section 167(4) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (recovery as a debt due to the Crown or as a civil debt of amounts of duty not paid, and of overpayments in respect of drawback etc. made, by reason of untrue declaration etc.) there shall be inserted the following subsection—

“(5) An amount of excise duty, or the amount of an overpayment in respect of any drawback, allowance, rebate or repayment of any excise duty, shall not be recoverable as mentioned in subsection (4) above unless the Commissioners have assessed the amount of the duty or of the overpayment as being excise duty due from the person mentioned in subsection (1) or (3) above and notified him or his representative accordingly.”