Finance Act 2004

179 Authorised employer loan E+W+S+N.I.

(1) A loan made to or in respect of a sponsoring employer is an authorised employer loan if—

(a) the amount loaned does not exceed an amount equal to 50% of the aggregate of the amount of the sums, and the market value of the assets, held for the purposes of the pension scheme immediately before the loan is made,

(b) the loan is secured by a charge which is of adequate value, and

(c) the repayment terms comply with subsection (2).

(2) The repayment terms comply with this subsection if—

(a) the rate of interest payable on the loan is not less than the rate prescribed by regulations made by the Board of Inland Revenue,

(b) the loan repayment date is before the end of the period of five years beginning with the date on which the loan is made, or has been postponed to a date after the end of that period under subsection (3), and

(c) the amount payable in each period beginning with the date on which the loan is made, and ending with the last day of a loan year, is not less than the required amount.

(3) If on a standard loan repayment date any amount (including interest) is owing, the loan repayment date may be postponed to a date before the end of the period of five years beginning with the standard loan repayment date.

(4) The loan repayment date may be postponed under subsection (3) only once.

(5) If the amount of a loan to or in respect of a sponsoring employer is increased, the amount of the increase is to be treated as a loan made on the date of the increase.

(6) Schedule 30 gives the meaning of expressions used in this section and explains how to calculate the amount of the unauthorised payment when a loan to or in respect of a sponsoring employer does not comply with subsection (1).

(7) In this section and that Schedule “charge” includes a right in security or an agreement to create a right in security; and any reference to assets subject to a charge or assets charged includes a reference to the property over which such a right is granted.

(8) Schedule 36 contains (in Part 4) transitional provision about loans to sponsoring employers.