Corporation Tax Act 2009

Chapter 3 U.K. Trade profits: basic rules

46 Generally accepted accounting practice U.K.

(1) The profits of a trade must be calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice, subject to any adjustment required or authorised by law in calculating profits for corporation tax purposes.

(2) This does not—

(a) require a company to comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (c. 46) or subordinate legislation made under that Act except as to the basis of calculation, or

(b) impose any requirements as to audit or disclosure.

(3) This section does not affect any provisions of the Corporation Tax Acts—

(a) relating to the calculation of the profits of—

(i) Lloyd's underwriters, or

(ii) the life assurance business of insurance companies, or

(b) otherwise laying down special rules for the calculation of the profits of a particular description of business.

47 Losses calculated on same basis as profits U.K.

(1) The same rules apply for corporation tax purposes in calculating losses of a trade as apply in calculating profits.

(2) This is subject to any express provision to the contrary.

48 Receipts and expenses U.K.

(1) In the Corporation Tax Acts, in the context of the calculation of the profits of a trade, references to receipts and expenses are to any items brought into account as credits or debits in calculating the profits.

(2) It follows that references in that context to receipts or expenses do not imply that an amount has actually been received or paid.

(3) This section is subject to any express provision to the contrary.

49 Items treated as receipts and expenses U.K.

The rules for calculating the profits of a trade need to be read with—

(a) the provisions of CAA 2001 which treat allowances as expenses of a trade,

(b) the provisions of CAA 2001 which treat charges as receipts of a trade,

(c) section 297 (credits and debits in respect of a loan relationship to which a company is a party for the purposes of a trade it carries on treated as receipts and expenses of the trade),

(d) section 573 (credits and debits in respect of a derivative contract to which a company is a party for the purposes of a trade it carries on treated as receipts and expenses of the trade),

(e) section 747 (credits and debits in respect of an intangible fixed asset held by a company for the purposes of a trade it carries on treated as receipts and expenses of the trade), and

(f) section 749 (credits and debits in respect of an intangible fixed asset held by a company for the purposes of a section 39(4) concern which it carries on treated as receipts and expenses of the concern).

50 Animals kept for trade purposes U.K.

(1) Animals or other living creatures kept for the purposes of a trade are treated as trading stock if they are not kept wholly or mainly—

(a) for the work they do in connection with the carrying on of the trade,

(b) for public exhibition, or

(c) for racing or other competitive purposes.

(2) But they are not treated as trading stock if they are part of a herd in relation to which a herd basis election has effect (see Chapter 8).

(3) This section applies to shares in animals or other living creatures as it applies to the creatures themselves.

51 Relationship between rules prohibiting and allowing deductions U.K.

(1) Any relevant permissive rule in this Part—

(a) has priority over any relevant prohibitive rule, but

(b) is subject to—

(i) section 56 (car F1 ... hire),

(ii) section 1288 (unpaid remuneration),

(iii) section 1290 (employee benefit contributions),

(iv) section 1304 (crime-related payments).

(2) In this section “any relevant permissive rule in this Part” means any provision of—

(a) Chapter 5 (trade profits: rules allowing deductions), apart from sections 62 to 67,

(b) Chapter 7 (trade profits: gifts to charities etc),

(c) Chapter 9 (trade profits: other specific trades), or

(d) Chapter 12 (deductions from profits: unremittable amounts),

which allows a deduction in calculating the profits of a trade.

(3) In this section “any relevant prohibitive rule”, in relation to any deduction, means any provision of this Part or Chapter 1 of Part 20 (apart from those mentioned in subsection (1)(b)) which might otherwise be read as—

(a) prohibiting or deferring the deduction, or

(b) restricting the amount of the deduction.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 51(1)(b)(i) omitted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 11 paras. 65-67 of the amending Act) by virtue of Finance Act 2009 (c. 10), Sch. 11 para. 46

52 Apportionment etc of profits and losses to accounting period U.K.

(1) This section applies if a period of account of a trade does not coincide with an accounting period.

(2) Any of the following steps may be taken if they are necessary in order to arrive at the profits or losses of the accounting period—

(a) apportioning the profits or losses of a period of account to the parts of that period falling in different accounting periods, and

(b) adding the profits or losses of a period of account (or part of a period) to profits or losses of other periods of account (or parts).

(3) The steps must be taken by reference to the number of days in the periods concerned.