Finance Act 1939

3 (1) Where any buildings, plant or machinery have, - after the beginning of the year nineteen hundred and thirty-seven, been provided for the purpose of fulfilling armament contracts by the persons carrying on the business, then, if either—

(a) on such date as Parliament may hereafter declare to be the date of the restoration of normal conditions as respects the requirements of the Crown for armaments, the buildings, plant or machinery have, wholly or partially, become obsolete or ceased to be required and the value thereof is less than the net cost thereof; or

(b) the buildings, plant or machinery are sold before the said date at a price which is less than the net cost thereof,

there shall be allowed in respect of each chargeable accounting period such proportion of the deficiency as is properly attributable to that period, less the amount of any allowances for wear and tear or depreciation already made for that period in respect of the buildings, plant or machinery otherwise than under this paragraph, and if any plant or machinery provided as aforesaid is replaced, no allowance other than that made under this paragraph shall be made in respect of the amount expended in the replacement thereof.

(2) Pending an ascertainment whether any allowance falls to be made under sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph in respect of buildings, plant or machinery, the Commissioners, if they are satisfied that any buildings, plant or machinery provided as aforesaid are of such a character that it is likely that the conditions specified in the said sub-paragraph will be fulfilled in the case thereof, may allow in any chargeable accounting period such sums as they think fit, not exceeding ten per cent. (or, if the chargeable accounting period is less than a year, a proportionately reduced amount) of the net cost of the buildings, plant or machinery, but any such allowance shall be provisional only, and on the coming of the said date, or, as the case may be, on the previous sale of the buildings, plant or machinery, the amount thereof shall be adjusted so as to accord with the provisions of the said sub-paragraph.

(3) In this paragraph, the expression " net cost " means, in relation to any buildings, plant or machinery, the cost of the provision thereof less any sum provided, or to be provided, directly or indirectly, out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom or of Northern Ireland, or out of moneys provided by the Parliament of the United Kingdom or the Parliament of Northern Ireland, towards the cost of the provision of the buildings, plant or machinery, or towards any depreciation thereof.