Administration, collection and enforcement.

Value Added Tax Act 1994
1994 c. 23 - continued

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	SCHEDULE 11
Section 58.
	Administration, collection and enforcement
	General
	1.—(1) VAT shall be under the care and management of the Commissioners. (2) All money and securities for money collected or received for or on account of VAT shall— (a) if collected or received in Great Britain, be placed to the general account of the Commissioners kept at the Bank of England under section 17 of the Management Act; (b) if collected or received in Northern Ireland, be paid into the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom in such manner as the Treasury may direct.
	Accounting for VAT, VAT invoices and payment of VAT
	2.—(1) Regulations under this paragraph may require the keeping of accounts and the making of returns in such form and manner as may be specified in the regulations and may require taxable persons supplying goods or services in such cases, or to persons of such descriptions, as may be so specified to provide the persons supplied with invoices (to be known as "VAT invoices") containing statements of such particulars as may be so specified of the supply, and of the persons by and to whom the goods or services are supplied and containing such an indication as may be required by the regulations of whether VAT is chargeable on the supply under this Act or the law of another member State and such particulars of any VAT which is so chargeable as may be so specified. (2) The regulations may, where they require a VAT invoice to be provided in connection with any description of supply, require it to be provided within a prescribed time after the supply is treated as taking place, or at such time before the supply is treated as taking place as may be required by the regulations, and may allow for an invoice to be issued later than required by the regulations where it is issued in accordance with general or special directions given by the Commissioners. (3) Regulations under this paragraph may require the submission to the Commissioners by taxable persons, at such times and intervals, in such cases and in such form and manner as may be— (a) specified in the regulations; or (b) determined by the Commissioners in accordance with powers conferred by the regulations, of statements containing such particulars of transactions in which the taxable persons are concerned and which involve the movement of goods between member States, and of the persons concerned in those transactions, as may be prescribed. (4) Regulations under this paragraph may make provision in relation to cases where— (a) any goods which are subject to a duty of excise or consist in a new means of transport are acquired in the United Kingdom from another member State by any person; (b) the acquisition of the goods is a taxable acquisition and is not in pursuance of a taxable supply; and (c) that person is not a taxable person at the time of the acquisition, for requiring the person who acquires the goods to give to the Commissioners such notification of the acquisition, and for requiring any VAT on the acquisition to be paid, at such time and in such form or manner as may be specified in the regulations. (5) Regulations under this paragraph may provide for a notification required by virtue of sub-paragraph (4) above— (a) to contain such particulars relating to the notified acquisition and any VAT chargeable thereon as may be specified in the regulations; and (b) to be given, in prescribed cases, by the personal representative, trustee in bankruptcy, interim or permanent trustee, receiver, liquidator or person otherwise acting in a representative capacity in relation to the person who makes that acquisition. (6) Regulations under this paragraph may make special provision for such taxable supplies by retailers of any goods or of any description of goods or of services or any description of services as may be determined by or under the regulations and, in particular— (a) for permitting the value which is to be taken as the value of the supplies in any prescribed accounting period or part thereof to be determined, subject to any limitations or restrictions, by such method or one of such methods as may have been described in any notice published by the Commissioners in pursuance of the regulations and not withdrawn by a further notice or as may be agreed with the Commissioners; and (b) for determining the proportion of the value of the supplies which is to be attributed to any description of supplies; and (c) for adjusting that value and proportion for periods comprising two or more prescribed accounting periods or parts thereof. (7) Regulations under this paragraph may make provision whereby, in such cases and subject to such conditions as may be determined by or under the regulations, VAT in respect of a supply may be accounted for and paid by reference to the time when consideration for the supply is received; and any such regulations may make such modifications of the provisions of this Act (including in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of the power, the provisions as to the time when, and the circumstances in which, credit for input tax is to be allowed) as appear to the Commissioners necessary or expedient. (8) Regulations under this paragraph may make provision whereby, in such cases and subject to such conditions as may be determined by or under the regulations— (a) VAT in respect of any supply by a taxable person of dutiable goods, or (b) VAT in respect of an acquisition by any person from another member State of dutiable goods, may be accounted for and paid, and any question as to the inclusion of any duty or agricultural levy in the value of the supply or acquisition determined, by reference to the duty point or by reference to such later time as the Commissioners may allow. In this sub-paragraph "dutiable goods" and "duty point" have the same meanings as in section 18. (9) Regulations under this paragraph may provide for the time when any invoice described in regulations made for the purposes of section 6(8)(b) or 12(1)(b) is to be treated as having been issued and provide for VAT accounted for and paid by reference to the date of issue of such an invoice to be confined to VAT on so much of the value of the supply or acquisition as is shown on the invoice. (10) Regulations under this paragraph may make provision— (a) for treating VAT chargeable in one prescribed accounting period as chargeable in another such period; and (b) with respect to the making of entries in accounts for the purpose of making adjustments, whether for the correction of errors or otherwise; and (c) for the making of financial adjustments in connection with the making of entries in accounts for the purpose mentioned in paragraph (b) above. (11) Regulations under this paragraph may make different provision for different circumstances and may provide for different dates as the commencement of prescribed accounting periods applicable to different persons. (12) The provisions made by regulations under this paragraph for cases where goods are treated as supplied by a taxable person by virtue of paragraph 7 of Schedule 4 may require VAT chargeable on the supply to be accounted for and paid, and particulars thereof to be provided, by such other person and in such manner as may be specified by the regulations. (13) Where, at the end of a prescribed accounting period, the amount of VAT due from any person or the amount of any VAT credit would be less than £1, that amount shall be treated as nil.
	Production of VAT invoices by computer
	3.—(1) For the purposes of any provision contained in or having effect under this Act which relates to VAT invoices a person shall be treated as issuing, or as providing another person with, a VAT invoice if the requisite particulars are recorded in a computer and transmitted by electronic means and without the delivery of any document. (2) No provision relating to VAT invoices shall be treated as complied with by the production by means of a computer of any material other than a document in writing, by delivering any such material so produced or by making any such transmission as is mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) above unless the person producing or delivering the material or making the transmission and, in the case of delivered material or a transmission, the person receiving it— (a) has given the Commissioners at least one month's notice in writing that he proposes to produce or deliver such material or make such transmissions or, as the case may be, receive such material or transmissions; and (b) complies with such requirements as may be specified in regulations or as the Commissioners may from time to time impose in his case. (3) Without prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred by virtue of sub-paragraph (9) of paragraph 2 above, regulations made by virtue of that sub-paragraph may provide for the preceding provisions of this paragraph to apply, subject to such exceptions and adaptations as may be prescribed, in relation to any invoice which is described in regulations made for the purposes of section 6(8)(b) or 12(1)(b), as they apply in relation to VAT invoices.
	Power to require security and production of evidence
	4.—(1) The Commissioners may, as a condition of allowing or repaying any input tax to any person, require the production of such documents relating to VAT as may have been supplied to him and may, if they think it necessary for the protection of the revenue, require, as a condition of making any VAT credit, the giving of such security for the amount of the payment as appears to them appropriate. (2) Without prejudice to their power under section 48(7), where it appears to the Commissioners requisite to do so for the protection of the revenue they may require a taxable person, as a condition of his supplying goods or services under a taxable supply, to give security, or further security, of such amount and in such manner as they may determine, for the payment of any VAT which is or may become due from him.
