Finance Act 2012

PART 2 Foreign permanent establishments

Main provision

2 Chapter 3A of Part 2 of CTA 2009 (foreign permanent establishments of UK resident companies) is amended as follows.

3 In section 18A(1) omit “UK resident”.

4 After section 18C insert—

“18CA Income arising from immovable property

The references in section 18A(6) to profits which would be taken to be attributable to the permanent establishment of a company in a territory include any income arising from immovable property which has been used for the purposes of the business carried on by the company through the permanent establishment in the territory (to such extent as is appropriate having regard to the extent to which it has been so used); and the references to losses in section 18A(7) are to be construed accordingly.

18CB Profits and losses from investment business

(1) In determining any relevant profits amount or relevant losses amount under section 18A(6) or (7) in relation to a company, there are to be left out of account any profits or losses of any part of the company’s business which consists of the making of investments.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to profits or losses arising from assets so far as the assets are effectively connected with any part of the permanent establishment through which a trade or overseas property business of the company is carried on in the territory.

(3) In subsection (2) “effectively connected” is to be given the same meaning as it would be given for the purposes of the OECD model were subsection (2) contained in the OECD model.”

5 (1) Section 18F is amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1)(a) for “subsection (6)” substitute “subsections (6) to (8)”.

(3) For subsection (2) substitute—

“(2) The relevant day”, in relation to an election made by a UK resident company, means—

(a) the day on which, at the time of the election, the company’s accounting period following that in which the election is made is expected to begin, or

(b) if the election is made before the company’s first accounting period, the day on which that accounting period begins.

(2A) “The relevant day”, in relation to an election made by a non-UK resident company, means the day on which the company becomes UK resident.”

(4) In subsection (6) for “The election can be revoked” substitute “An election can be revoked by the company which made it”.

(5) After subsection (6) insert—

“(7) An election made by a UK resident company is revoked if the company ceases to be UK resident.

(8) An election made by a non-UK resident company is revoked if, having become UK resident, the company ceases to be UK resident.”

6 For sections 18G to 18I substitute—

“18G Anti-diversion rule

(1) This section applies for the purposes of this Chapter for any relevant accounting period (“period X”) of a company (“company X”) in relation to a territory outside the United Kingdom (“territory X”) if—

(a) there is an adjusted relevant profits amount in relation to territory X for period X,

(b) the adjusted relevant profits amount includes diverted profits (see section 18H), and

(c) none of the exemptions mentioned in section 18I applies for period X.

(2) The diverted profits are to be left out of the adjusted relevant profits amount.

(3) For the purposes of this Chapter “adjusted”, in relation to a relevant profits amount, is what the relevant profits amount would be if it were determined without reference to gains or losses which are chargeable gains or allowable losses for corporation tax purposes.

18H What are “diverted profits”?

(1) In section 18G(1)(b) “diverted profits” means so much of company X’s total profits of period X as pass through the diverted profits gateway.

(2) To determine the extent to which company X’s total profits of period X pass through the diverted profits gateway, apply—

(a) section 371BB of TIOPA 2010 (controlled foreign companies: the CFC charge gateway), and

(b) except Chapter 8 of Part 9A of that Act, the other provisions referred to in that section,

as if references to the CFC charge gateway were references to the diverted profits gateway.

(3) In applying section 371BB of TIOPA 2010 and the other provisions referred to in it assume—

(a) that company X is a CFC resident in territory X,

(b) that period X is the CFC’s accounting period, and

(c) that company X’s total profits of period X are the CFC’s assumed total profits for the accounting period.

(4) Subsection (3)(a) does not require it to be assumed that there is any change in the place or places at which company X carries on its activities.

(5) Section 371BB of TIOPA 2010 and the other provisions referred to in it are also to be applied subject to sections 18HA to 18HE below.

(6) In this section—

(a) references to company X’s total profits of period X are to those profits ignoring this Chapter and step 2 in section 4(3) of CTA 2010, and

(b) references to section 371BB of TIOPA 2010 are to that section omitting subsection (2)(b).

