(1)Subject to such regulations as the Commissioners may-think fit to make, the Commissioners may be required by any person to express their opinion with reference to any executed instrument upon the following questions:
(a)Whether it is chargeable with any duty ;
(b)With what amount of duty it is chargeable.
(2)The Commissioners may require to be furnished with an abstract of the instrument, and also with such evidence as they may deem necessary, in order to show to their satisfaction whether all the facts and circumstances affecting the liability of the instrument to duty, or the amount of the duty chargeable thereon, are fully and truly set forth therein.
(3)If the Commissioners are of opinion that the instrument is not chargeable with any duty, it may be stamped with a particular stamp denoting that it is not chargeable with any duty.
(4)If the Commissioners are of opinion that the instrument is chargeable with duty, they shall assess the duty with which it is in their opinion chargeable, and when the instrument is stamped in. accordance with the assessment it may be stamped with a particular stamp denoting that it is duly stamped.
(5)Every instrument stamped with the particular stamp denoting either that it is not chargeable with any duty, or is duly stamped, shall be admissible in evidence, and available for all purposes notwithstanding any objection relating to duty.
(6)Provided as follows :
(a)An instrument upon which the duty has been assessed by the Commissioners shall not, if it is unstamped or insufficiently stamped, be stamped otherwise than in accordance with the assessment:
(b)Nothing in this section shall extend to any instrument chargeable with ad valorem duty, and made as a security for money or stock without limit; or shall authorise the stamping after the execution thereof of any instrument which by law cannot be stamped after execution :
(c)A statutory declaration made for the purpose of this section shall not be used against any person making the same in any proceeding whatever, except in an inquiry as to the duty with which the instrument to which it relates is chargeable ; and every person by whom any such declaration is made shall, on payment of the duty chargeable upon the instrument to which it relates, be relieved from any fine or disability to which he may be liable by reason of the omission to state truly in the instrument any fact or circumstance required by this Act to be stated therein.
(1)Any person who is dissatisfied with the assessment of the Commissioners may, within twenty-one days after the date of the assessment, and on payment of duty in conformity therewith, appeal against the assessment to the High Court of the part of the United Kingdom in which the case has arisen, and may for that purpose require the Commissioners to state and sign a case, setting forth the question upon which their opinion was required, and the assessment made by them.
(2)The Commissioners shall thereupon state and sign a case and deliver the same to the person by whom it is required, and the case may, within seven days thereafter, be set down by him for hearing.
(3)Upon the hearing of the case the court shall determine the question submitted, and, if the instrument in question is in the opinion of the court chargeable with any duty, shall assess the duty with which it is chargeable.
(4)If it is decided by the court that the assessment of the Commissioners is erroneous, any excess of duty which may have been paid in conformity with the erroneous assessment, together with any fine or penalty which may have been paid in consequence thereof, shall be ordered by the court to be repaid to the appellant, with or without costs as the court may determine.
(5)If the assessment of the Commissioners is confirmed the court may make an order for payment to the Commissioners of the costs incurred by them in relation to the appeal.