	Recovery of VAT, etc
	5.—(1) VAT due from any person shall be recoverable as a debt due to the Crown. (2) Where an invoice shows a supply of goods or services as taking place with VAT chargeable on it, there shall be recoverable from the person who issued the invoice an amount equal to that which is shown on the invoice as VAT or, if VAT is not separately shown, to so much of the total amount shown as payable as is to be taken as representing VAT on the supply. (3) Sub-paragraph (2) above applies whether or not— (a) the invoice is a VAT invoice issued in pursuance of paragraph 2(1) above; or (b) the supply shown on the invoice actually takes or has taken place, or the amount shown as VAT, or any amount of VAT, is or was chargeable on the supply; or (c) the person issuing the invoice is a taxable person; and any sum recoverable from a person under the sub-paragraph shall, if it is in any case VAT be recoverable as such and shall otherwise be recoverable as a debt due to the Crown. (4) The Commissioners may by regulations make provision in respect of England and Wales and Northern Ireland for authorising distress to be levied on the goods and chattels of any person refusing or neglecting to pay any VAT due from him or any amount recoverable as if it were VAT due from him and for the disposal of any goods or chattels on which distress is levied in pursuance of the regulations and for the imposition and recovery of costs, charges, expenses and fees in connection with anything done under the regulations. (5) In respect of Scotland, where any VAT or any sum recoverable as if it were VAT is due and has not been paid, the sheriff, on an application by the Commissioners accompanied by a certificate by the Commissioners— (a) stating that none of the persons specified in the application has paid VAT or other sum due from him; (b) stating that payment of the amount due from each such person has been demanded from him; and (c) specifying the amount due from and unpaid by each such person, shall grant a summary warrant in a form prescribed by Act of Sederunt authorising the recovery, by any of the diligences mentioned in sub-paragraph (6) below, of the amount remaining due and unpaid. (6) The diligences referred to in sub-paragraph (5) above are— (a) a poinding and sale in accordance with Schedule 5 to the [1987 c. 18.] Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987; (b) an earnings arrestment; (c) an arrestment and action of furthcoming or sale. (7) Subject to sub-paragraph (8) below and without prejudice to paragraphs 25 to 34 of Schedule 5 to the [1987 c. 18.] Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987 (expenses of poinding and sale), the sheriff officer's fees, together with the outlays necessarily incurred by him, in connection with the execution of a summary warrant shall be chargeable against the debtor. (8) No fee shall be chargeable by the sheriff officer against the debtor for collecting, and accounting to the Commissioners for, sums paid to him by the debtor in respect of the amount owing. (9) The Commissioners may by regulations make provision for anything which the Commissioners may do under sub-paragraphs (5) to (8) above to be done by an officer of the Commissioners holding such rank as the regulations may specify. (10) The preceding provisions of this paragraph shall have effect as if any sum required by way of security under section 48(7) were recoverable as if it were VAT due from the person who is required to provide it.
	Duty to keep records
	6.—(1) Every taxable person shall keep such records as the Commissioners may by regulations require, and every person who, at a time when he is not a taxable person, acquires in the United Kingdom from another member State any goods which are subject to a duty of excise or consist in a new means of transport shall keep such records with respect to the acquisition (if it is a taxable acquisition and is not in pursuance of a taxable supply) as the Commissioners may so require. (2) Regulations under sub-paragraph (1) above may make different provision for different cases and may be framed by reference to such records as may be specified in any notice published by the Commissioners in pursuance of the regulations and not withdrawn by a further notice. (3) The Commissioners may require any records kept in pursuance of this paragraph to be preserved for such period not exceeding 6 years as they may require. (4) The duty under this paragraph to preserve records may be discharged by the preservation of the information contained therein by such means as the Commissioners may approve; and where that information is so preserved a copy of any document forming part of the records shall, subject to the following provisions of this paragraph, be admissible in evidence in any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, to the same extent as the records themselves. (5) The Commissioners may, as a condition of approving under sub-paragraph (4) above any means of preserving information contained in any records, impose such reasonable requirements as appear to them necessary for securing that the information will be as readily available to them as if the records themselves had been preserved. (6) A statement contained in a document produced by a computer shall not by virtue of sub-paragraph (4) above be admissible in evidence— (a) in civil proceedings in England and Wales, except in accordance with sections 5 and 6 of the [1968 c. 64.] Civil Evidence Act 1968; (b) in criminal proceedings in England and Wales except in accordance with sections 69 and 70 of the [1984 c. 60.] Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and Part II of the [1988 c. 33.] Criminal Justice Act 1988; (c) in civil proceedings in Northern Ireland, except in accordance with sections 2 and 3 of the [1971 c. 36 (N.I.).] Civil Evidence Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and (d) in criminal proceedings in Northern Ireland, except in accordance with Article 68 of the [S.I. 1989/1341 (N.I.12).] Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 and Part II of the [S.I. 1988/1847 (N.I.17).] Criminal Justice (Evidence, Etc.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1988. This sub-paragraph does not apply in relation to Scotland.
