Income Tax Act 2007

112 Meaning of “non-active partner” and “early tax year” etc

(1) For the purposes of this Chapter an individual carries on a trade as a non-active partner during a tax year if the individual—

(a) carries on the trade as a partner in a firm at a time during the year,

(b) does not carry on the trade as a limited partner at any time during the year, and

(c) does not devote a significant amount of time to the trade in the relevant period for the year.

(2) For the purposes of this Chapter an individual devotes a significant amount of time to a trade in the relevant period for a tax year if, in that period, the individual spends an average of at least 10 hours a week personally engaged in activities carried on for the purposes of the trade.

(3) For this purpose “the relevant period” means the basis period for the tax year (unless the basis period is shorter than 6 months).

(4) If the basis period for the tax year is shorter than 6 months, “the relevant period” means—

(a) the period of 6 months beginning with the date on which the individual first started to carry on the trade (if the basis period begins with that date), or

(b) the period of 6 months ending with the date on which the individual permanently ceased to carry on the trade (if the basis period ends with that date).

(5) If—

(a) any relief is given on the assumption that the individual devoted or will devote a significant amount of time to the trade in the relevant period for a tax year, but

(b) the individual in fact failed or fails to do so,

the relief is withdrawn by the making of an assessment to income tax under this section.

(6) In this Chapter “early tax year” means, in relation to an individual carrying on a trade—

(a) the tax year in which the individual first started to carry on the trade, or

(b) one of the next 3 tax years.