Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

801 Dividends paid between related companies: relief for U.K. and third country taxes. U.K.

M1 (1) Where a company resident outside the United Kingdom (“the overseas company”) pays a dividend to a [F1 company falling within subsection (1A) below (“the relevant company”)] and the overseas company is related [F2 to the relevant company], then for the purpose of allowing credit under any arrangements against corporation tax in respect of the dividend, there shall be taken into account, as if it were tax payable under the law of the territory in which the overseas company is resident—

(a) any United Kingdom income tax or corporation tax payable by the overseas company in respect of its profits; and

(b) any tax which, under the law of any other territory, is payable by the overseas company in respect of its profits.

[F3 (1A) A company falls within this subsection if—

(a) it is resident in the United Kingdom; or

(b) it is resident outside the United Kingdom but the dividend mentioned in subsection (1) above forms part of the profits of a branch or agency of the company’s in the United Kingdom.]

(2) Where the overseas company has received a dividend from a third company and the third company is related to the overseas company, then, [F4 subject to subsections (4) to (4D)] below, there shall be treated for the purposes of subsection (1) above as tax paid by the overseas company in respect of its profits any underlying tax payable by the third company, to the extent that it would be taken into account under this Part if the dividend had been paid by a company resident outside the United Kingdom to a company resident in the United Kingdom and arrangements had provided for underlying tax to be taken into account.

[F5 (2A) Section 799(1)(b) applies for the purposes of subsection (2) above only—

(a) if the overseas company and the third company are not resident in the same territory; or

(b) in such other cases as may be prescribed by regulations made by the Treasury.]

(3) Where the third company has received a dividend from a fourth company and the fourth company is related to the third company, then, subject to subsection (4) below, tax payable by the fourth company shall similarly be treated for the purposes of subsection (2) above as tax paid by the third company; and so on for successive companies each of which is related to the one before.

(4) Subsections (2) and (3) above are subject to the following limitations—

(a) no tax shall be taken into account in respect of a dividend paid by a company resident in the United Kingdom except United Kingdom corporation tax and any tax for which that company is entitled to credit under this Part; and

(b) no tax shall be taken into account in respect of a dividend paid by a company resident outside the United Kingdom to another such company unless it could have been taken into account under the other provisions of this Part had the other company been resident in the United Kingdom.

[F6 (4A) If, in the application of section 799(1)(b) by subsection (2) or (3) above in relation to a dividend paid by a company resident in the United Kingdom—

(a) the amount given by the formula in section 799(1A), exceeds

(b) the value of U in that formula,

subsection (4B) below shall apply.

(4B) Where this subsection applies, in the application (otherwise than by subsection (2) or (3) above) of subsection (1) of section 799 in relation to the dividend mentioned in that subsection (“the Case V dividend”), the amount of foreign tax which by virtue of the provision made by the arrangements mentioned in that subsection would fall to be taken into account under this Part in respect of the Case V dividend—

(a) apart from this subsection, and

(b) after applying paragraphs (a) and (b) of that subsection,

shall be increased by an amount of underlying tax equal to the appropriate portion of the amount of the excess described in subsection (4A) above in relation to the dividend paid by the company resident in the United Kingdom.

(4C) Subsection (6) of section 806B (meaning of “appropriate portion”), as read with subsections (7) and (10) of that section, shall have effect for the purposes of subsection (4B) above as it has effect for the purposes of subsection (5) of that section (but taking the references in subsection (10) of that section to the Case V dividend as references to the Case V dividend within the meaning of subsection (4B) above).

(4D) Subsections (4A) to (4C) above shall be ignored in determining for the purposes of subsection (2) or (3) above the extent to which any underlying tax paid by a company would be taken into account under this Part if the dividend in question had been paid by a company resident outside the United Kingdom to a company resident in the United Kingdom.]

(5) For the purposes of this section a company is related to another company if that other company—

(a) controls directly or indirectly, or

(b) is a subsidiary of a company which controls directly or indirectly,

not less than 10 per cent. of the voting power in the first-mentioned company.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 801(1) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 30 para. 4(14) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2000 (c. 17), Sch. 30 para. 4(8)(a)

F2 Words in s. 801(1) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 30 para. 4(14) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2000 (c. 17), Sch. 30 para. 4(8)(b)

F3 S. 801(1A) inserted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 30 para. 4(14) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2000 (c. 17), Sch. 30 para. 4(9)

F4 Words in s. 801(2) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 27 para. 3(4)(5) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2001 (c. 9), Sch. 27 para. 3(2)

F5 S. 801(2A) inserted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 30 para. 11(3)(4) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2000 (c. 17), Sch. 30 para. 11(2)

F6 S. 801(4A)-(4D) inserted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 27 para. 3(4)(5) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2001 (c. 9), Sch. 27 para. 3(3)

Marginal Citations

M1 Source—1970 s.508; 1971 s.26(2)