	Furnishing of information and production of documents
	7.—(1) The Commissioners may by regulations make provision for requiring taxable persons to notify to the Commissioners such particulars of changes in circumstances relating to those persons or any business carried on by them as appear to the Commissioners required for the purpose of keeping the register kept under this Act up to date. (2) Every person who is concerned (in whatever capacity) in the supply of goods or services in the course or furtherance of a business or to whom such a supply is made, every person who is concerned (in whatever capacity) in the acquisition of goods from another member State and every person who is concerned (in whatever capacity) in the importation of goods from a place outside the member States in the course or furtherance of a business shall— (a) furnish to the Commissioners, within such time and in such form as they may reasonably require, such information relating to the goods or services or to the supply, acquisition or importation as the Commissioners may reasonably specify; and (b) upon demand made by an authorised person, produce or cause to be produced for inspection by that person— (i) at the principal place of business of the person upon whom the demand is made or at such other place as the authorised person may reasonably require, and (ii) at such time as the authorised person may reasonably require, any documents relating to the goods or services or to the supply, acquisition or importation. (3) Where, by virtue of sub-paragraph (2) above, an authorised person has power to require the production of any documents from any such person as is referred to in that sub-paragraph, he shall have the like power to require production of the documents concerned from any other person who appears to the authorised person to be in possession of them; but where any such other person claims a lien on any document produced by him, the production shall be without prejudice to the lien. (4) For the purposes of this paragraph, the documents relating to the supply of goods or services, to the acquisition of goods from another member State or to the importation of goods from a place outside the member States shall be taken to include any profit and loss account and balance sheet relating to the business in the course of which the goods or services are supplied or the goods are imported or (in the case of an acquisition from another member State) relating to any business or other activities of the person by whom the goods are acquired. (5) An authorised person may take copies of, or make extracts from, any document produced under sub-paragraph (2) or (3) above. (6) If it appears to him to be necessary to do so, an authorised person may, at a reasonable time and for a reasonable period, remove any document produced under sub-paragraph (2) or (3) above and shall, on request, provide a receipt for any document so removed; and where a lien is claimed on a document produced under sub-paragraph (3) above the removal of the document under this sub-paragraph shall not be regarded as breaking the lien. (7) Where a document removed by an authorised person under sub-paragraph (6) above is reasonably required for the proper conduct of a business he shall, as soon as practicable, provide a copy of the document, free of charge, to the person by whom it was produced or caused to be produced. (8) Where any documents removed under the powers conferred by this paragraph are lost or damaged the Commissioners shall be liable to compensate their owner for any expenses reasonably incurred by him in replacing or repairing the documents.
	Power to take samples
	8.—(1) An authorised person, if it appears to him necessary for the protection of the revenue against mistake or fraud, may at any time take, from the goods in the possession of any person who supplies goods or acquires goods from another member State, such samples as the authorised person may require with a view to determining how the goods or the materials of which they are made ought to be or to have been treated for the purposes of VAT. (2) Any sample taken under this paragraph shall be disposed of and accounted for in such manner as the Commissioners may direct. (3) Where a sample is taken under this paragraph from the goods in any person's possession and is not returned to him within a reasonable time and in good condition the Commissioners shall pay him by way of compensation a sum equal to the cost of the sample to him or such larger sum as they may determine.