18HA Modification of Chapter 3 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010

Chapter 3 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010 (the CFC charge gateway: determining which of Chapters 4 to 8 applies) applies for the purposes of section 18H(2) with the omission of—

(a) section 371CA(10)(a),

(b) in section 371CB(2), the words “or Chapter 8 (solo consolidation)”,

(c) section 371CC(1)(b), (3)(b) and (c), (4) to (7), (9) and (10),

(d) section 371CD,

(e) section 371CE(2) to (9), and

(f) section 371CG.

18HB Modification of Chapter 4 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010

(1) Chapter 4 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010 (the CFC charge gateway: profits attributable to UK activities) applies for the purposes of section 18H(2) with the following modifications.

(2) The modifications are—

(a) section 371DA(3)(g)(i) is to be omitted, and

(b) in section 371DH(4), after “the accounting period”, in the second place it occurs, there is to be inserted “or the United Kingdom”.

(3) Section 371VF(3) of TIOPA 2010 (definition of “related” person) is to be applied as relevant with the omission of paragraphs (b) and (c).

18HC Modification of Chapter 5 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010

Chapter 5 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010 (the CFC charge gateway: non-trading finance profits) applies for the purposes of section 18H(2) with the omission of—

(a) in section 371EA(1), the words from “so far as” to the end, and

(b) sections 371EB to 371EE.

18HD Modification of Chapter 7 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010

Chapter 7 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010 (the CFC charge gateway: captive insurance business) applies for the purposes of section 18H(2) with the omission of section 371GA(6)(b).

18HE Modification of Chapter 9 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010

(1) Chapter 9 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010 (exemptions for profits from qualifying loan relationships) applies for the purposes of section 18H(2) with the following modifications.

(2) In section 371IA(2) and (11) the reference to a chargeable company is to be read as a reference to company X (as is the reference in section 371CB(8)); and references elsewhere in Chapter 9 to company C are to be read as references to company X.

(3) For section 371IA(5) there is to be substituted—

“(5) 75% of the profits of each qualifying loan relationship are “exempt” under this Chapter.”

(4) In section 371IA(9)(a) the words “or Chapter 8 (solo consolidation)” are to be omitted.

(5) Sections 371IB to 371IE are to be omitted.

(6) Section 371IH(11)(a) is to be read ignoring the modification in section 18HC(b) above.

(7) In section 371IJ references to the relevant corporation tax accounting period are to be read as references to period X and subsection (6) is to be omitted.

18I Exemptions from anti-diversion rule

(1) The exemptions referred to in section 18G(1)(c) are the exemptions set out in Chapters 11 to 14 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010 (controlled foreign companies: exemptions from the CFC charge).

(2) In applying those Chapters for the purposes of section 18G(1)(c)—

(a) references to section 371BA(2)(b) of TIOPA 2010 are to be read as references to section 18G(1)(c),

(b) the assumptions set out in subsection (3) are to be made, and

(c) section 371VF(3) of TIOPA 2010 (definition of “related” person) is to be read with the omission of paragraphs (b) and (c).

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)(b), assume—

(a) that the permanent establishment which company X has in territory X is a separate company from company X,

(b) that the separate company is a CFC resident in territory X,

(c) that period X and company X’s other accounting periods for corporation tax purposes are accounting periods of the CFC for the purposes of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010,

(d) that the CFC’s assumed total profits for period X are the adjusted relevant profits amount,

(e) that the CFC’s assumed taxable total profits for period X are the same as the CFC’s assumed total profits for period X,

(f) that the CFC is connected with company X and is also connected or associated with any person with whom company X is connected or associated, and

(g) that any person who has an interest in company X also has an interest in the CFC.

(4) Chapters 11 to 14 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010 are also to be applied subject to sections 18IA to 18ID below.

18IA The excluded territories exemption

(1) Chapter 11 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010 (controlled foreign companies: the excluded territories exemption) applies for the purposes of section 18G(1)(c) with the following modifications.

(2) Sections 371KB(1)(b)(iii) and 371KH are to be omitted.

(3) Section 371KC is to be omitted and the assumption set out in section 18I(3)(b) above in relation to the CFC’s residence is to be applied instead; and references to “the CFC’s territory” are to be read accordingly.

(4) Section 371KD(3) is to be omitted and references to a CFC’s accounting profits for an accounting period are to be read as references to the adjusted relevant profits amount.

(5) Section 371KE(2)(b) is to be omitted.

(6) Section 371KF is to be omitted.

