Finance Act 2004

Scheme administrator U.K.

270 Meaning of “scheme administrator” U.K.

(1) References in this Part to the scheme administrator, in relation to a pension scheme, are to the person who is, or persons who are, appointed in accordance with the rules of the pension scheme to be responsible for the discharge of the functions conferred or imposed on the scheme administrator of the pension scheme by and under this Part.

(2) But a person cannot be the person who is, or one of the persons who are, the scheme administrator of a pension scheme unless the person—

(a) is resident in the United Kingdom or another state which is a member State or a non-member EEA State, and

(b) has made the required declaration to the Inland Revenue.

(3) “The required declaration”is a declaration that the person—

(a) understands that the person will be responsible for discharging the functions conferred or imposed on the scheme administrator of the pension scheme by and under this Part, and

(b) intends to discharge those functions at all times, whether resident in the United Kingdom or another state which is a member State or a non-member EEA State.

(4) “Non-member EEA State” means a State which is a contracting party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area signed at Oporto on 2nd May 1992 (as adjusted by the Protocol signed at Brussels on 17th March 1993) but which is not a member State.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2 Pt. 4 modified (6.4.2006) by The Pension Protection Fund (Tax) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/575), regs. 1, 12

C3 Pt. 4 modified (6.4.2006) by The Pension Protection Fund (Tax) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/575), regs. 1, 13(5)

C4 Pt. 4 modified (6.4.2006) by The Pension Protection Fund (Tax) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/575), regs. 1, 9, 10

C5 Pt. 4 modified (6.4.2006) by The Pension Protection Fund (Tax) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/575), regs. 1, 26

C6 S. 270(2) applied (with modifications) (6.4.2006) by The Registered Pension Schemes (Splitting of Schemes) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/569), regs. 1(1), 3(4)

C7 S. 270(3) applied (with modifications) (6.4.2006) by The Registered Pension Schemes (Splitting of Schemes) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/569), regs. 1(1), 3(4)

Commencement Information

I1 Ss. 160-274, 281, Schs. 30-35 in force at 6.4.2006 but any power to make an order or regulations under those provisions may be exercised at any time after Royal Assent, see s. 284

271 Liability of scheme administrator U.K.

(1) Any liability of a person who is, or of any of the persons who are, the scheme administrator of a registered pension scheme ceases to be a liability of that person on the person ceasing to be, or to be one of the persons who is, the scheme administrator of the pension scheme.

This subsection does not apply to a liability to pay a penalty and is subject to subsection (4).

(2) Where a person becomes, or becomes one of the persons who is, the scheme administrator of a registered pension scheme, the person assumes any existing liabilities of the scheme administrator of the pension scheme, other than any liability to pay a penalty.

(3) Subsection (4) applies where, on the person who is or the persons who are the scheme administrator of a registered pension scheme ceasing to be the scheme administrator, there is no scheme administrator of the pension scheme.

(4) Any liability of the person or persons as scheme administrator remains a liability of that person or those persons as if still the scheme administrator (unless dead or having ceased to exist) until another person becomes, or other persons become, the scheme administrator of the pension scheme.

(5) But a person who retains, or persons who retain, any liability by virtue of subsection (4) may apply to the Inland Revenue to be released from the liability.

(6) On receipt of the application the Inland Revenue must decide whether or not to release the applicant or applicants from the liability and must notify the applicant, or each of the applicants, of the decision.

(7) If the decision is not to release the applicant or applicants from the liability the applicant or applicants may appeal against the decision.

(8) The appeal is to the General Commissioners, except that the applicant or applicants may elect (in accordance with section 46(1) of TMA 1970) to bring the appeal before the Special Commissioners instead of the General Commissioners.

(9) The appeal must be brought within the period of 30 days beginning with the day on which the applicant was notified of the decision.

(10) Paragraphs 1, 2, 8 and 9 of Schedule 3 to TMA 1970 (rules for assigning proceedings to General Commissioners) have effect to identify the General Commissioners before whom an appeal under this section is to be brought, but subject to modifications specified in an order made by the Board of Inland Revenue.

(11) The Commissioners before whom an appeal under this section is brought must consider whether the applicant or applicants ought to have been released from the liability.

(12) If they decide that the applicant or applicants ought not to have been released from the liability, they must dismiss the appeal.

