Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

[F1 289A Form of relief. U.K.

(1) Where an individual eligible for relief in respect of any amount subscribed for eligible shares makes a claim, then, subject to the following provisions of this Chapter, the amount of his liability for the year of assessment in which the shares were issued (“the current year”) to income tax on his total income shall be the following amount.

(2) That amount is the amount to which he would be so liable apart from this section less whichever is the smaller of—

(a) an amount equal to tax at the lower rate for the current year on the amount or, as the case may be, the aggregate of the amounts subscribed for eligible shares issued in that year in respect of which he is eligible for relief, and

(b) the amount which reduces his liability to nil.

(3) Subject to subsection (4) below, if in the case of any issue of relevant shares, that is, shares—

(a) which are issued before 6th October in the current year, and

(b) in respect of the amount subscribed for which the individual is eligible for relief,

the individual so requests in his claim, subsection (1) above shall apply as if, in respect of such part of that issue as may be specified in his claim, the shares had been issued in the preceding year of assessment; and his liability to income tax for both years of assessment shall be determined accordingly.

(4) Not more than half of the relevant shares comprised in any issue may be treated by virtue of subsection (3) above as issued in the previous year; and the number of relevant shares (comprised in any issues) so treated as issued in a particular year shall not be such that the total amount subscribed for them exceeds [F2 £25,000].

(5) In determining for the purposes of subsection (2) above the amount of income tax to which a person would be liable apart from this section, no account shall be taken of—

(a) any income tax reduction under Chapter I of Part VII of this Act or under section 347B,

(b) any income tax reduction under section 353(1A),

(c) any income tax reduction under section 54(3A) of the Finance Act 1989,

(d) any relief by way of a reduction of liability to tax which is given in accordance with any arrangements having effect by virtue of section 788 or by way of a credit under section 790(1), or

(e) any tax at the basic rate on so much of that person’s income as is income the income tax on which he is entitled to charge against any other person or to deduct, retain or satisfy out of any payment.

(6) A claim for relief shall not be allowed unless subsection (7) below is complied with but, where it is complied with, the relief may be given at any time when it appears that the conditions for the relief may be satisfied.

(7) This subsection is complied with if—

(a) in the case of shares issued for the purpose of a qualifying business activity falling within paragraph (a) of section 289(2), the company or subsidiary concerned has carried on the trade for four months,

(b) in the case of shares issued for the purpose of a qualifying business activity falling within paragraph (b) of that subsection or within both paragraph (a) and paragraph (b) of that subsection, the company or subsidiary concerned has carried on the research and development for four months, and

(c) in the case of shares issued for the purpose of a qualifying business activity falling within paragraph (c) of that subsection, the company or subsidiary concerned has carried on the exploration for four months.

(8) Where—

(a) the company or subsidiary concerned, by reason of its being wound up, or dissolved without winding up, carries on a trade for a period shorter than four months, and

(b) it is shown that the winding up or dissolution was for bona fide commercial reasons and not as part of a scheme or arrangement the main purpose or one of the main purposes of which was the avoidance of tax,

subsection (7)(a) above shall have effect as if it referred to that shorter period.

(9) Where effect is given to a claim for relief by repayment of tax, section 824 shall have effect in relation to the repayment as if the time from which the twelve months mentioned in subsections (1)(a) and (3)(a) of that section are to be calculated were the end of the year of assessment in which the shares are issued or, if subsection (7) above is first complied with in a later year, the end of that later year.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 289-289B substituted for s. 289 (with effect in accordance with s. 137(2) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 137(1), Sch. 15 para. 2

F2 Words in s. 289A(4) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 74(3) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1998 (c. 36), Sch. 13 para. 2