Section 45N Effect of plant or machinery subsequently being primarily for use outside designated assisted area.
27.New section 45N(1) of this new section requires that the plant or machinery, in relation to which the new section 45K FYAs have been claimed, must be primarily used by the person claiming the allowance (or a connected person) for at least 5 years within the relevant designated assisted area. If, within that 5 year period, the person claiming the allowance, or a connected person, begins to use the plant or machinery primarily outside that area, the FYAs must be withdrawn, as if the expenditure had never qualified for the new FYAs. This section is included both to prevent exploitation of the new FYAs and also to satisfy the GBER State aid requirements in relation to regional aid.
28.New sections 45N(2) and (3) define ‘relevant time’ and ‘relevant period’.
29.New sections 45N(4) to (6) provide that all such necessary assessments and adjustments are to be made for the purpose of withdrawing the relief. In addition, a person who has made a return, who becomes aware that anything in the return has become incorrect because of the operation of this section, must give notice to an Officer of Revenue and Customs of the necessary amendment, within 3 months of first becoming aware of it.
30.Paragraph 4 adds new section 45K to the list of provisions to which the general exclusions in section 46 apply. These general exclusions provide that expenditure is not FYA expenditure if, for example, it is incurred on the provision of a car, or on plant or machinery for leasing, or in the chargeable period in which the qualifying activity of the business is permanently discontinued.
31.Paragraph 5 adds expenditure on plant and machinery for use in designated assisted areas to the Table of FYAs, and their respective rates, in section 52(3) of CAA, and sets the rate of these new FYAs at 100 per cent. It also provides an addition to section 52(5), to the effect that the new FYAs are subject to new “section 212U (cap on first-year allowances: expenditure on plant and machinery for use in designated assisted areas)”.
32.Paragraph 6 changes section 52A to make it clear that not only can a person not claim an annual investment allowance and a FYA in relation to the same expenditure, but also a person cannot claim a FYA under two or more of the provisions listed in section 39 in respect of the same expenditure.
33.Paragraph 7(1) introduces new section 212U into CAA.