(13) If they decide that the applicant or applicants ought to have been released from the liability, the applicant is, or applicants are, to be treated as having been released from the liability (but subject to any further appeal or any determination on, or in consequence of, a case stated).

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C8 S. 271 modified (6.4.2006) by The Registered Pension Schemes (Splitting of Schemes) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/569), regs. 1(1), 3(1)(2), Sch. 3 Pt. 1

Commencement Information

I2 Ss. 160-274, 281, Schs. 30-35 in force at 6.4.2006 but any power to make an order or regulations under those provisions may be exercised at any time after Royal Assent, see s. 284

272 Trustees etc. liable as scheme administrator U.K.

(1) This section applies in relation to a registered pension scheme if—

(a) there is no scheme administrator of the pension scheme and no-one who remains subject to the liabilities of the scheme administrator by virtue of section 271(4) (continuation of liability where no scheme administrator),

(b) the person who is, or all the persons who are, the scheme administrator of the pension scheme or remain so subject cannot be traced, or

(c) the person who is, or all the persons who are, the scheme administrator of the pension scheme or remain so subject are in serious default.

(2) Any person who assumes liability by reason of this section applying in relation to the pension scheme—

(a) is liable to pay any tax (and any interest on tax) due from the scheme administrator of the pension scheme by virtue of this Part, and

(b) is responsible for the discharge of all other obligations imposed on the scheme administrator of the pension scheme by or under this Part.

(3) In subsection (2)—

(a) the references in paragraph (a) to tax, and interest on tax, include any that has become due before this section applied in relation to the pension scheme and remains unpaid, and

(b) the reference in paragraph (b) to obligations includes any that have become due before this section applied in relation to the pension scheme and remain unsatisfied, other than any liability to pay a penalty which has become due before this section so applied.

(4) The following heads specify the persons who assume liability by reason of this section applying in relation to the pension scheme; but if—

(a) a person assumes, or persons assume, liability by virtue of being specified under one head, and

(b) that person, or any of those persons, can be traced and is not in default,

no-one assumes liability by virtue of being specified under a later head.

Head 1

If there are one or more trustees of the pension scheme who are resident in the United Kingdom, that trustee or each of those trustees.

Head 2

If there are one or more persons who control the management of the pension scheme, that person or each of those persons.

Head 3

If alive or still in existence, the person, or any of the persons, who established the pension scheme and any person by whom that person, or any of those persons, has been directly or indirectly succeeded in relation to the provision of benefits under the pension scheme.

Head 4

If the pension scheme is an occupational pension scheme, any sponsoring employer.

Head 5

If there are one or more trustees of the pension scheme who are not resident in the United Kingdom, that trustee or each of those trustees.

(5) Where a person assumes liability by reason of this section applying in relation to the pension scheme, the Inland Revenue must, as soon as is reasonably practicable, notify the person of that fact; but failure to do so does not affect the person’s liability.

(6) For the purposes of this section a person is in default if the person—

(a) has failed to pay all or any of the tax (or interest on tax) due from the person by virtue of this Part, or

(b) has failed to discharge any other obligation imposed on the person by or under this Part,

and a person in default is in serious default if the Inland Revenue considers the failure to be of a serious nature.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C9 S. 272 applied (with modifications) (6.4.2006) by The Registered Pension Schemes (Splitting of Schemes) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/569), regs. 1(1), 3(5)

C10 S. 272 modified (6.4.2006) by The Registered Pension Schemes (Splitting of Schemes) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/569), regs. 1(1), 3(1)(2), Sch. 3 Pt. 1

C11 S. 272(4) modified (6.4.2006) by The Pension Protection Fund (Tax) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/575), regs. 1, 27(2)

Commencement Information

I3 Ss. 160-274, 281, Schs. 30-35 in force at 6.4.2006 but any power to make an order or regulations under those provisions may be exercised at any time after Royal Assent, see s. 284

273 Members liable as scheme administrator U.K.

(1) This section applies in relation to a registered pension scheme if—

(a) a person has, or persons have, assumed liability by reason of section 272 (trustees etc.) applying in relation to the pension scheme,

(b) the person has, or the persons have, become liable to pay tax (or interest on tax) which became due by virtue of section 239 (scheme sanction charge) or section 242 (de-registration charge) before section 272 applied in relation to the pension scheme,

(c) that person, or each of those persons, has failed (in whole or in part) to satisfy the liability, and

(d) that person, or each of those persons, has either died or ceased to exist or is a person in whose case the Inland Revenue considers the person’s failure to satisfy the liability to be of a serious nature.

