Finance (No. 2) Act, 1959
What is this act about?
This law amends the existing income tax legislation, specifically focusing on how income tax is handled for certain types of earnings, and introduces general changes to personal and earned income allowances and life insurance premium relief.
Who it applies to: Individuals receiving certain emoluments (employees); Persons paying emoluments (employers).
At a glance
- Country
- Ireland
- Area of law
- Tax law
- Articles
- 18
- Source
- irishstatutebook.ie
- Text retrieved
- Explanation updated
What does this act regulate?
- The method of computing and collecting income tax on specific types of earnings (emoluments).
- The process for employers to deduct or repay income tax from emoluments.
- The making of regulations by the Revenue Commissioners for the administration of this tax system.
- General amendments to personal allowance, earned income allowance, and life insurance premiums.
Who does this act apply to?
- Individuals receiving certain emoluments (employees).
- Persons paying emoluments (employers).
What are the key points?
- Income tax on applicable emoluments for 1960-61 and subsequent years will be computed based on the amount of those emoluments for the year.
- Employers must deduct or repay income tax from emolument payments made during 1960-61 and subsequent years, even if tax hasn't been formally imposed or assessed yet.
- Regulations will be made by the Revenue Commissioners for the assessment, charge, collection, and recovery of this income tax, including provisions for penalties and interest.
- Part III of this Act, which includes general amendments, will come into operation on April 6, 1960.
Tax law
Legal text
Legal text
Finance (No. 2) Act, 1959 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge Léim go dtí an t-ábhar Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General Táirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris Oifigiúil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.ie) Translations (Houses of the Oireachtas) Government Publications for Sale EU Law (EUR-Lex) FAQ Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Search Baile Reachtaíocht Achtanna an Oireachtais Ionstraimí Reachtúla Reachtaíocht Réamh-1922 Bunreacht Acmhainní Seachtracha Billí (Tithe an Oireachtais) Iris Oifigiúil Achtanna Athbhreithnithe (CAD) (An Coimisiún um Athchóiriú an Dlí) Liosta Rangaithe Reachtaíochta Aistriúcháin (achtanna.ie) Aistriúcháin (Tithe an Oireachtais) Foilseacháin Rialtais ar Díol Dlí AE (EUR-Lex) CCanna (Ceisteanna Coitianta) Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach Cuardach TitleTeideal Year(s) or rangeBliain nó blianta nó raon TypeCineál All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 1959 Finance (No. 2) Act, 1959 Finance (No. 2) Act, 1959 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 42 of 1959.
FINANCE (No. 2) ACT, 1959.
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
PART I.
Preliminary and General.
Section
Section 1
Short title and construction.
Section 2
Commencement of Part III.
PART II.
Income Tax in respect of certain Emoluments.
Section 3
Interpretation (Part II).
Section 4
Application.
Section 5
Basis of computation and method of collection of income tax on certain emoluments.
Section 6
Regulations.
Section 7
Penalties.
Section 8
Interest.
Section 9
Payment by means of stamps.
Section 10
Charge to tax in the case of certain increases.
Section 11
Recovery.
Section 12
Priority in bankruptcy, etc.
Section 13
Supplemental provisions.
Section 14
Special provisions for the year 1960-61.
PART III.
General Amendments.
Section 15
Personal allowance.
Section 16
Earned income allowance.
Section 17
Life insurance premiums, etc.
Section 18
Repeals.
Acts Referred to Income Tax Act, 1918 1918, c. 40 Finance Act, 1923 1923, No. 21 Finance Act, 1924 1924, No. 27 Finance Act, 1958 1958, No. 25 Preferential Payments in Bankruptcy (Ireland) Act, 1889 1889, c. 60 Companies (Consolidation) Act, 1908 1908, c. 69 Finance Act, 1921 1921, c. 32 Finance Act, 1954 1954, No. 22, Finance Act, 1920 1920, c. 18 Finance Act, 1951 1951, No. 15 Finance Act, 1952 1952, No. 14 Finance Act, 1953 1953, No 21 Finance Act, 1932 1932, No. 20 Finance Act, 1959 1959, No. 18 Number 42 of 1959.
FINANCE (No. 2) ACT, 1959.
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW RELATING TO INCOME TAX (INCLUDING SUR-TAX). [22nd December, 1959.] BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:—
PART I.
Preliminary and General.
Short title and construction.
1.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1959.
Commencement of Part III.
2.—
Part III
of this Act shall come into operation on the 6th day of April, 1960.
PART II.
Income Tax in respect of certain Emoluments.
Interpretation (Part II).
3.—In this Part of this Act, except where the context otherwise requires— “emoluments” means anything assessable to income tax under Schedule-E and references to payments of emoluments include references to payments on account of emoluments; “employee” means any person in receipt of emoluments; “employer” means any person paying emoluments; “tax deduction card” means a tax deduction card in the form prescribed by the Revenue Commissioners or such other document corresponding to a tax deduction card as may be authorised by the Revenue Commissioners in any particular case; “income tax month” means a month beginning on the 6th day of any of the months of April to March in any year of assessment.
