COM110020 - Pursuit: automatic and clerical pursuit: automatic pursuit
Where the Pursuit Status (Word 40KB) shown in Function VPPD (View Payment and Posting Details) is ‘AUTO’, COTAX automatically issues
- Payment reminders 28 days before the normal due date (Word 49KB) and 42 days before the filing date.
- A payment application, (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000) (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000) for unpaid liability after
- The normal due date for a non Quarterly Instalment Payment case
Or
- The final payment due date for an Instalment Payment case
A DN1 (first application) for an AP is usually issued as part of the Revenue Determination or Penalty Determination. Except in those cases, payment applications are not automatically issued if the outstanding amount is £100,000 or more.
You can find information about automatic pursuit for Quarterly Instalment Payment cases at COM95000 onwards.
You can view details of
- The last pursuit action taken using Function VPPD (View Payment and Posting Details)
- All pursuit actions, including the issue of payment reminders, payment applications and when a charge was made LA using Function DPUR (Display Pursuit Action). Function DPUR displays the date the action occurred and where a payment application was issued, the amount requested for payment. The pursuit actions are shown on screen as an Action History Type (Word 52KB)
- The payment due date in Function DINT (Display Interest Computation)
All payment applications for tax show
- Credit interest where given, under the heading ‘Less Payments already made including any credit interest’
- Debit interest where charged and late payment interest accrued to the date of issue of the payment application under the heading ‘Interest accrued including any debit interest’
For more information about the amount of interest shown on payment applications see COM83000.
It is mandatory for all companies to pay their Corporation Tax and related liabilities electronically. Related liabilities include interest charges on overdue CT and penalties for not filing CT returns on time. All payment applications include a payslip that shows the reference the company needs to make payment electronically.
The remainder of this subject is presented as follows
Payment reminders
Synchronisation of payment applications
Address on reminders and payment applications
Stopping automatic payment application issue
Prolonged pursuit
Payment reminders
Up to two payment reminders can be issued. A PR1 reminder may be issued 28 days before the normal due date and a PR2 reminder 42 days before the filing date.
A reminder after the due date is not issued if a return is logged. In addition, irrespective of whether a return has been logged, a reminder is not issued for an AP if any of the following circumstances apply
- The company has ceased
- The company is insolvent
- A nil return has been received
- A suspension is recorded on the AP
- The Inhibit Penalty Indicator is set
- The AP status is ‘dormant’, ‘superseded’ or ‘exempt’
- The AP shows a net payment but a payment reminder is issued if an amount has been reallocated to the AP
- The AP is referred for clerical pursuit (Word 28KB)
- All the addresses on the record are RLS
Synchronisation of payment applications
A fresh series of payment applications is not started where the AP is working LA (Word 28KB) with the Debt Management Office and the charge is either increased or decreased and leaves a collectible amount.
The amended charge details are notified and updated on IDMS.
When a penalty is charged or amended it is included on payment applications as follows
| Situation on AP | Effect on existing payment application cycle |
|---|---|
| No tax collectible | New cycle of payment applications issued after the 30 day appeal period has expired. Note: A first application is issued with the notice of penalty determination |
| Tax collectible | Penalty is included on the first payment application to be issued after the 30 day appeal period has expired. If a payment application is to be issued before this date the payment application does not include the penalty |
| AP subject to clerical pursuit at the Debt Management Office | No new payment applications issued. The penalty is referred to the Debt Management Office immediately |
Interest charged or amended does not start a new cycle of payment applications where tax or penalties are also being applied for.
Address on reminders and payment applications
COTAX issues reminders and payment applications to the first available address in the following order
- Communication address
- Company address (Registered Office)
Where the address on a company record is an overseas address see COM110130.
Stopping automatic payment application issue
Automatic pursuit by payment application stops when any one of the following applies
- The collectible amount is
- Cleared
- Stood-over
- Suspended
(This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
- (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
- All the addresses on the record are RLS
- The company is insolvent
- The AP is referred for clerical pursuit
- An automatic RFI condition (Word 33KB) is created
- The PLA signal has been set to ‘Y’ using Function RTPP (Revise Taxpayer Pursuit)
- The company is struck-off
(This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
- (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
(This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
- (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
Further information on making an informal stand over can be found at COM10070.
In addition the Debt Management Office and Banking Operations can use
- Function RSUS (Record / Amend Suspension) to suspend collection of liability. This stops payment application issue for up to 60 days
- Function RAPP (Revise AP Pursuit) to
- Inhibit the issue of payment reminders and payment applications
- Restart a payment application sequence
- Make the collectible amount subject to clerical pursuit
Prolonged pursuit
A case appears on the Banking Operations PURL (Prolonged Pursuit Cases List) work list if
- A collectible amount has been outstanding for 6 months or more
And
- A payment application has not been issued for over 3 months
For more information about this work list see COM114000 and COM140000 onwards.
For a list of forms relevant to this subject, see COM110021.
For a list of functions to use in particular situations, see COM110022.
For legislation applying to this subject, see COM110023.