Part 1: Registration of Overseas Entities False statements Section 32: General false statement offence
Subsection (1) sets out it is an offence for a person, without reasonable excuse, to deliver or cause to be delivered to the Registrar for the purposes of Part 1 any document, or statement, that is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular; or to make a statement that is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular. The reasonable excuse defence ensures that the offence is not imposed unfairly (for example to cater for cases where an overseas entity reasonably relies on information provided by others which turns out to be untrue, or to prevent UK professionals assisting overseas entities with UK property transactions being prosecuted from having made an honest mistake).
	Subsection (2) sets out an offence under this section is aggravated if, when the document or statement is delivered, the person knows that it is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular.
	Subsection (3) sets out the penalty for the offence in subsection (1) in relation to convictions in England and Wales is a fine, and a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
	Subsection (4) sets out the penalty for an aggravated offence (see subsection (2)) in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland which includes imprisonment and/or a fine.