Finance Act 1994

Accrual of profits and losses

155 Accrual of profits and losses

(1) Where, as regards a qualifying contract held by a qualifying company and an accounting period, amount A exceeds amount B, a profit on the contract of an amount equal to the excess accrues to the company for the period.

(2) Where, as regards a qualifying contract held by a qualifying company and an accounting period, amount B exceeds amount A, a loss on the contract of an amount equal to the excess accrues to the company for the period.

(3) Subsections (4) and (5) below have effect for the purposes of this section, sections 158 and 161 to 167 below and paragraph 2 of Schedule 18 to this Act; and any reference in any of those sections or that paragraph to amount A or amount B is a reference to that amount after the making of any adjustments under such of those sections as precede that section or paragraph.

(4) Where as regards a qualifying contract a qualifying company’s profit or loss for an accounting period falls to be computed on a mark to market basis incorporating a particular method of valuation—

(a) amount A is the aggregate of—

(i) the amount or aggregate amount of the qualifying payment or payments becoming due and payable to the company in the period, and

(ii) any increase for the period, or the part of the period for which the contract is held by the company, in the value of the contract as determined by that method, and

(b) amount B is the aggregate of—

(i) the amount or aggregate amount of the qualifying payment or payments becoming due and payable by the company in the period, and

(ii) any reduction for the period, or the part of the period for which the contract is held by the company, in the value of the contract as so determined.

(5) Where as regards a qualifying contract a qualifying company’s profit or loss for an accounting period falls to be computed on a particular accruals basis—

(a) amount A is so much of the qualifying payment or payments received or falling to be received by the company as is allocated to the period on that basis, and

(b) amount B is so much of the qualifying payment or payments made or falling to be made by the company as is so allocated.

(6) Where a qualifying contract is such a contract by reason of being treated, by virtue of section 152 above, as if any provisions for one or more transfers of money or money’s worth were not included in it—

(a) so much of any qualifying payment as relates to the transfer or transfers shall be ignored for the purposes of subsections (4) and (5) above, and

(b) so much of any such increase or reduction as is mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (4) above as so relates shall be ignored for the purposes of that subsection.

(7) Subject to subsection (8) below, where a qualifying contract—

(a) becomes held by a qualifying company at any time in an accounting period, or

(b) ceases to be so held at any such time,

it shall be assumed for the purposes of subsection (4) above that its value is nil immediately after it becomes so held or, as the case may be, immediately before it ceases to be so held.

(8) Subsection (7)(b) above does not apply where a qualifying contract is discharged by the making of payments none of which is a qualifying payment for the purposes of this Chapter.

156 Basis of accounting: general

(1) Where, for the purposes of a qualifying company’s accounts, profits and losses for an accounting period on a qualifying contract held by the company are computed on—

(a) a mark to market basis of accounting which satisfies the requirements of this section, or

(b) an accruals basis of accounting which satisfies those requirements,

profits and losses for the period on the contract shall be computed on that basis for the purposes of this Chapter.

(2) Where subsection (1) above does not apply in the case of a qualifying contract held by a qualifying company and an accounting period, profits and losses for the period on the contract shall be computed for the purposes of this Chapter on a mark to market or accruals basis of accounting which—

(a) satisfies the requirements of this section, and

(b) is specified in an agreement between the company and the inspector or, in default of such an agreement, in a notice served on the company by the inspector.

(3) A mark to market basis of accounting satisfies the requirements of this section as regards a qualifying contract if—

(a) computing the profits or losses on the contract on that basis is in accordance with normal accountancy practice;

(b) all relevant payments under the contract are allocated to the accounting periods in which they become due and payable; and

(c) the method of valuation adopted is such as to secure the contract is brought into account at a fair value.

(4) An accruals basis of accounting satisfies the requirements of this section as regards a qualifying contract if—

(a) computing the profits or losses on the contract on that basis is in accordance with normal accountancy practice;

(b) all relevant payments under the contract are allocated to the accounting periods to which they relate, without regard to the accounting periods in which they are made or received, or become due and payable; and

(c) where such payments relate to two or more such periods, they are apportioned between those periods on a just and reasonable basis.

(5) In determining whether, as regards a qualifying contract, a relevant payment is dealt with as mentioned in subsection (4) above—

(a) regard shall be had to the accounting period or periods to which any reciprocal payment or payments are allocated, and to the basis on which any such payment or payments are apportioned between two or more such periods, but

(b) no regard shall be had to the accounting period or periods to which any other payment or payments are allocated, or to the basis on which any such payment or payments are so apportioned.

(6) References in this section to a qualifying company’s accounts shall be construed as follows—

(a) in the case of a company formed and registered under the [1985 c. 6.] Companies Act 1985, as references to its accounts drawn up in accordance with the requirements of that Act;

(b) in the case of a company formed and registered under the [S.I. 1986/1032 (N.I.6).] Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, as references to its accounts drawn up in accordance with the requirements of that Order;

(c) in any other case, as references to the accounts which it is required to keep under the law of its home State or, if it is not so required to keep accounts, such of its accounts as most closely correspond to the accounts mentioned in paragraph (a) above;

and for the purposes of paragraph (c) above the home State of a company is the country or territory under whose law the company is incorporated.

