Stamp Duties Consolidation Act 1999 section 159C

Time limits for making enquiries etc. and assessments by the Commissioners

Section 159C imposes a general four-year time limit on Revenue making enquiries or raising assessments in relation to stamp duty on a relevant instrument, subject to an exception for fraud or neglect.

• Revenue may not initiate enquiries into the correctness of a stamp duty charge on a relevant instrument after the four-year relevant period has expired.
• Revenue may not raise an assessment in relation to a relevant instrument after the four-year relevant period has expired.
• The relevant period generally runs for four years from the date the instrument was stamped, the date a specified statement was delivered to Revenue, or the date a transfer order was entered.
• The four-year time limit does not apply where Revenue have reasonable grounds for believing that fraud or neglect has occurred in relation to the relevant instrument.