Corporation Tax Act 2009

Chapter 6 How credits and debits are given effect

Introductory

745 Introduction

(1) Credits and debits to be brought into account for tax purposes under this Part are given effect in accordance with this Chapter.

(2) Credits and debits in respect of assets held for the purposes mentioned in any of the following sections are given effect in accordance with that section—

(a) section 747 (assets held for purposes of trade),

(b) section 748 (assets held for purposes of property business),

(c) section 749 (assets held for purposes of mines, transport undertakings, etc).

(3) Credits and debits in respect of intangible fixed assets that are not within sections 747 to 749 are dealt with in accordance with sections 751 to 753.

(4) This section is subject to section 901 (effect of application of the I minus E basis: non-trading amounts).

746 “Non-trading credits” and “non-trading debits”

(1) In this Part credits and debits in respect of intangible fixed assets that are not within sections 747 to 749 are referred to respectively as “non-trading credits” and “non-trading debits”.

(2) See also—

(a) section 781(5) (character of credits and debits brought into account as a result of section 780),

(b) section 792(5) (reallocation of charge within group), and

(c) section 901(3) (insurance companies: effect of application of the I minus E basis: non-trading amounts).

Trading etc credits and debits

747 Assets held for purposes of trade

(1) This section applies if credits or debits are to be brought into account in an accounting period in respect of an asset held by a company for the purposes of a trade carried on by it in that period.

(2) The credits are given effect by treating them as receipts of the trade in calculating the profits of the trade for tax purposes.

(3) The debits are given effect by treating them as expenses of the trade in calculating the profits of the trade for tax purposes.

748 Assets held for purposes of property business

(1) This section applies if credits or debits are to be brought into account in an accounting period in respect of an asset held by a company for the purposes of a property business carried on by it in that period.

(2) The credits are given effect by treating them as receipts of the business in calculating the profits of the business for tax purposes.

(3) The debits are given effect by treating them as expenses of the business in calculating the profits of the business for tax purposes.

(4) In subsection (1) “property business” means—

(a) an ordinary property business,

(b) a furnished holiday lettings business, or

(c) an overseas property business.

(5) In this section—

• “commercial letting of furnished holiday accommodation” has the meaning given by section 265,

• “ordinary property business” means a UK property business except so far as it is a furnished holiday lettings business, and

• “furnished holiday lettings business” means a UK property business so far as it consists of the commercial letting of furnished holiday accommodation in the United Kingdom.

749 Assets held for purposes of mines, transport undertakings, etc

(1) This section applies if credits or debits are to be brought into account in an accounting period in respect of an asset held by a company for the purposes of a concern listed in section 39(4) (mines, quarries and other concerns) that is carried on by it in that period.

(2) The credits are given effect by treating them as receipts of the concern in calculating the profits of the concern under Part 3 (trading income).

(3) The debits are given effect by treating them as expenses of the concern in calculating the profits of the concern under that Part.

750 Assets held for purposes falling within more than one section

If an asset is held—

(a) for purposes falling within more than one of sections 747 to 749, or

(b) for purposes falling within one or more of those sections and for purposes not so falling,

any necessary apportionment must be made on a just and reasonable basis.

Non-trading credits and debits

751 Non-trading gains and losses

(1) If there are non-trading credits or debits in an accounting period in respect of intangible fixed assets, the company’s non-trading gain or loss on such assets in the period must be calculated.

(2) There is a non-trading gain on intangible fixed assets in an accounting period if subsection (3) or (4) applies.

(3) If in the accounting period—

(a) there are non-trading credits, but

(b) there are no non-trading debits,

there is a non-trading gain on intangible fixed assets equal to the sum of the credits.

(4) If in the accounting period—

(a) there are both non-trading credits and non-trading debits, and

(b) the total non-trading credits exceed the total non-trading debits,

there is a non-trading gain on intangible fixed assets equal to the excess.

(5) There is a non-trading loss on intangible fixed assets in an accounting period if subsection (6) or (7) applies.

(6) If in the accounting period—

(a) there are non-trading debits, but

(b) there are no non-trading credits,

there is a non-trading loss on intangible fixed assets equal to the sum of the debits.

(7) If in the accounting period—

(a) there are both non-trading credits and non-trading debits, and

(b) the total non-trading debits exceed the total non-trading credits,

there is a non-trading loss on intangible fixed assets equal to the excess.

(8) For the treatment of non-trading gains and losses see—

(a) section 752 (charge to tax on non-trading gains on intangible fixed assets), and

(b) section 753 (treatment of non-trading losses).

752 Charge to tax on non-trading gains on intangible fixed assets

The charge to corporation tax on income applies to non-trading gains arising to a company on intangible fixed assets.

753 Treatment of non-trading losses

(1) A company that has a non-trading loss on intangible fixed assets for an accounting period may claim to have the whole or part of the loss set off against the company’s total profits for that period.

(2) Such a claim must be made—

(a) not later than the end of the period of 2 years immediately following the end of the accounting period to which it relates, or

(b) within such further period as an officer of Revenue and Customs may allow.

(3) To the extent that the loss is not—

(a) set off against total profits on a claim under subsection (1), or

(b) surrendered by way of group relief (see section 403 of ICTA),

it is carried forward to the next accounting period of the company and treated as if it were a non-trading debit of that period.