Section 70 — Value Added Tax Act 1994: Mitigation of penalties under sections 60, 63, 64 , 67, 69A and 69C .

Mitigation of penalties under sections 60, 63, 64 , 67, 69A and 69C . 70 1 Where a person is liable to a penalty under section 60, 63, 64 , 67 , 69A or 69C or under paragraph 10 of Schedule 11A , the Commissioners or, on appeal, a tribunal may reduce the penalty to such amount (including nil) as they think proper.

2 In the case of a penalty reduced by the Commissioners under subsection (1) above, a tribunal, on an appeal relating to the penalty, may cancel the whole or any part of the reduction made by the Commissioners.

3 None of the matters specified in subsection (4) below shall be matters which the Commissioners or any tribunal shall be entitled to take into account in exercising their powers under this section.

4 Those matters are—

a the insufficiency of the funds available to any person for paying any VAT due or for paying the amount of the penalty;

b the fact that there has, in the case in question or in that case taken with any other cases, been no or no significant loss of VAT;

c the fact that the person liable to the penalty or a person acting on his behalf has acted in good faith.

5 In the application of subsections (3) and (4) in relation to a penalty under section 69C, subsection (4) has effect with the omission of paragraphs (b) and (c).