Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

215 Advance clearance by Board of distributions and payments

(1) A distribution shall be treated as an exempt distribution in any case in which, before the distribution is made, the Board have, on the application of the distributing company, notified that company that the Board are satisfied that it will be such a distribution.

(2) A payment shall not be treated as a chargeable payment in any case in which, before the payment is made, the Board have, on the application of the person intending to make it, notified him that they are satisfied that it will be made for bona fide commercial reasons and will not form part of any scheme or arrangements the main purpose, or one of the main purposes, of which is the avoidance of tax (including stamp duty).

(3) A company which becomes or ceases to be connected with another company may make an application under subsection (2) above as respects any payments that may be made by it at any time after becoming or ceasing to be so connected (whether or not there is any present intention to make any payments); and where a notification is given by the Board on such an application no payment to which the notification relates shall be treated as a chargeable payment by reason only of the company being or having been connected with the other company.

(4) References in subsections (2) and (3) above to a payment shall be construed as in section 214.

(5) Any application under this section shall be in writing and shall contain particulars of the relevant transactions and the Board may, within 30 days of the receipt of the application or of any further particulars previously required under this subsection, by notice require the applicant to furnish further particulars for the purposes of enabling the Board to make their decision; and if any such notice is not complied with within 30 days or such longer period as the Board may allow, the Board need not proceed further on the application.

(6) The Board shall notify their decision to the applicant within 30 days of receiving the application or, if they give a notice under subsection (5) above, within 30 days of the notice being complied with.

(7) If the Board notify the applicant that they are not satisfied as mentioned in subsection (1) or (2) above or do not notify their decision to the applicant within the time required by subsection (6) above, the applicant may within 30 days of the notification or of that time require the Board to transmit the application, together with any notice given and further particulars furnished under subsection (5) above, to the Special Commissioners; and in that event any notification by the Special Commissioners shall have effect for the purposes of this section as if it were a notification by the Board.

(8) If any particulars furnished under this section do not fully and accurately disclose all facts and circumstances material for the decision of the Board or the Special Commissioners, any resulting notification that the Board or Commissioners are satisfied as mentioned in subsection (1) or (2) above shall be void.