Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Act 2005

861 Sale of patent rights: effect of partnership changes

(1) This section applies if—

(a) a person (“the trader”) sells the whole or part of any patent rights in carrying on a trade, and

(b) the tax condition, the partnership condition and the non-cessation condition are met.

(2) The tax condition is that—

(a) tax is charged under section 587 on the proceeds of the sale or on any instalment of those proceeds, and

(b) by virtue of any of sections 590(2) or (4), 591(2) or 592(2), one sixth of the amount chargeable is charged in the tax year in which the trader receives the proceeds or the instalment and in each of the 5 subsequent tax years.

(3) The partnership condition is that—

(a) the trader is a firm at the time of the sale, or

(b) the trade is carried on in partnership at any time during the period beginning with the tax year in which the trader receives the proceeds or the instalment and ending with the last of the 5 subsequent tax years (“the tax spreading period”).

(4) The non-cessation condition is that—

(a) there is a change in the persons carrying on the trade during the tax spreading period, and

(b) a person who carried on the trade immediately before the change continues to carry on the trade immediately after the change.

(5) Any amounts chargeable under section 587 during the remainder of the tax spreading period are charged on the person or persons for the time being carrying on the trade.

(6) Such amounts are charged as if—

(a) that person or those persons had at all times been carrying on the trade, and

(b) everything done to or by the predecessors of that person or those persons in carrying on the trade had been done to or by that person or those persons.