(7) In this section—

• “fair value”, in relation to a qualifying contract, means the amount which, if the qualifying company disposed of the contract to a knowledgeable and willing party dealing at arm’s length, it would be able to obtain or, as the case may be, would have to pay;

• “reciprocal payment”, in relation to a relevant payment, means another such payment which is the consideration or part of the consideration for that payment;

• “relevant payment” means a qualifying payment made or received, or falling to be made or received, by the company.

(8) In the above definition of “reciprocal payment”, the second reference to a relevant payment includes a reference to any payment which—

(a) is subject to a condition precedent, and

(b) would be a relevant payment if the condition were fulfilled.

157 Basis of accounting for linked currency options

(1) As regards a qualifying contract which is a linked currency option, a qualifying company’s profit or loss for an accounting period shall be computed on a mark to market basis of accounting.

(2) Accordingly if, as regards such an option, a qualifying company’s profit or loss for an accounting period would, apart from subsection (1) above, fall to be computed on an accruals basis of accounting, that profit or loss shall be computed for the purposes of this Chapter on a mark to market basis of accounting which—

(a) satisfies the requirements of section 156 above, or would satisfy those requirements if paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of that section were omitted, and

(b) is specified in an agreement between the company and the inspector or, in default of such an agreement, in a notice served on the company by the inspector.

(3) A currency option is a linked currency option for the purposes of this section if each of the conditions mentioned below is fulfilled.

(4) The first condition is that—

(a) in the case of an option exercisable by the qualifying company against the other party, another currency option is exercisable by that party against the company; or

(b) in the case of an option exercisable by the other party against the qualifying company, another currency option is exercisable by the company against that party.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (4) above, another currency option which is exercisable by or against an associated company of the qualifying company, or by or against an associated company of the other party to the currency option in question, shall be treated as exercisable by or against the qualifying company or that party.

(6) The second condition is that the terms of the two options are such that—

(a) they must be exercised (if at all) at the same, or substantially the same, time, and

(b) the rights and duties under the contract which would arise if the one option were exercised are the same, or substantially the same, as those under the contract which would arise if the other option were exercised.

(7) Where the currency option in question is such an option by virtue of section 150(8) above, subsections (4) and (5) above shall be construed as if—

(a) any reference to an option being exercisable by any person were a reference to a contract subject to a condition precedent the fulfilment of which would result in a transfer of value to that person, and

(b) any reference to an option being exercisable against any person were a reference to a contract subject to a condition precedent the fulfilment of which would result in a transfer of value by that person.

(8) For the purposes of subsection (7) above there is a transfer of value to or by any person if, immediately after the fulfilment of the condition, the value of that person’s net assets is more or, as the case may be, less than it would have been but for the fulfilment of the condition.

(9) Any reference in subsection (8) above to the value of a person’s net assets being more or less than it would have been but for the fulfilment of the condition includes a reference to the value of that person’s net liabilities being less or, as the case may be, more than it would have been but for the fulfilment of the condition.

(10) In this section “associated company” shall be construed in accordance with section 416 of the Taxes Act 1988 and any reference to a currency option is a reference to one which is a qualifying contract.

158 Adjustments for changes in basis of accounting

(1) Subsections (2) to (5) below apply where, as regards a qualifying contract and an accounting period, a qualifying company’s profit or loss is computed on a basis of accounting (the new basis) other than that adopted for the immediately preceding accounting period.

(2) There shall be added to amount A an amount equal to any amount, or the aggregate of any amounts—

(a) which have not been included in amount A for a preceding accounting period, and

(b) which would have been so included if the new basis had been adopted for that period.

(3) There shall be deducted from amount A or, as the case may require, added to amount B an amount equal to any amount, or the aggregate of any amounts—

(a) which have been included in amount A for a preceding accounting period, and

(b) which would not have been so included if the new basis had been adopted for that period.

(4) There shall be added to amount B an amount equal to any amount, or the aggregate of any amounts—

(a) which have not been included in amount B for a preceding accounting period, and

(b) which would have been so included if the new basis had been adopted for that period.

(5) There shall be deducted from amount B or, as the case may require, added to amount A an amount equal to any amount, or the aggregate of any amounts—

(a) which have been included in amount B for a preceding accounting period, and

(b) which would not have been so included if the new basis had been adopted for that period.

(6) Subject to subsection (7) below, subsections (2) to (5) above also apply where a contract or option becomes a qualifying contract by virtue of section 147(2) or 148(2) or (3) above at the beginning of the first day of an accounting period of a qualifying company.

(7) Where subsections (2) to (5) above apply by virtue of subsection (6) above, they shall have effect as if—

(a) any reference to the new basis were a reference to the basis of accounting on which, as regards the qualifying contract, the company’s profit or loss for the accounting period is calculated,

(b) any reference to being or not being included in amount A for a preceding accounting period were a reference to being or not being taken into account as receipts or increases in value in computing the company’s profits or losses for such a period, and

(c) any reference to being or not being included in amount B for a preceding accounting period were a reference to being or not being taken into account as deductions or reductions in value in computing the company’s profits or losses for such a period.