Capital Allowances Act 2001

Capital Allowances Act 2001

2001 CHAPTER 2

Commentary on Sections

Glossary

Part 2: Plant and machinery allowances

Chapter 19: Giving effect to allowances and charges

Sections 258 to 261: Special leasing of plant or machinery

893. These four sections give effect to plant and machinery allowances for special leasing. They are based mainly on sections 73, 141 and 145 of CAA 1990. The treatment of special leasing is different partly because there is, by definition, no trade or business (see section 19) and partly because of additional provisions in CAA 1990 for these allowances and charges.

894. Section 258 for income tax deducts allowances from income from special leasing and taxes charges under Case VI of Schedule D. But this is subject to the restriction in subsection (3). That limits allowances to income from the particular special leasing if the lessee(s) did not use the plant or machinery for a qualifying activity for the whole tax year. Subsection (5) provides for excess allowances to be carried forward and set against future income from special leasing or (if subsection (3) applied) the particular special leasing. But, unlike CAA 1990, the section does not go on to say that tax “shall be discharged or repaid accordingly” as that is unnecessary. See Note 40 in Annex 2. Subsection (6) is based on section 83(1) of CAA 1990. It treats a balancing charge on a special leasing as income so allowances can be set against it. See again Note 40 in Annex 2.

895. Sections 259 and 260 make similar provision for corporation tax. The main difference is that the rules for excess allowances are somewhat more complex and so given separately in section 260. The main difference from income tax is that a company has the option to deduct excess allowances from any profits in the same accounting period or carry back them to a previous accounting period (subject to the exception in subsection (7)).

896. Subsection (8) gives “profits” the meaning in section 6 of ICTA direct – like section 2(4).

897. Section 261 is based on section 434E(6) of ICTA. It provides that a company carrying on any life assurance business cannot carry back excess allowances from special leasing or set them against other profits of the period or use them for group relief.