The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Tax Chamber) Rules 2009

Orders for costs U.K.

10.—(1) The Tribunal may only make an order in respect of costs (or, in Scotland, expenses)—

(a) under section 29(4) of the 2007 Act (wasted costs) [F1 and costs incurred in applying for such costs];

(b) if the Tribunal considers that a party or their representative has acted unreasonably in bringing, defending or conducting the proceedings; F2 ...

(c) if—

(i) the proceedings have been allocated as a Complex case under rule 23 (allocation of cases to categories); and

(ii) the taxpayer (or, where more than one party is a taxpayer, one of them) has not sent or delivered a written request to the Tribunal, within 28 days of receiving notice that the case had been allocated as a Complex case, that the proceedings be excluded from potential liability for costs or expenses under this sub-paragraph; [F3 or]

[F4 (d) in a MP expenses case, if—

(i) the case has been allocated as a Complex case under rule 23 (allocation of cases to categories); and

(ii) the appellant has not sent or delivered a written request to the Tribunal, within 28 days of receiving notice that the case had been allocated as a Complex case, that the proceedings be excluded from potential liability for costs or expenses under this sub-paragraph.]

(2) The Tribunal may make an order under paragraph (1) on an application or of its own initiative.

(3) A person making an application for an order under paragraph (1) must—

(a) send or deliver a written application to the Tribunal and to the person against whom it is proposed that the order be made; and

(b) send or deliver with the application a schedule of the costs or expenses claimed in sufficient detail to allow the Tribunal to undertake a summary assessment of such costs or expenses if it decides to do so.

(4) An application for an order under paragraph (1) may be made at any time during the proceedings but may not be made later than 28 days after the date on which the Tribunal sends—

(a) a decision notice recording the decision which finally disposes of all issues in the proceedings; or

(b) notice [F5 under rule 17(2) of its receipt of a withdrawal] which ends the proceedings.

(5) The Tribunal may not make an order under paragraph (1) against a person (the “paying person”) without first—

(a) giving that person an opportunity to make representations; and

(b) if the paying person is an individual, considering that person's financial means.

(6) The amount of costs (or, in Scotland, expenses) to be paid under an order under paragraph (1) may be ascertained by—

(a) summary assessment by the Tribunal;

(b) agreement of a specified sum by the paying person and the person entitled to receive the costs or expenses (the “receiving person”); or

(c) assessment of the whole or a specified part of the costs or expenses [F6 , including the costs or expenses of the assessment,] incurred by the receiving person, if not agreed.

(7) Following an order for assessment under paragraph (6)(c) the paying person or the receiving person may apply—

(a) in England and Wales, to a county court, the High Court or the Costs Office of the Supreme Court (as specified in the order) for a detailed assessment of the costs on the standard basis or, if specified in the order, on the indemnity basis; and the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 M1 shall apply, with necessary modifications, to that application and assessment as if the proceedings in the tribunal had been proceedings in a court to which the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 apply;

(b) in Scotland, to the Auditor of the Sheriff Court or the Court of Session (as specified in the order) for the taxation of the expenses according to the fees payable in that court; or

(c) in Northern Ireland, to the Taxing Office of the High Court of Northern Ireland for taxation on the standard basis or, if specified in the order, on the indemnity basis.

[F7 (7A) Upon making an order for the assessment of costs, the Tribunal may order an amount to be paid on account before the costs or expenses are assessed.]

(8) In this rule “taxpayer” means a party who is liable to pay, or has paid, the tax, duty, levy or penalty to which the proceedings relate or part of such tax, duty, levy or penalty, or whose liability to do so is in issue in the proceedings;

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in rule 10(1)(a) inserted (1.4.2013) by The Tribunal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2013 (S.I. 2013/477), rules 1(2)(c), 35

F2 Word in rule 10(1)(b) omitted (29.11.2010) by virtue of The Tribunal Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2010 (S.I. 2010/2653), rules 1, 6(4)(a)

F3 Word in rule 10(1)(c) inserted (29.11.2010) by The Tribunal Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2010 (S.I. 2010/2653), rules 1, 6(4)(b)

F4 Rule 10(1)(d) inserted (29.11.2010) by The Tribunal Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2010 (S.I. 2010/2653), rules 1, 6(4)(c)

F5 Words in rule 10(4) substituted (1.4.2013) by The Tribunal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2013 (S.I. 2013/477), rules 1(2)(c), 36

F6 Words in rule 10(6)(c) inserted (1.4.2013) by The Tribunal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2013 (S.I. 2013/477), rules 1(2)(c), 37

F7 Rule 10(7A) inserted (1.4.2013) by The Tribunal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2013 (S.I. 2013/477), rules 1(2)(c), 38

Marginal Citations

M1 S.I. 1998/3132.