Finance Act 2004

252 Notices requiring documents or particulars

(1) The Inland Revenue may by notice require any person of a description prescribed by regulations made by the Board of Inland Revenue—

(a) to produce to the Inland Revenue, or to make available for inspection by the Inland Revenue, any documents within the person’s possession or power relating to any of the matters mentioned in subsection (3) which the Inland Revenue may reasonably require, and

(b) to provide to the Inland Revenue any particulars relating to any of those matters which the Inland Revenue may reasonably require.

(2) The Inland Revenue may by notice require any other person to produce to the Inland Revenue, or to make available for inspection by the Inland Revenue, any documents within the person’s possession or power which—

(a) relate to any of the matters mentioned in subsection (3), and

(b) were created not more than six years before the day on which the notice is given,

and which the Inland Revenue may reasonably require.

(3) The matters referred to in subsections (1) and (2) are—

(a) any matter relating to a registered pension scheme,

(b) any matter relating to a pension scheme which has ceased to be a registered pension scheme,

(c) any matter relating to a pension scheme in relation to which an application for registration has been made,

(d) any matter relating to an annuity purchased with sums or assets held for the purposes of a registered pension scheme,

(e) the coming into operation of an employer-financed retirement benefits scheme, and

(f) the provision of relevant benefits under an employer-financed retirement benefits scheme.

(4) In subsection (3)—

• “employer-financed retirement benefits scheme”, and

• “relevant benefits”,

have the same meaning as in Chapter 2 of Part 6 of ITEPA 2003 (see sections 393A and 393B of that Act).

(5) A notice under this section must specify the period within which it is to be complied with; and that period may not end earlier than the period of 30 days beginning with the day on which the notice is given.

(6) A notice under subsection (2) must specify the pension scheme or employer-financed retirement benefits scheme to which it relates.

(7) The Inland Revenue must notify the scheme administrator of the pension scheme, or the responsible person in relation to theemployer-financed retirement benefits scheme, to which such a notice relates that the notice has been given no later than the end of the period of 30 days beginning with the day on which it is given.

(8) In subsection (7) “responsible person” has the same meaning as in Chapter 2 of Part 6 of ITEPA 2003 (see section 399A of that Act).

(9) A person may comply with a notice under this section requiring the production of a document by producing a copy of the document.

(10) But where a person produces a copy of a document in compliance with a notice under this section the Inland Revenue may by notice require the production of the original for inspection within a period specified in the notice; and that period may not end earlier than the period of 30 days beginning with the day on which the notice is given.

(11) The Inland Revenue may take copies of, or make extracts from, any document produced in compliance with a notice under this section.

(12) A notice under this section does not require a person—

(a) to produce or make available for inspection any document, or

(b) to provide any particulars,

relating to any pending appeal by the person relating to tax.