Finance Act 1993

155 Definitions connected with liabilities

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, a company becomes subject to a liability falling within section 153(2)(a) above when it becomes unconditionally subject to it.

(2) Where a company agrees to acquire a liability falling within section 153(2)(a) above by transfer it becomes subject to it when the contract is made and not on a later transfer made pursuant to the contract.

(3) Where a company agrees to dispose of a liability falling within section 153(2)(a) above by transfer it ceases to be subject to it when the contract is made and not on a later transfer made pursuant to the contract.

(4) If a contract is conditional (whether on the exercise of an option or otherwise) for the purposes of subsections (2) and (3) above it is made when the condition is satisfied.

(5) Where a company ceases to be subject to a liability falling within section 153(2)(a) above and at a later time becomes subject to the same liability, with effect from the later time the liability shall be treated as if it were a different liability.

(6) A company becomes subject to a liability falling within section 153(2)(b) above at the time with effect from which it makes the provision.

(7) A company ceases to be subject to a liability falling within section 153(2)(b) above at the time with effect from which it deletes the provision or (if different) the time with effect from which it would delete the provision under normal accountancy practice.

(8) Where a company makes a provision falling within section 153(2)(b) above and later changes the amount, the company shall be treated as—

(a) deleting (with effect from the time when the change becomes effective) the provision representing the amount before the change, and

(b) making (with effect from that time) a new provision representing the amount as changed;

and so on for further changes.

(9) A company ceases to be subject to a liability falling within section 153(2)(c) above when it becomes entitled to the right concerned, unless it ceases to be subject to the liability earlier apart from this subsection.

(10) A company ceases to be subject to a liability falling within section 153(2)(d) above when it becomes entitled to the share or shares, unless it ceases to be subject to the liability earlier apart from this subsection.

(11) In a case where—

(a) a company would (apart from this subsection) become subject to a liability at a particular time (the later time) by virtue of the preceding provisions of this section,

(b) the liability falls within section 153(2)(a) above,

(c) the time at which the company, in drawing up its accounts, regards itself as becoming subject to the liability is a time (the earlier time) earlier than the later time, and

(d) the accounts are drawn up in accordance with normal accountancy practice,

the company shall be taken to have become subject to the liability at the earlier time and not at the later time.

(12) Where subsection (11) above applies, as regards any time beginning with the earlier time and ending immediately before the later time the nominal amount of the debt shall be taken to be—

(a) such amount as the company treats as the nominal amount in its accounts, or

(b) such amount as it would so treat in accordance with normal accountancy practice (if that amount is different from the amount found under paragraph (a) above).

(13) A company owes a liability at a particular time if it is subject to it at that time.