(2) Any person who was a member of the pension scheme at any time during the relevant three-year period is liable to pay the appropriate share of the unpaid amount if—

(a) any of the conditions in subsection (5) is met, and

(b) the Inland Revenue notifies the person of the person’s liability to do so.

(3) “The relevant three-year period” is the period of three years ending with the date on which the liability to pay the tax arose.

(4) The “appropriate share of the unpaid amount”, in the case of a person, is—

where—

AA is an amount equal to aggregate of the amount of the sums and the market value of the assets held for the purposes of the pension scheme at the time when the liability to pay the tax arose,

AAP is an amount equal to so much of AA as is held for the purposes of such of the arrangements under the pension scheme as relate to the person or a person connected with the person, and

UT is so much of the tax (and any interest on it) as remains unpaid.

(5) The conditions referred to in subsection (2)(a) are—

(a) that the pension scheme was established by a person or body specified in section 154(1)(a) to (g) (insurance companies etc.) and was not an occupational pension scheme,

(b) that at any time during the relevant three-year period the pension scheme received a transfer value in which there were represented relevant personal pension contributions made by or in respect of the person,

(c) that the pension scheme was an occupational pension scheme and at any time during the relevant three-year period the person was a controlling director of a company that was a sponsoring employer, and

(d) that at any time during the relevant three-year period the pension scheme received a transfer value in which there were represented relevant controlling director contributions made by or in respect of the person.

(6) A notification under subsection (2)(b) may be included in an assessment in respect of a liability under this section; and such an assessment made in relation to an amount is not out of time if made within the period of three years beginning with the date on which the person assessed first became liable to pay the amount.

(7) “Relevant personal pension contributions” means contributions under a pension scheme (whether or not the pension scheme from which the transfer value was received) which was established by a person or body specified in section 154(1)(a) to (g) and was not an occupational pension scheme.

(8) “Relevant controlling director contributions” means contributions under an occupational pension scheme (whether or not the pension scheme from which the transfer value was received) made by reference to service (or remuneration in respect of service) as a controlling director of a company that was a sponsoring employer.

(9) A person is a “controlling director” of a company if the person is a director of the company and is within section 417(5)(b) of ICTA (director able to control 20% of ordinary share capital) in relation to the company.

(10) References to receipt of a transfer value by the pension scheme are to the transfer, so as to become held for the purposes of or to represent rights under the pension scheme, of any sums or assets held for the purposes of or representing accrued rights under any other pension scheme.

(11) Section 839 of ICTA (connected persons) applies for the purposes of this section.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C12 S. 273 modified (6.4.2006) by The Registered Pension Schemes (Splitting of Schemes) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/569), regs. 1(1), 3(1)(2), Sch. 3 Pt. 1

C13 S. 273 excluded (6.4.2006) by The Pension Protection Fund (Tax) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/575), regs. 1, 28

C14 S. 273 applied (with modifications) (6.4.2006) by The Registered Pension Schemes (Splitting of Schemes) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/569), regs. 1(1), 3(6)

Commencement Information

I4 Ss. 160-274, 281, Schs. 30-35 in force at 6.4.2006 but any power to make an order or regulations under those provisions may be exercised at any time after Royal Assent, see s. 284

[F1 273ZA Income and gains from taxable property U.K.

(1) The Treasury may make regulations in relation to cases where—

(a) an investment-regulated pension scheme holds an interest in taxable property,

(b) the pension scheme is non-UK resident, and

(c) the property is not located in the United Kingdom.

(2) The regulations may make provision for a member of the pension scheme for the purposes of whose arrangement the interest is held to be liable to the scheme sanction charge so far as relating to a scheme chargeable payment treated as made by the pension scheme—

(a) under section 185A (income from taxable property) by virtue of the pension scheme holding the interest in the property, or

(b) under section 185F (gains from taxable property) by virtue of a gain treated as accruing to the pension scheme in respect of the interest in the property.

