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Change year: 2010

Section 109 Payment of money standing in names of 2 or more persons

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(1) In this section-

"banker" means a person who carries on banking business in the State and includes a friendly society, an industrial and provident society, a building society, the Post Office Savings Bank, a trustee savings bank and any person with whom money is lodged or deposited;

"pay" includes transfer in the books of a banker and any dealings with any moneys which were lodged or deposited in the name of a person who died after the time of the lodgment or deposit and any other person or persons;

"current account" means an account which is customarily operated on by means of a cheque or banker's order;

"banking business" has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 of the Central Bank Act 1971;

references to moneys lodged or deposited include references to shares of a building society, friendly society or industrial and provident society.

What definitions apply in relation to payment of money from joint accounts?

(1) A banker means any person authorised by the Central Bank to carry on a banking business in the State. This includes: a building society, a friendly society, an industrial and provident society, the Post Office Savings Bank, a trustee savings bank...

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(2) Where, either before or after the passing of this Act, a sum of money exceeding [€50,000]1 is lodged or deposited (otherwise than on a current account) in the State with a banker, in the joint names of 2 or more persons, and one of such persons (in this section referred to as the deceased) dies on or after the date of the passing of this Act, the banker shall not pay such money or any part of such money to the survivor or all or any of the survivors of such persons, or to any other person, unless or until there is furnished to such banker a certificate by the Commissioners certifying that there is no outstanding claim for inheritance tax in connection with the death of the deceased in respect of such money or any part of such money or a consent in writing by the Commissioners to such payment pending the ascertainment and payment of such tax.

Amendments

1 Substituted by Finance Act 2010 section 147(1)(s) from 3 April 2010.

If I have a jointly held deposit account with a balance of over €50,000 and I am the survivor, what documents must I produce to the bank before I can withdraw money?

(2) Where you are the joint owner of a sum of €50,000 or more held in a joint deposit account, and the other joint holder dies after 31 March 1975, the banker (see (7)) must not pay any money from the account to you (the survivor) until he/she has ...

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(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, tax chargeable on the death of the deceased is deemed for the purposes of this section to become due on the day of the death of the deceased.

When is the tax chargeable on the death of the deceased due?

(3) Tax chargeable on the death of the deceased is due on the day of his/her death.

(4) A banker who, after the passing of this Act, pays money in contravention of this section is liable to a penalty of [€4,000]1.

Amendments

1 Substituted by Finance Act 2010 section 159 and Schedule 4 para 3(c) from 3 April 2010.

What penalty applies if a banker breaches these rules?

(4) A penalty of €4,000 applies to a banker who breaches these rules.

(5) Where a penalty is demanded of a banker under this section, the onus of proving that such certificate or such consent as is mentioned in this section was furnished to such banker before that banker paid such money shall lie on such banker.

In penalty proceedings against the banker, where does the onus of proof lie?

(5) In penalty proceedings, the onus of proving that a Revenue certificate or consent (see (2)) was given lies with the banker.

(6) Where a penalty is demanded of a banker under this section, it shall be a good defence to prove that, at the time when such banker paid such money, that banker had reasonable ground for believing that none of the persons in whose joint names such money was lodged or deposited with that banker was dead.

For a banker, what is a good defence in penalty proceedings?

(6) In penalty proceedings, it is a good defence if a banker can prove that when he/she made the payment from the account, he/she had reasonable grounds to believe that none of the joint account holders were dead.

(7) This section shall not apply where the sum of money referred to in subsection (2) is lodged or deposited in the joint names of 2 persons, one of whom dies on or after the date of the passing of this Act and is at the time of that person's death the spouse of that other person.

If my deposit account is jointly held with my spouse, do the provisions of this section apply?

(7) This section does not apply to money held in the joint names of you and your spouse, where one of you dies after 29 January 1985....

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