(7) In section 371KG(3) the reference to the CFC’s equity or debt is to be read as a reference to company X’s equity or debt (ignoring the assumption in section 18I(3)(a) above).

(8) Section 371KI(2) and (3) is to be omitted.

(9) In section 371KJ—

(a) in subsection (2)(a), the reference to intellectual property held by the CFC is to be read as a reference to intellectual property held by company X (ignoring the assumption in section 18I(3)(a) above), and

(b) in subsections (2)(b) and (c) and (4), references to the CFC are to be read as references to company X (ignoring that assumption).

18IB The low profits exemption

Chapter 12 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010 (controlled foreign companies: the low profits exemption) applies for the purposes of section 18G(1)(c) with the omission of section 371LB(2) and (4) and section 371LC(5) and (6).

18IC The low profit margin exemption

(1) Chapter 13 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010 (controlled foreign companies: the low profit margin exemption) applies for the purposes of section 18G(1)(c) with the following modifications.

(2) In section 371MB—

(a) subsection (2) is to be omitted, and

(b) references to the CFC’s accounting profits for an accounting period are to be read as references to the adjusted relevant profits amount determined before any deduction for interest.

18ID The tax exemption

(1) Chapter 14 of Part 9A of TIOPA 2010 (controlled foreign companies: the tax exemption) applies for the purposes of section 18G(1)(c) with the following modifications.

(2) At step 1 in section 371NB(1)—

(a) in the first paragraph, the reference to section 371TB of TIOPA 2010 is to be read as a reference to the assumption in section 18I(3)(b) above relating to the CFC’s residence, and

(b) the second paragraph is to be omitted.

(3) References to the CFC’s local chargeable profits arising in the accounting period are to be read as references to the adjusted relevant profits amount and, accordingly, sections 371NB(4) and 371NC(2) to (4) are to be omitted.

(4) For the purposes of step 3 in section 371NB(1) the amount of the corresponding UK tax for the accounting period is to be determined in accordance with subsection (5) below; and section 371NE is to be omitted accordingly.

(5) “The corresponding UK tax” is the amount of corporation tax which would be payable in respect of the adjusted relevant profits amount if it were subject in full to corporation tax, ignoring any credit which would be allowed against it under section 18(3) of TIOPA 2010 and assuming, where there is more than one rate of corporation tax applicable to period X, that it were chargeable at the average rate over period X.”

7 After section 18P(2) insert—

“(3) Subsection (2) does not apply in relation to—

(a) a chargeable gain accruing on the disposal of an asset used, and used only, for the purposes of a trade so far as carried on by the company in the relevant foreign territory through the company’s permanent establishment there, or

(b) a chargeable gain accruing on the disposal of currency or of a debt within section 252(1) of TCGA 1992 where the currency or debt is or represents money in use for the purposes of a trade so far as carried on by the company in the relevant foreign territory through the company’s permanent establishment there.”

Lloyd’s underwriters

8 In Chapter 5 of Part 4 of FA 1994 (Lloyd’s underwriters) after section 227B insert—

“227C Exemption for profits or losses of foreign permanent establishments

(1) This section applies for the purposes of section 18A(6) and (7) of the Corporation Tax Act 2009 (exemption for profits or losses of foreign permanent establishments: “relevant profits amount” and “relevant losses amount”).

(2) Any regulations made under section 229(1)(d) below are to be ignored.

(3) Profits or losses which are taken to arise to a corporate member in an underwriting year from its membership of one or more syndicates are to be left out of account in relation to any relevant accounting period so far as they are profits or losses of a previous underwriting year which began before the relevant day (as defined in section 18F of the 2009 Act (effect of election under section 18A)).

(4) Profits or losses arising to a corporate member from assets forming part of a premium trust fund which are taken to be profits or losses of an underwriting year are to be left out of account in relation to any relevant accounting period so far as they are allocated under the rules or practice of Lloyds to a previous underwriting year which began before the relevant day (as defined in section 18F of the 2009 Act).”

Plant and machinery allowances

9 In section 15 of CAA 2001 (plant and machinery allowances: qualifying activities) after subsection (2A) insert—

“(2B) Subsection (2A) does not apply to the business so far as it consists of a plant or machinery lease under which the company is a lessor if any profits or losses arising from the lease are to be left out of account as mentioned in section 18C(3) of CTA 2009.”