	Power to require opening of gaming machines
	9. An authorised person may at any reasonable time require a person making such a supply as is referred to in section 23(1) or any person acting on his behalf— (a) to open any gaming machine, within the meaning of that section; and (b) to carry out any other operation which may be necessary to enable the authorised person to ascertain the amount which, in accordance with subsection (2) of that section, is to be taken as the value of supplies made in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (1) of that section in any period.
	Entry and search of premises and persons
	10.—(1) For the purpose of exercising any powers under this Act an authorised person may at any reasonable time enter premises used in connection with the carrying on of a business. (2) Where an authorised person has reasonable cause to believe that any premises are used in connection with the supply of goods under taxable supplies or with the acquisition of goods under taxable acquisitions from other member States and that goods to be so supplied or acquired are on those premises, he may at any reasonable time enter and inspect those premises and inspect any goods found on them. (3) If a justice of the peace or in Scotland a justice (within the meaning of section 462 of the [1975 c. 21.] Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975) is satisfied on information on oath that there is reasonable ground for suspecting that a fraud offence which appears to be of a serious nature is being, has been or is about to be committed on any premises or that evidence of the commission of such an offence is to be found there, he may issue a warrant in writing authorising, subject to sub-paragraphs (5) and (6) below, any authorised person to enter those premises, if necessary by force, at any time within one month from the time of the issue of the warrant and search them; and any person who enters the premises under the authority of the warrant may— (a) take with him such other persons as appear to him to be necessary; (b) seize and remove any documents or other things whatsoever found on the premises which he has reasonable cause to believe may be required as evidence for the purposes of proceedings in respect of a fraud offence which appears to him to be of a serious nature; and (c) search or cause to be searched any person found on the premises whom he has reasonable cause to believe to be in possession of any such documents or other things; but no woman or girl shall be searched except by a woman. (4) In sub-paragraph (3) above "a fraud offence" means an offence under any provision of section 72(1) to (8). (5) The powers conferred by a warrant under this paragraph shall not be exercisable— (a) by more than such number of authorised persons as may be specified in the warrant; nor (b) outside such times of day as may be so specified; nor (c) if the warrant so provides, otherwise than in the presence of a constable in uniform. (6) An authorised person seeking to exercise the powers conferred by a warrant under this paragraph or, if there is more than one such authorised person, that one of them who is in charge of the search shall provide a copy of the warrant endorsed with his name as follows— (a) if the occupier of the premises concerned is present at the time the search is to begin, the copy shall be supplied to the occupier; (b) if at that time the occupier is not present but a person who appears to the authorised person to be in charge of the premises is present, the copy shall be supplied to that person; and (c) if neither paragraph (a) nor paragraph (b) above applies, the copy shall be left in a prominent place on the premises.
	Order for access to recorded information etc.
	11.—(1) Where, on an application by an authorised person, a justice of the peace or, in Scotland, a justice (within the meaning of section 462 of the [1975 c. 21.] Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975) is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing— (a) that an offence in connection with VAT is being, has been or is about to be committed, and (b) that any recorded information (including any document of any nature whatsoever) which may be required as evidence for the purpose of any proceedings in respect of such an offence is in the possession of any person, he may make an order under this paragraph. (2) An order under this paragraph is an order that the person who appears to the justice to be in possession of the recorded information to which the application relates shall— (a) give an authorised person access to it, and (b) permit an authorised person to remove and take away any of it which he reasonably considers necessary, not later than the end of the period of 7 days beginning on the date of the order or the end of such longer period as the order may specify. (3) The reference in sub-paragraph (2)(a) above to giving an authorised person access to the recorded information to which the application relates includes a reference to permitting the authorised person to take copies of it or to make extracts from it. (4) Where the recorded information consists of information contained in a computer, an order under this paragraph shall have effect as an order to produce the information in a form in which it is visible and legible and, if the authorised person wishes to remove it, in a form in which it can be removed. (5) This paragraph is without prejudice to paragraphs 7 and 10 above.
