Hansard

Recovery Of Tax Credits Incorrectly Paid

Volume 82: debated on Wednesday 10 July 1985

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1. — (1) Where the provisions of section [Withdrawal of right of certain non-resident companies to payment of tax credits] of this Act apply so as to withdraw the entitlement of a company to claim to have a tax credit in respect of a qualifying distribution set against the income tax chargeable on its income and to have the excess of the credit over that income tax paid to it and the company (in this paragraph referred to as "the recipient company") has either had that excess paid to it, or has received an additional amount in accordance with arrangements made under Regulation 2(1) of the Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (General) (Dividend) Regulations 1973, it shall be liable to a fine for the violation of the provisions of section [Withdrawal of right of certain non-resident companies to payment of tax credits] of this Act equal to twice the amount of the excess or additional amount as the case may be and such fine (in this section referred to as "the recoverable amount") shall be payable to the Board and be treated as having become payable at the date when the excess or additional amount was paid to the recipient company and may be recovered in accordance with subparagraphs (2) to (5) below.

(2) The recoverable amount may be assessed and recovered as if it were unpaid tax and section 30 of the Taxes Management Act 1970 (recovery of overpayment of tax, etc) shall apply accordingly.

(3) Any amount which may be assessed and recovered as if it were unpaid tax by virtue of this paragraph shall carry interest at the rate of 9 per cent. per annum from the date when it was payable in accordance with this paragraph until the date it is paid and it is hereby declared that this paragraph applies to a recoverable amount which is paid without the making of an assessment (but is paid after it is due) and that, where the recoverable amount is charged by any assessment (whether or not any part of it has been paid when the assessment is made), this paragraph applies in relation to interest running before, as well as after, the making of the assessment.

(4) Where the recoverable amount is not paid by the recipient company within six months from the date on which it became payable—

  • (a) the recoverable amount may at any time within six years from the date on which it became payable be assessed and recovered as if it were unpaid tax due from any person who is or was at any time prior to the expiration of the said six year period connected with the recipient company, or would have been connected on the assumption that all the facts and circumstances relating to the recipient company at the time the excess or additional amount as the case may be was paid continued to apply for six years thereafter, and section 30 of the Taxes Management Act 1970 shall apply accordingly, and
  • (b) as respects its accounting periods beginning with that in which the excess or additional amount referred to in sub-paragraph (1) above was paid and ending with that following that in which the recoverable amount is paid in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph, the company which made the qualifying distribution in respect of which the recipient company received the excess or additional amount shall not be entitled to set any advance corporation tax paid by it against its liability to corporation tax for such periods in accordance with section 85 of the Finance Act 1972 (payments of advance corporation tax to be set against company's liability to corporation tax on its income) nor to surrender the benefit of the whole or any part of any amount of advance corporation tax to a subsidiary in accordance with section 92 of that Act (setting of company's surplus advance corporation tax against subsidiary's liability) in such periods.

    • (5) Where a recoverable amount is assessed and recovered from a person connected with the recipient company in accordance with sub-paragraph (4) (a) above, that person shall be liable for the interest payable in accordance with sub-paragraph (3) above and, until the interest is so paid, sub-paragraph (4) (b) above shall apply as if the words "the interest due in accordance wih subparagraph (3) above is paid" were substituted for the words "the recoverable amount is paid in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph".

    (6) Interest payable under this paragraph shall be paid without any deduction of income tax and shall not be allowed as a deduction in computing any income, profits or losses for any tax purposes.

    (7) Where under the law in force in a territory outside the United Kingdom interest is payable subject to a deduction in respect of taxation and such deduction applies to an amount of interest paid in accordance with sub-paragraph (3) above, the reference to the rate of 9 per cent. per annum in that sub-paragraph shall be deemed to be a reference to such rate of interest as after such deduction shall be equal to the rate of 9 per cent, per annum.