We recently highlighted the importance of ensuring HMRC have taken the right steps in terms of the use of their powers – see Make Sure HMRC Notices are Valid! – Technicalities and Human Rights Law. This has been confirmed by a further recent case which again shows the importance of checking the facts.
In A Revell v HMRC the First-Tier Tribunal was asked to consider whether HMRC had acted correctly within the legislative framework for their powers. The taxpayer in the case had voluntarily submitted a tax return for 2008/09. HMRC had sent the request to deliver a return to the wrong address, despite having received the updated address for the taxpayer.
HMRC attempted to enquire into the return and determined that further tax should have been due. The taxpayer, however, appealed on the basis that the enquiry was invalid because he had not received a notice requesting a return under TMA 1970, s8.
The First-tier Tribunal agreed that no request to deliver a return had been made due to it being sent to the wrong address. They found that the taxpayer had not waived the requirement for the issue of a notice to file under TMA 1970, s8 by submitting a voluntary return. As such, they determined that his return should be treated as a notice of liability to income tax under s.7 and not a self-assessment return.
The appeal was therefore allowed. In addition, as the time limit to request a return had expired HMRC’s only further option would be to issue a discovery assessment. This would appear to then bring further technical considerations into play, as to whether such a discovery assessment itself would be valid based on case law (see our blog post on some of the case law in this area for further information).
This case again shows the importance of ensuring HMRC are acting within their powers as a first step. It also appears to raise some interesting questions as to the implications for making a voluntary tax return, as the Tribunal found that these should not be treated as a self-assessment return.