891K. Implementation of Council Directive (EU) 2021/514 of 22 March 2021 amending Directive 2011/16/EU on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation in relation to presence requests

(1) For the purpose of this section—

“administrative enquiry” means any control, check or other action carried out by an authorised officer by virtue of Regulation 14 of the Regulations of 2012;

“authorised officer” means a person appointed as an authorised officer under Regulation 12 of the Regulations of 2012;

“books, records or other documents” has the same meaning as in section 900(1);

“competent authority” means the authority designated as such by a Member State for the purposes of the Directive and, in relation to the State, means the Revenue Commissioners;

“Directive” means Council Directive 2011/16/EU of 15 February 2011¹ as amended by Council Directive 2014/107/EU of 9 December 2014,² Council Directive (EU) 2015/2376 of 8 December 2015³, Council Directive (EU) 2016/881 of 25 May 2016⁴, Council Directive (EU) 2016/2258 of 6 December 2016⁵, Council Directive (EU) 2018/822 of 25 May 2018⁶, Council Directive (EU) 2020/876 of 24 June 2020⁷ and Council Directive (EU) 2021/514 of 22 March 2021⁸;

“foreign tax official” means an official who is—

(a) authorised by the requesting authority pursuant to Article 11.1 of the Directive to act in the capacity of a competent authority on behalf of the Member State concerned, or

(b) authorised by the requesting authority under the Directive to assist or represent the official referred to in paragraph (a) in the performance of his or her functions;

“nominated officer” means a foreign tax official to whom a written authorisation has been given to perform the functions conferred by virtue of this section;

“requested authority” means the Revenue Commissioners;

“Regulations of 2012” means the European Union (Administrative Cooperation in the Field of Taxation) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 549 of 2012);

“written authorisation” has the meaning given to it by subsection (2).

(2) For the purposes of the performance of the functions conferred by virtue of this section on a foreign tax official, the Revenue Commissioners may issue an authorisation in writing (in this section referred to as a ‘written authorisation’) to such foreign tax official which shall contain—

(a) the name of the foreign tax official and a statement that he or she is a nominated officer,

(b) a photograph and signature of that official,

(c) particulars of that official's authorisation under this section,

(d) the duration of the written authorisation,

(e) the name of the person who is the subject of the administrative enquiry concerned,

(f) a hologram showing the logo of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, and

(g) the facsimile signature of a Revenue Commissioner.

(3) Subject to subsections (4) and (5), a foreign tax official may, by agreement between the requested authority and the requesting authority and in accordance with the arrangements laid down by the requested authority, with a view to exchanging information for the purposes of the Directive—

(a) be present in the offices where the requested authority performs its functions,

(b) be present during administrative enquiries carried out by the requested authority, and

(c) participate, by electronic means where appropriate, in the administrative enquiries carried out by the requested authority.

(4) A foreign tax official may only be present or participate in administrative enquiries, pursuant to subsection (3), where such foreign tax official is a nominated officer.

(5) In respect of a nominated officer being present or participating in administrative enquiries pursuant to subsection (3), that presence or participation in such enquiries means—

(a) reviewing books, records or other documents to which the competent authority has access for the purposes of the enquiry concerned, and

(b) requesting, from any person present during the course of the enquiry concerned, reasonable assistance, including providing information and explanations required by the nominated officer, where such assistance, information and explanations would be available to the competent authority for the purposes of the enquiry concerned,

to the extent that—

(i) such presence or participation by the nominated officer relates solely to the requested information, and

(ii) any information sought by the nominated officer relates solely to the requested information.

(6) Nothing in this section shall be construed as permitting a nominated officer to carry out any enquiries other than when participating in administrative enquiries commenced and carried out by the competent authority.

(7) A nominated officer performing the functions conferred on him or her by virtue of this section shall, on request, produce—

(a) his or her written authorisation, and

(b) his or her authorisation from the requesting authority stating his or her identity and official capacity.

(8) Where, in the performance of any functions under this section in relation to him or her, a nominated officer is requested to produce or show his or her authorisation for the purposes of this section, the production by the nominated officer of his or her written authorisation—

(a) shall be taken as evidence of authorisation under this section, and

(b) shall satisfy an obligation under this section which requires the nominated officer to produce such authorisation on request.

(9) A word or expression which is used in this section and which is also used in the Directive has, unless the context otherwise requires, the same meaning in this section as it has in the Directive.