(3) The regulations may make provision—

(a) for the member to be liable to all of the scheme sanction charge arising by virtue of the scheme chargeable payment or to the charge to such extent as the regulations may provide,

(b) for the charge to be apportioned between members of the pension scheme where the interest in the property is held for the purposes of more than one arrangement under the pension scheme, and

(c) for the scheme administrator not to be liable to the scheme sanction charge or not to be liable to the charge to such extent as the regulations may provide.

(4) The regulations may make provision for cases where—

(a) a member of a pension scheme would otherwise be liable to the scheme sanction charge arising by virtue of a scheme chargeable payment treated as made by the pension scheme under section 185F in a tax year,

(b) the member does not meet such conditions as to residence in the tax year as the regulations may prescribe,

(c) the member meets those conditions in a subsequent tax year, and

(d) such other conditions as the regulations may prescribe are met.

(5) The regulations may make provision for the member—

(a) not to be liable to the scheme sanction charge in the tax year in which the scheme chargeable payment is treated as made, but

(b) to be liable in a subsequent tax year to such extent as the regulations may provide to the scheme sanction charge arising by virtue of the payment.

(6) The regulations may—

(a) amend this Part (apart from this section),

(b) include provision having effect in relation to times before they are made,

(c) contain transitional provisions and savings, and

(d) make different provision for different cases.

(7) For the purposes of this section a pension scheme is non-UK resident if it is established in a country or territory outside the United Kingdom.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 273ZA inserted (retrospective to 6.4.2006) by Finance Act 2006 (c. 25), s. 158(2), Sch. 21 para. 10

[F2 273A Insurance company liable as scheme administrator U.K.

(1) The Board of Inland Revenue may make regulations in relation to cases where an insurance company makes a payment of—

(a) a pension protection lump sum death benefit,

(b) an annuity protection lump sum death benefit, or

(c) an unsecured pension fund lump sum death benefit,

which (by virtue of section 161(3) and (4)) is treated for the purposes of Chapter 3 as made by a registered pension scheme.

(2) The regulations may provide that the insurance company—

(a) is to be treated as the scheme administrator for the purposes of the operation of section 206 in relation to the lump sum death benefit, and

(b) is responsible for the discharge of all obligations imposed on the scheme administrator by or under this Part so far as related to the liability imposed by that section to pay tax in respect of it.

(3) Where an insurance company is liable to pay any tax or interest, or is responsible for the discharge of any other obligation, by virtue of regulations under this section, no other person is liable to pay that tax, or responsible for the discharge of that obligation, under sections 270 to 273.]

Textual Amendments

F2 S. 273A inserted (6.4.2006) by Finance Act 2005 (c. 7), Sch. 10 paras. 49(1), 64(1)

274 Supplementary U.K.

(1) The fact that any person is liable to pay any tax or interest, or is responsible for the discharge of any other obligation, under section 272 (trustees etc.) or section 273 (members) does not relieve any other person of any liability to pay the tax or interest, or any obligation to discharge the obligation, arising—

(a) by reason of that other person being, or being one of the persons who is, the scheme administrator of the pension scheme, or

(b) under section 271(4) (continuation of liability where no scheme administrator).

(2) Where a liability imposed on the scheme administrator of a registered pension scheme falls to be satisfied by two or more persons (whether or not they constitute the scheme administrator), they are jointly and severally liable.

(3) No liability to pay tax or interest, or other obligation, of any person in relation to a registered pension scheme arising—

(a) by reason of the person being, or being one of the persons who is, the scheme administrator of the pension scheme concerned, or

(b) under section 271(4), 272 or 273 [F3 or regulations under section 273A],

is affected by the termination of the pension scheme or by its ceasing to be a registered pension scheme.

Textual Amendments

F3 Words in s. 274(3)(b) inserted (6.4.2006) by Finance Act 2005 (c. 7), Sch. 10 paras. 49(2), 64(1)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C15 S. 274 modified (6.4.2006) by The Registered Pension Schemes (Splitting of Schemes) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/569), regs. 1(1), 3(1)(2), Sch. 3 Pt. 1

C16 S. 274(2) applied (with modifications) (6.4.2006) by The Registered Pension Schemes (Splitting of Schemes) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/569), regs. 1(1), 3(7)

Commencement Information

I5 Ss. 160-274, 281, Schs. 30-35 in force at 6.4.2006 but any power to make an order or regulations under those provisions may be exercised at any time after Royal Assent, see s. 284