Application.
4.—This Part of this Act applies to all emoluments except emoluments which are— (a) emoluments arising from an office or employment of any class which is such that, in relation to the year 1958-59, tax on emoluments from an office or employment of that class was deductible or treated as deductible from the emoluments under any Rule, other than Rule 7, of the Rules applicable to Schedule E, (b) emoluments in respect of which the employer has been notified by the Revenue Commissioners that they are emoluments which arise from an office or employment and from which, in the opinion of the Revenue Commissioners having regard to the circumstances of the office or employment, the deduction of tax by reference to the provisions of this Act is impracticable, or (c) emoluments in respect of which the employer has been notified by the Revenue Commissioners that they are emoluments which arise from an office or employment held by a person in the course of a trade, profession or vocation and which are or will be taken into account in computing the profits or gains of that trade, profession or vocation for the purposes of income tax.
Basis of computation and method of collection of income tax on certain emoluments.
5.—(1) Income tax for the year 1960-61 or any subsequent year of assessment in respect of emoluments to which this Part of this Act applies shall be computed on the amount of those emoluments for the year and not otherwise.
Regulations.
6.—(1) The Revenue Commissioners shall make regulations with respect to the assessment, charge, collection and recovery of income tax in respect of emoluments to which this Part of this Act applies, being tax for the year 1960-61 or any subsequent year of assessment, or tax for any previous year of assessment remaining unpaid, and those regulations may, in particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, include provision— (a) for requiring any employer making any payment of emoluments to which this Part of this Act applies, when he makes the payment, to make a deduction or repayment of tax calculated by reference to the rate of income tax for the year and any allowances, deductions and reliefs appropriate in the case of the employee as indicated by the particulars on the tax deduction card supplied in respect of the employee by the Revenue Commissioners, and for rendering persons who are required to make any such deduction or repayment, in the case of a deduction (whether or not made), accountable for the amount of the tax, and liable to pay that amount, to the Revenue Commissioners and, in the case of a repayment, entitled, if it has been made, to be paid it, or given credit for it, by the Revenue Commissioners; (b) for the production to and inspection by persons authorised by the Revenue Commissioners of wages sheets and other documents and records for the purpose of satisfying themselves that tax in respect of emoluments to which this Part of this Act applies has been and is being duly deducted, repaid and accounted for; (c) for the collection and recovery, whether by deduction from emoluments paid in any later year or otherwise, of tax in respect of emoluments to which this Part of this Act applies which has not been deducted or otherwise recovered during the year; (d) for appeals with respect to matters arising under the regulations which would not otherwise be the subject of an appeal; (e) for the deduction of tax at the standard rate in such cases or classes of cases as may be provided for by the regulations; (f) for requiring every employer who pays emoluments to which this Part of this Act applies exceeding the limits specified in subsection (5) of this section to notify the Revenue Commissioners within the period specified in the regulations that he is such an employer; (g) for requiring every employer who pays emoluments to which this Part of this Act applies exceeding the limits specified in subsection (5) of this section to keep and maintain a register of his employees in such manner as may be specified in the regulations, and, on being required so to do by the Revenue Commissioners by notice, to deliver the register to the Revenue Commissioners within the period specified in the notice;
(h) for treating persons who are not employers as employers in such cases or classes of cases as may be provided for by the regulations.
Penalties.
7.—(1) If any person does not comply with any provision of regulations under this Act requiring him to send any return, statement, notification or certificate or to produce any wages sheets or other records or documents, he shall be liable to a penalty of twenty pounds, together with, in the case of a continuing non-compliance, a penalty of the like amount for every day on which the non-compliance is continued.
Interest.
8.—Where any amount of tax which an employer is liable under this Part of this Act and any regulations thereunder to pay to the Revenue Commissioners is not so paid, simple interest on the amount shall be paid by the employer to the Revenue Commissioners and such interest shall be calculated from the expiration of the period specified in the regulations for the payment of the amount and at the rate of one per cent. for each month or part of a month during which the amount remains unpaid.
Payment by means of stamps.
9.—(1) The Revenue Commissioners may make regulations enabling an employer who is required to deduct tax from emoluments to which this Part of this Act applies to make, subject to being authorised for the time being by the Revenue Commissioners so to do, payment of the tax deductible by means of stamps to be affixed, by the employer making the deduction, to stamp books supplied by the Revenue Commissioners.
Charge to tax in the case of certain increases.
10.—(1) Where— (a) a person holds an office or employment in the year 1959-60 under such circumstances that the emoluments arising therefrom are assessable by reference to the amount thereof for the year 1958-59, and (b) the emoluments of that office or employment for the year 1959-60 exceed the emoluments thereof for the year 1958-59, then, subject to subsection (2) of this section, the amount of the excess shall be added to the income arising from the office or employment as computed for the purposes of income tax for the year 1959-60 and charged to tax (including sur-tax) accordingly.
Recovery.
