20513
Default surcharge – failure to make return and to pay tax in time due to unforeseen tax audit demands of another EU country – whether a reasonable excuse –no – whether the penalty disproportionate – no – appealed dismissed
LONDON TRIBUNAL CENTRE
SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB Appellant
- and -
THE COMMISSIONERS FOR HER MAJESTY'S
REVENUE AND CUSTOMS Respondents
Tribunal: Malcolm Gammie CBE QC (Chairman)
Praful Davda FCA
Sitting in public in London on 4 July 2007
Geoffrey Tack of Ernst & Young LLP for the Appellant
Matthew Barnes, counsel, instructed by the Solicitor for HM Revenue and Customs, for the Respondents
© CROWN COPYRIGHT 2007
DECISION
Introduction
The Facts
• Copies of the monthly VAT returns 1-12/2005 and 1-8/2006
• Copies of the EC Sales Lists 1-12/2005 and 1-8/2006
• Details for these periods on a monthly basis of the following:
- Taxable supplies
- Intra-community supplies
- Intra-community acquisitions
- Input VAT
- EC Sales Lists
• Book proof for intra-community supplies.
The parties' submissions
"Furthermore, I am unable to accept that reliance upon a trusted employee, to whom the relevant tasks were delegated, cannot bring the case within the words 'any other person' in the meaning of [s 71(1)(b)]. The words, in my judgment, bear their ordinary, wide meaning. Reliance upon 'any other person' does not restrict that reliance to outside advisers. It would, in my judgment, be just as if not more desirable to exclude reliance upon a person in a position such as Mr Nair as it would be to exclude reliance upon an outside accountant who would delay in similar circumstances. The company should have more control over its own servant than over an outsider."
Our decision
"96 It is clear that a system of penalties is necessary to ensure compliance and that, given that some 12 to 14 per cent of the 1.7 million registered traders still default in any one year, a system of surcharges is necessary based on the automatic assessment of penalties in given fact situations. A tax based penalty in which the percentage depends on the number of defaults is a logical system which takes account of two important aspects of the gravity of the infringement – the amount of tax involved and the compliance record of the trader.
97 The fact remains however that it is a blunt instrument which only takes limited account of the blameworthiness of the trader. If the trader cannot establish a reasonable excuse, the legislation takes no account of the difference between the trader who has made genuine efforts to comply albeit without success and the trader who has made very little effort and it takes no account whatever of the extent of lateness. Either the trader is on time or he is not; either he exercises due diligence or he does not. No account is taken of the degree of culpability. Indeed a trader may properly and reasonably rely on another to prepare his return and yet be liable for the dilatoriness of that other person; a defaulting trader is often criticised before the Tribunal for failing to obtain the necessary help when under pressure.
- In our opinion any lack of proportionality caused by those aspects of the regime would be met if there was a proper power to mitigate exercisable by the Tribunal. Any such power would be on a case by case basis although in order to promote consistency it would be necessary for the Tribunal and the Commissioners to develop guidelines."
MALCOLM GAMMIE
CHAIRMAN
RELEASE DATE: 21 December 2007
LON/07/0372