Finance Act, 1983

Appeals in other cases.

109.—(1) In this section—

“Appeal Commissioners” has the meaning assigned to it by section 156 of the Income Tax Act, 1967 ;

“appellant” means a person who appeals to the Appeal Commissioners under this section.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this Part, an assessable person who has been assessed to tax in respect of any relevant residential property and who is aggrieved by the assessment may, in accordance with the provisions of this section, appeal to the Appeal Commissioners against the assessment and the appeal shall be heard and determined by the Appeal Commissioners whose determination shall be final and conclusive unless the appeal is required to be reheard by a judge of the Circuit Court or a case is required to be stated in relation to it for the opinion of the High Court.

(3) An appeal shall not lie under this section in relation to the market value of residential property.

(4) A person who intends to appeal under this section against an assessment shall, within 30 days after the date of the assessment, give notice in writing to the Commissioners of his intention to appeal against the assessment.

(5) An appeal under this section against an assessment shall not be proceeded with or entertained by the Appeal Commissioners unless an amount equal to 75 per cent. of the amount of the assessment is paid to the Collector by or on behalf of the appellant:

Provided that this subsection shall not apply where the appellant is aggrieved by the assessment on the ground that he is entitled to exemption from tax by virtue of section 101 or on the ground that he is not an assessable person.

(6) (a) Subject to the provisions of this section, the provisions of the Income Tax Acts relating to—

(i) the appointment of times and places for the hearing of appeals;

(ii) the giving of notice to each person who has given notice of appeal of the time and place appointed for the hearing of his appeal;

(iii) the determination of an appeal by agreement between the appellant and the Commissioners;

(iv) the determination of an appeal by the appellant giving notice of his intention not to proceed with the appeal;

(v) the hearing, determination or dismissal of an appeal by the Appeal Commissioners, including the hearing, determination or dismissal of an appeal by one Appeal Commissioner;

(vi) the assessment having the same force and effect as if it were an assessment in respect of which no notice of appeal had been given where the person who has given notice of appeal does not attend before the Appeal Commissioners at the time and place appointed;

(vii) the extension of the time for giving notice of appeal and the readmission of appeals by the Appeal Commissioners and the provisions which apply where action by way of court proceedings has been taken;

(viii) the rehearing of an appeal by a judge of the Circuit Court and the statement of a case for the opinion of the High Court on a point of law;

(ix) the payment of tax in accordance with the determination of the Appeal Commissioners notwithstanding that an appeal is required to be reheard by a judge of the Circuit Court or that a case for the opinion of the High Court on a point of law has been required to be stated or is pending;

(x) the procedures for appeal,

shall, with any necessary modifications, apply to an appeal under this section as if the appeal were an appeal against an assessment to income tax.

(b) The Commissioners shall, subject to their giving notice in writing in that behalf to the appellant within 10 days after the determination of an appeal by the Appeal Commissioners, have the same right as the appellant to have the appeal reheard by a judge of the Circuit Court.

(c) The rehearing of an appeal under this section by a judge of the Circuit Court shall be by a judge of the Circuit Court in whose circuit the appellant resides:

Provided that—

(i) in any case where the appellant is not resident in the State, or

(ii) in any case where there is a doubt or a dispute as to the circuit,

the appeal shall be reheard by a judge of the Circuit Court assigned to the Dublin Circuit.

(7) (a) Any notice or other document which is required or authorised by this section to be served by the Commissioners or by an appellant may be served by post.

(b) Any notice or other document which is required or authorised to be served by the Commissioners on an appellant under this section may be sent to the solicitor, accountant or other agent of the appellant and a notice thus served shall be deemed to have been served on the appellant unless the appellant proves to the satisfaction of the Appeal Commissioners or the Circuit Court, as the case may be, that he had, before the notice or other document was served, withdrawn the authority of such solicitor, accountant or other agent to act on his behalf.

(8) Prima facie evidence of any notice given under this section by the Commissioners may be given in any proceedings by production of a document purporting to be a copy of the notice and it shall not be necessary to prove the official position of the person by whom the notice purports to be given or, if it is signed, the signature, or that the person signing and giving it was authorised so to do.