11.—(1) (a) The provisions of any enactment relating to the recovery of income tax charged under Schedule E shall apply to the recovery of any amount of tax which an employer is liable under this Part of this Act and any regulations thereunder to pay to the Revenue Commissioners by reference to any income tax month as if the said amount had been charged on the employer under Schedule E. (b) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (a) of this subsection, that subsection applies the provisions of section 162 of the Income Tax Act, 1918, section 7 of the Finance Act, 1923 , sections 11 and 38 of the Finance Act, 1924 , and section 54 of the Finance Act, 1958 . (c) Provisions as applied by this subsection shall so apply subject to any modifications specified by regulations under section 6 of this Act.
Priority in bankruptcy, etc.
12.—(1) There shall be included among the debts which, under section 4 of the Preferential Payments in Bankruptcy (Ireland) Act, 1889, are to be paid in priority to all other debts in the distribution of the property of a bankrupt, arranging debtor, or person dying insolvent, so much as is unpaid of the employer's liability for the period of twelve months next before the date on which the order of adjudication of the bankrupt was made, the petition of arrangement of the debtor was filed, or, as the case may be, the person died insolvent.
Supplemental provisions.
13.—(1) No assessment under Schedule E for the year 1960-61 or for any subsequent year of assessment need be made in respect of emoluments to which this Part of this Act applies except where— (a) the person assessable, by notice in writing given to the inspector of taxes within five years from the end of the year of assessment, requires an assessment to be made, (b) the emoluments paid in the year of assessment are not the same in amount as the emoluments which fall to be treated as the emoluments for that year, or (c) there is reason to suppose that the emoluments would, if assessed, fall to be taken into account in computing the total income for sur-tax purposes of a person who is liable to sur-tax or would be so liable if an assessment were made in respect of the emoluments.
Special provisions for the year 1960-61.
14.—(1) Regulations under this Part of this Act— (a) shall not require a deduction or repayment of tax to be made on the payment of emoluments which are paid before the 6th day of October, 1960, and (b) in relation to deductions and repayments of tax to be made on the payment of emoluments which are paid during the period commencing on the 6th day of October, 1960, and ending on the 5th day of April, 1961, shall contain provisions for securing that in the estimation, for the purposes of subsection (3) of section 6 of this Act, of the total tax payable in respect of emoluments for the year 1960-61 regard shall be had to the subsequent provisions of this section.
In this paragraph “personal reliefs” has the same meaning as in section 9 of the Finance Act, 1958 , subject to also including any relief under section 2 of the Finance Act, 1954 , any deduction under Rule 9 of the Rules applicable to Schedule E and any deduction in respect of wear and tear or obsolescence of any machinery or plant allowable under Rule 6 or 7 of the Rules applicable to Cases I and II of Schedule D. (b) The total amount of emoluments from all sources having been ascertained, that total shall, for the purposes of paragraph (a) of this subsection, be diminished by the amount of any deductions in respect of payments made by the person or his wife or in respect of losses, being deductions falling to be made from the emoluments in computing the total income of the person for the year 1960-61, and, for this purpose, any deductions which fall to be made in computing total income and which may be treated as made in whole or part from income other than the emoluments shall, as far as may be, be treated as falling to be made from such other income.
PART III.
General Amendments.
Personal allowance.
15.—(1) Subsection (1) of section 18 of the Finance Act, 1920 , is hereby amended by the substitution of “a deduction of three hundred and ninety-four pounds” for “a deduction of three hundred and ten pounds” and the substitution of “a deduction of two hundred and thirty-four pounds” for “a deduc tion of one hundred and fifty pounds”.
Earned income allowance.
16.—(1) The following provision shall be substituted for section 16 of the Finance Act, 1920 : “An individual who makes, in the manner prescribed by the Income Tax Acts, a claim in that behalf and makes a return in the prescribed form of his total income shall, for the purposes of ascertaining the amount of his assessable income for the purposes of income tax, be allowed a deduction from the amount of his earned income as estimated in accordance with the Income Tax Acts of a sum equal to one-fourth of that income, but not exceeding, in the case of any individual, the sum of four hundred and fifty pounds.”
(2)
Section 4
of the Finance Act, 1951 , shall be construed and have effect as if a reference to subsection (1) of this section were substituted in subsection (2) for the reference to subsection (1) of section 2 of the Finance Act, 1952 .
Life insurance premiums, etc.
17.—(1) This section applies to premiums payable on policies of insurance or contracts for deferred annuities, being policies or contracts made after the 22nd day of June, 1916, and also to sums referred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 32 of the Income Tax Act, 1918.
(5)
Section 9
of the Finance Act, 1958 , is hereby amended as follows: (i) in paragraph (a) of subsection (2) “or section 17 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1959,” shall be inserted after “Income Tax Act, 1918,”; (ii) in subsection (6) “under section 17 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1959,” shall be inserted after “Income Tax Act, 1918,”.
Repeals.
18.—
Section 23
of the Finance Act, 1920 , subsection (4) of section 3 of the Finance Act, 1932 , subsections (1) and (2) of section 4 of the Finance Act, 1952 , and subsection (2) of section 1 of the Finance Act, 1959 , are hereby repealed.
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