Introduction Details of the Sections Appeals out of time
40.Section 216 sets out what happens when there is a late appeal against a final judicial ruling, so that the judicial ruling is no longer final.  This could happen some time after HMRC issues a ‘follower notice’, at a time when that decision was regarded as final.
41.Subsection (2) provides for a follower notice to be suspended if an appeal is accepted by a court out of time in respect of a relevant ruling, until HMRC notifies the taxpayer that the appeal has been abandoned or has reached a final ruling.
42.Subsection (3) states that the limits of 90 days, or where appropriate 30 days, for the taxpayer to comply with a follower notice do not include the period during which a notice is suspended. This also applies to the ‘payment period’ for an accelerated payment.
43.Subsection (6) provides that unless cancelled a follower notice continues once HMRC notifies the taxpayer that the suspension is over and, if relevant, that the new judicial ruling is now the final one for the purposes of the notice.
44.Subsection (7)(b) requires HMRC to include in a notice issued under subsection (2) any changes to the final notice needed to take account of a new final ruling.
45.Subsection (8) prevents the issue of further follower notices to other taxpayers in respect of the matter under appeal, unless that appeal is abandoned or otherwise disposed of before it is determined.  If the late appeal results in a new final ruling, subsection (9) permits follower notices to be issued in relation to that new ruling.
46.Subsection (10) provides that when such an appeal is abandoned, the period between when the person was given leave to appeal and the abandonment of the appeal does not count towards the limit of 12 months from the date of the final ruling for HMRC to issue a follower notice.