CTM94240 | CTSA: penalties for late returns: More than one tax-related penalty for the same accounting period

From HM Revenue & Customs · Company Taxation Manual

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Companies may be liable to two or more tax-related penalties in relation to the same amount of CT.

For example, a penalty can arise under both and .

When a company incurs more than one tax-related penalty for the same accounting period,then only one such penalty, whichever is the greater or greatest, is imposed on each slice of relevant tax.

Example

Company tax return-
Filing date30 September 2000
Accounts and return filed1 May 2001
Tax payable£25,000
Paid by 31 March 2001 (18 months after the filing date)£5000
Unpaid tax at 18 month point£20,000
Paragraph 18 tax-related penalty based on unpaid tax at 31 March 2001£20000 x 10% = £2000
Enquiries establish negligent submission of incorrect accounts. Revised tax payable£30,000
Paragraph 20 maximum penalty£30000 - £25000 = £5000

Using an agreed penalty abatement for the Paragraph 20 penalty, the penalty calculation is:

Penalty-
Paragraph 18 penalty £20,000 x 10% =£2,000
Paragraph 20 penalty £ 5,000 x 30% =£1,500
Total£3,500

If there had been no Paragraph 20 culpability attaching to the additional £5000.00 the total Paragraph 18 penalty would have been 25000 X 10% = £2,500