
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Hydrocarbon Oil (Industrial Reliefs) Regulations 2002.
2 
These Regulations come into force for the purposes of regulations 5 and 6 on 1st July 2002 and for all other purposes on 1st September 2002.
3 
In these Regulations—
 “approved furnace operator” means a person approved by the Commissioners for the purposes of section 14(1) of the Oil Act (rebate of duty on light oil delivered for home use for use as furnace fuel);
 “approved repayment user” means a person approved by the Commissioners for the purposes of section 9(4) of the Oil Act (repayment of duty where duty paid hydrocarbon oil put to qualifying use);
 “approved tied oil trader” means a person approved by the Commissioners for the purposes of section 9(1) of the Oil Act (delivery for home use of hydrocarbon oil without payment of duty);
 “duty” means the excise duty charged on hydrocarbon oil by section 6(1) of the Oil Act;
 “the Oil Act” means the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979.
4 

(1) The Commissioners may approve a person as an approved furnace operator, an approved repayment user or an approved tied oil trader—
(a) individually or by reference to a class,
(b) in relation to particular descriptions of hydrocarbon oil or generally, and
(c) subject to conditions.
(2) Any such approval may be revoked, or the conditions varied, for reasonable cause.
5 

(1) The Commissioners may not approve any person individually as an—
(a) approved furnace operator,
(b) approved repayment user, or
(c) approved tied oil trader,
unless he makes application on a form, or forms, provided by the Commissioners for the purpose.
(2) The applicant must fully and accurately complete the form of application and deliver it to the Commissioners at the address stated in the form.
6 

(1) The Commissioners must furnish every person approved individually as an—
(a) approved furnace operator,
(b) approved repayment user, or
(c) approved tied oil trader,
with a certificate of approval.
(2) Every certificate of approval must contain the following particulars—
(a) the name and (if different) the trading name of the person;
(b) a unique reference number assigned to the person by the Commissioners;
(c) a statement of the approval, or approvals, which the person holds;
(d) particulars of the descriptions of hydrocarbon oil to which the approval, or approvals, relates.
(3) If the Commissioners revoke an individual approval of a person, he must immediately return his certificate of approval to the Commissioners.
7 

(1) Tied oil may be supplied only to an approved tied oil trader.
(2) “Tied oil” means hydrocarbon oil that the Commissioners permit to be delivered for home use to an approved tied oil trader, without payment of duty in accordance with section 9(1) of the Oil Act.
(3) Light oil in respect of which rebate has been allowed under section 14(1) of the Oil Act and not repaid may be supplied only to an approved furnace operator.
8 
The Commissioners may grant permission under section 9(1) of the Oil Act subject to conditions as to the giving of security or otherwise.
9 
Claims by an approved repayment user for repayment of duty—
(a) must be made no later than 3 months after the period to which they relate, and that period must not be shorter than 2 months nor longer than 3 years, and
(b) shall not lie where the amount to be paid is less than £250.
10 
No drawback of duty shall be allowed on any hydrocarbon oil for which a claim for repayment of duty lies under section 9(4) of the Oil Act.
11 
In the Hydrocarbon Oil Regulations 1973—
(a) in regulation 2, omit the definitions “approved furnace operator” and “approved repayment user”,
(b) in regulation 5(1), for the words “under regulation 38” to the end substitute “for the purposes of sections 9 or 14(1) of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979”, and
(c) omit regulations 37 to 42.
M J Eland
Commissioner of Customs and Excise
New King’s Beam House,
22 Upper Ground,
London,
SE1 9PJ
5th June 2002