	Procedure where documents etc. are removed
	12.—(1) An authorised person who removes anything in the exercise of a power conferred by or under paragraph 10 or 11 above shall, if so requested by a person showing himself— (a) to be the occupier of premises from which it was removed, or (b) to have had custody or control of it immediately before the removal, provide that person with a record of what he removed. (2) The authorised person shall provide the record within a reasonable time from the making of the request for it. (3) Subject to sub-paragraph (7) below, if a request for permission to be granted access to anything which— (a) has been removed by an authorised person, and (b) is retained by the Commissioners for the purposes of investigating an offence, is made to the officer in overall charge of the investigation by a person who had custody or control of the thing immediately before it was so removed or by someone acting on behalf of such a person, the officer shall allow the person who made the request access to it under the supervision of an authorised person. (4) Subject to sub-paragraph (7) below, if a request for a photograph or copy of any such thing is made to the officer in overall charge of the investigation by a person who had custody or control of the thing immediately before it was so removed, or by someone acting on behalf of such a person, the officer shall— (a) allow the person who made the request access to it under the supervision of an authorised person for the purpose of photographing it or copying it, or (b) photograph or copy it, or cause it to be photographed or copied. (5) Where anything is photographed or copied under sub-paragraph (4)(b) above the photograph or copy shall be supplied to the person who made the request. (6) The photograph or copy shall be supplied within a reasonable time from the making of the request. (7) There is no duty under this paragraph to grant access to, or to supply a photograph or copy of, anything if the officer in overall charge of the investigation for the purposes of which it was removed has reasonable grounds for believing that to do so would prejudice— (a) that investigation; (b) the investigation of an offence other than the offence for the purposes of the investigation of which the thing was removed; or (c) any criminal proceedings which may be brought as a result of— (i) the investigation of which he is in charge, or (ii) any such investigation as is mentioned in paragraph (b) above. (8) Any reference in this paragraph to the officer in overall charge of the investigation is a reference to the person whose name and address are endorsed on the warrant or order concerned as being the officer so in charge.
	13.—(1) Where, on an application made as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2) below, the appropriate judicial authority is satisfied that a person has failed to comply with a requirement imposed by paragraph 12 above, the authority may order that person to comply with the requirement within such time and in such manner as may be specified in the order. (2) An application under sub-paragraph (1) above shall be made— (a) in the case of a failure to comply with any of the requirements imposed by paragraph 12(1) and (2) above, by the occupier of the premises from which the thing in question was removed or by the person who had custody or control of it immediately before it was so removed, and (b) in any other case, by the person who had such custody or control. (3) In this paragraph "the appropriate judicial authority" means— (a) in England and Wales, a magistrates' court; (b) in Scotland, the sheriff; and (c) in Northern Ireland, a court of summary jurisdiction. (4) In England and Wales and Northern Ireland, an application for an order under this paragraph shall be made by way of complaint; and sections 21 and 42(2) of the [1954 c. 33(N.I.)] Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply as if any reference in those provisions to any enactment included a reference to this paragraph.
	Evidence by certificate, etc
	14.—(1) A certificate of the Commissioners— (a) that a person was or was not, at any date, registered under this Act; or (b) that any return required by or under this Act has not been made or had not been made at any date; or (c) that any statement or notification required to be submitted or given to the Commissioners in accordance with any regulations under paragraph 2(3) or (4) above has not been submitted or given or had not been submitted or given at any date; or (d) that any VAT shown as due in any return or assessment made in pursuance of this Act has not been paid; shall be sufficient evidence of that fact until the contrary is proved. (2) A photograph of any document furnished to the Commissioners for the purposes of this Act and certified by them to be such a photograph shall be admissible in any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, to the same extent as the document itself. (3) Any document purporting to be a certificate under sub-paragraph (1) or (2) above shall be deemed to be such a certificate until the contrary is proved.


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Prepared 20th September 2000