Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

Corporation tax payment dates

1 (1) In this paragraph, an “old company” means a company to which section 244 of the 1970 Act applied in respect of the last accounting period ending before 17th March 1987.

(2) In relation to an old company—

(a) “the company’s section 244 interval” means the interval after the end of an accounting period of the company which, in accordance with section 244 of the 1970 Act, was the period within which corporation tax assessed for that period was required to be paid; and

(b) “the period of reduction” means the number of whole days which are comprised in a period equal to one-third of the difference between nine months and the company’s section 244 interval.

(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (6) below, with respect to the first accounting period of an old company beginning on or after 17th March 1987, section 243(4) of the 1970 Act and section 10(1) of this Act (time for payment of corporation tax) shall have effect as if for the reference to nine months there were substituted a reference to a period which is equal to the company’s section 244 interval less the period of reduction.

(4) Subject to sub-paragraph (6) below, with respect to any accounting period of an old company which begins—

(a) after the accounting period referred to in sub-paragraph (3) above, but

(b) before the second anniversary of the beginning of that period,

section 10(1) of this Act shall have effect as if for the reference to nine months there were substituted a reference to a period equal to the previous payment interval less the period of reduction.

(5) In relation to any accounting period of an old company falling within sub-paragraph (4) above, “the previous payment interval” means the interval after the end of the immediately preceding accounting period within which corporation tax for that preceding period is required to be paid by virtue of section 243(4) of the 1970 Act or section 10(1) of this Act, as modified by this paragraph.

(6) If the accounting period referred to in sub-paragraph (3) above or any accounting period falling within sub-paragraph (4) above is less than 12 months, the sub-paragraph in question shall have effect in relation to that accounting period as if for the reference in that sub-paragraph to the period of reduction there were substituted a reference to the number of whole days comprised in a period which bears to the period of reduction the same proportion as that accounting period bears to 12 months.

(7) With respect to any accounting period of an old company which falls within sub-paragraph (3) or (4) above, section 86(4) of the Management Act (interest on overdue tax) shall have effect as if, in paragraph 5(a) of the Table (the reckonable date in relation to corporation tax), the reference to the nine months mentioned in section 243(4) of the 1970 Act or section 10(1) of this Act were a reference to the period which, under sub-paragraphs (3) to (6) above, is substituted for those nine months.

(8) In section 88(5)(e) of the Management Act (the date when corporation tax ought to have been paid) for the words from “where section 244(1)” to “the interval” there shall be substituted “in the case of an accounting period in respect of which section 10(1) of the principal Act applies as modified by sub-paragraph 1(3) or (4) of Schedule 30 to that Act, at the end of the period which, under that sub-paragraph, is substituted for the period of nine months”.

(9) With respect to any accounting period of an old company which falls within sub-paragraph (3) or (4) above, section 825 shall have effect as if, in subsection (8) in paragraph (a) of the definition of “the material date”, the reference to the nine months mentioned in section 10(1) were a reference to the period which, under sub-paragraphs (1) to (8) above is substituted for those nine months.