Finance Act 1990

Expenses of management and losses

4 The following section shall be inserted after section 444 of the Taxes Act 1988—

“444A Transfers of business

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, this section applies where there is a transfer of the whole or part of the long term business of an insurance company (“the transferor”) to another company (“the transferee”) in accordance with a scheme sanctioned by a court under section 49 of the Insurance Companies Act 1982.

(2) Any expenses of management which (assuming the transferor had continued to carry on the business transferred after the transfer) would have been deductible by the transferor under sections 75 and 76 in computing profits for an accounting period following the period which ends with the day on which the transfer takes place shall, instead, be treated as expenses of management of the transferee (and deductible in accordance with those sections, as modified in the case of acquisition expenses by section 86(6) to (9) of the [1989 c. 26.] Finance Act 1989 and in the case of expenses to which subsection (6) or (7) of section 87 of that Act applies by that subsection).

(3) Any loss which (assuming the transferor had continued to carry on the business transferred after the transfer)—

(a) would have been available under section 436(3)(c) to be set off against profits of the transferor for the accounting period following that which ends with the day on which transfer takes place, or

(b) where in connection with the transfer the transferor also transfers the whole or part of any overseas life assurance business, would have been so available under section 441(4)(b),

shall, instead, be treated as a loss of the transferee (and available to be set off against profits of the same class of business as that in which it arose).

(4) Where acquisition expenses are treated as expenses of management of the transferee by virtue of subsection (2) above, the amount deductible for the first accounting period of the transferee ending after the transfer takes place shall be calculated as if that accounting period began with the day after the transfer.

(5) Where the transfer is of part only of the transferor’s long term business, subsection (2) or (3) above shall apply only to such part of any amount to which it would otherwise apply as is appropriate.

(6) Any question arising as to the operation of subsection (5) above shall be determined by the Special Commissioners who shall determine the question in the same manner as they determine appeals; but both the transferor and transferee shall be entitled to appear and be heard or to make representations in writing.

(7) Subject to subsection (8) below, this section shall not apply unless the transfer is effected for bona fide commercial reasons and does not form part of a scheme or arrangements of which the main purpose, or one of the main purposes, is avoidance of liability to corporation tax.

(8) Subsection (7) above shall not affect the operation of this section in any case where, before the transfer, the Board have, on the application of the transferee, notified the transferee that the Board are satisfied that the transfer will be effected for bona fide commercial reasons and will not form part of any scheme or arrangements such as are mentioned in that subsection; and subsections (2) to (5) of section 88 of the 1979 Act shall have effect in relation to this subsection as they have effect in relatioto subsection (1) of that section.”