Gaming Machine Tax Act 2001 No 72
Current version for 1 March 2012 to date (accessed 24 May 2013 at 01:31)
Part 2

Part 2 Gaming machine tax

6   Tax on gaming machines

(1)  A tax is payable on profits from gaming machines kept in a hotel or on the premises of a registered club.
(2)  The tax is payable by the hotelier or registered club concerned.
(3)  In the event of a tax default (within the meaning of the Taxation Administration Act 1996) in respect of an amount of tax for which a hotelier is liable:
(a)  the hotelier, and
(b)  any person who, at the time the amount became due, was directly interested in the business, or the profits of the business, carried on under the hotel licence,
      are jointly and severally liable to pay the amount concerned, and section 45 of that Act applies accordingly.
Note. Section 45 of the Taxation Administration Act 1996 provides for recovery of tax where two or more persons are jointly liable to pay it.

7   Payment by instalments

(1)  For the purposes of this Act:
(a)  each tax year of a hotelier is divided into 4 periods of 3 months commencing on 1 July, 1 October, 1 January and 1 April, and
(b)  each tax year of a registered club is divided into 4 periods of 3 months commencing on 1 September, 1 December, 1 March and 1 June.
(2)  Quarterly instalments of tax are payable by a hotelier or registered club to the Chief Commissioner within 21 days after the end of each instalment period.
(3)  A hotelier or registered club must:
(a)  before the end of each such 21-day period, deposit the amount payable in a bank or financial institution, and
(b)  make such arrangements with the Chief Commissioner as enable the Chief Commissioner to access or appropriate that amount (such as by way of direct debit from the account of the hotelier or registered club concerned).

Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units.

(4)  In the case of hoteliers, the liability to pay such an instalment lies with the hotelier who holds the relevant hotel licence at the time the instalment is due.

8   Returns

(1)  The Authority may from time to time, by notice published in the Gazette, require:
(a)  all hoteliers and registered clubs that keep gaming machines, or
(b)  specified hoteliers or registered clubs that keep gaming machines, or
(c)  specified classes of hoteliers or registered clubs that keep gaming machines,
      to lodge with the CMS licensee a return, in a form approved by the Authority, in relation to the performance of those gaming machines and the tax payable under this Act in relation to those gaming machines.
(2)  A hotelier or registered club must comply with the requirements of such a notice within the time specified by the notice.
(3)  A hotelier or registered club must not, in purported compliance with this section, lodge with the CMS licensee a return that is false or misleading in a material particular.
(4)  Proceedings for an offence under subsection (3) may be commenced at any time within the period of 3 years that next succeeds commission of the offence.
(5)  The hotelier or registered club is to retain a copy of each return lodged under this section for a period of not less than 3 years after the date on which it was lodged.

Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units.

9   Calculation and assessment of tax

(1)  As soon as practicable after receipt of a return from a hotelier or registered club in relation to a quarterly instalment period, a CMS licensee must:
(a)  calculate the amount of each quarterly instalment of tax payable by the hotelier or club, and
(b)  advise the Chief Commissioner (and the hotelier or registered club concerned) of the calculated amount.
(2)  The Authority may from time to time:
(a)  where it is of the opinion that the information provided in a return might be incorrect, or
(b)  for such other reason as seems sufficient to the Authority,
      and after making such inquiries as it thinks fit and taking into account such information as may be available to it, recalculate the amount of any quarterly instalment of tax payable by a hotelier or registered club, and advise the Chief Commissioner accordingly.
(2A)  The Chief Commissioner must notify the hotelier or registered club concerned of any recalculation advised to the Chief Commissioner under subsection (2).
(3)  The Chief Commissioner is to assess or reassess, under Part 3 of the Taxation Administration Act 1996, tax liabilities according to calculations, and any recalculations, made under this section and any rebate available under Part 4.

10   Adjustments

(1)  Following the end of a tax year and after payment by a hotelier or registered club of the instalment payable in respect of the last of the instalment periods for the tax year, the Authority must, on application by the hotelier (or any relevant previous hotelier) or by the club concerned, make a comparison of the tax payable in respect of that tax year and the total of the relevant 4 quarterly instalments made, and advise the Chief Commissioner of the result of that comparison.
(2)  If the amount of tax assessed to be payable is less than the amount paid by the hotelier or registered club for the tax year concerned, the Chief Commissioner may:
(a)  hold the difference in credit for the hotelier or club, or
(b)  refund the difference in accordance with Part 4 of the Taxation Administration Act 1996.
Note. Part 4 of the Taxation Administration Act 1996 provides for refunds of tax overpayments.
(3)  In a case where the tax for the tax year concerned was paid by more than one hotelier, any credit or refund of tax may be apportioned among those hoteliers in such proportions as the Chief Commissioner considers appropriate.

11   Apportionment of liability for tax in certain circumstances

(1)  The Chief Commissioner may, in such manner as the Chief Commissioner considers appropriate:
(a)  apportion the liability for tax as between hoteliers:
(i)  in any case where there has been a change in the ownership of a hotel licence, or
(ii)  in such other circumstances as the Chief Commissioner considers appropriate, and
(b)  apportion the liability for tax as between registered clubs:
(i)  in the event of an amalgamation of a registered club as referred to in the Registered Clubs Act 1976, or
(ii)  in such other circumstances as the Chief Commissioner considers appropriate.
(2)  Subsection (1) (a) does not affect the operation of section 7 (4).
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