Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

799 Computation of underlying tax. U.K.

M1 (1) Where in the case of any dividend arrangements provide for underlying tax to be taken into account in considering whether any and if so what credit is to be allowed against the United Kingdom taxes in respect of the dividend, the tax to be taken into account by virtue of that provision shall be so much of the foreign tax borne on the relevant profits by the body corporate paying the dividend as—

[F1 (a)] is properly attributable to the proportion of the relevant profits represented by the dividend[F2 , and

(b) does not exceed the amount calculated by applying the formula set out in subsection (1A) below.]

[F3 [F4 (1A) The formula is—

where—

D is the amount of the dividend;

U is the amount of underlying tax that would fall to be taken into account as mentioned in subsection (1) above, apart from paragraph (b) of that subsection; and

M% is the maximum relievable rate;

and for the purposes of this subsection the maximum relievable rate is the rate of corporation tax in force when the dividend was paid.]]

[F5 (1B) Where, under any arrangements, a company makes a claim for an allowance by way of credit in accordance with this Chapter—

(a) the claim may be so framed as to exclude such amounts of underlying tax as may be specified for the purpose in the claim; and

(b) any amounts of underlying tax so excluded shall be left out of account for the purposes of this section.]

(2) Where under the foreign tax law the dividend has been increased for tax purposes by an amount to be set off against the recipient’s own tax under that law or, to the extent that it exceeds his own tax thereunder, paid to him, then, from the amount of the underlying tax to be taken into account under subsection (1) above there is to be subtracted the amount of that increase.

[F6 (2A) No underlying tax shall be taken into account under subsection (1) above in the case of a dividend if, under the law of any territory outside the United Kingdom, a deduction is allowed to a resident of that territory in respect of an amount determined by reference to the dividend.]

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1) above the relevant profits, subject to subsection (4) below, are—

(a) if the dividend is paid for a specified period, the profits of that period; [F7 and]

(b) F8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) if the dividend is [F9 not paid for a specified period], the profits of the last period for which accounts of the body corporate were made up which ended before the dividend became payable.

(4) If, in a case falling under paragraph (a) or (c) of subsection (3) above, the total dividend exceeds the profits available for distribution of the period mentioned in that paragraph the relevant profits shall be the profits of that period plus so much of the profits available for distribution of preceding periods (other than profits previously distributed or previously treated as relevant profits for the purposes of this section or section 506 of the 1970 Act) as is equal to the excess; and for the purposes of this subsection the profits of the most recent preceding period shall first be taken into account, then the profits of the next most recent preceding period, and so on.

[F10 (5) For the purposes of paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (3) above, “profits”, in the case of any period, means the profits available for distribution.

(6) In subsections (4) and (5) above, “profits available for distribution” means, in the case of any company, the profits available for distribution as shown in accounts relating to the company—

(a) drawn up in accordance with the law of the company’s home State, and

(b) making no provision for reserves, bad debts [F11 , impairment losses] or contingencies other than such as is required to be made under that law.

(7) In this section, “home State”, in the case of any company, means the country or territory under whose law the company is incorporated or formed.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 799(1) renumbered as s. 799(1)(a) (with effect in accordance with Sch. 30 para. 8(5)(6) of the amending Act) by virtue of Finance Act 2000 (c. 17), Sch. 30 para. 8(2)

F2 S. 799(1)(b) and preceding word inserted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 30 para. 8(5)(6) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2000 (c. 17), Sch. 30 para. 8(2)

F3 S. 799(1A) inserted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 30 para. 8(5)(6) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2000 (c. 17), Sch. 30 para. 8(3)

F4 S. 799(1A) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 27 para. 2(4)(5) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2001 (c. 9), Sch. 27 para. 2(2)

F5 S. 799(1B) inserted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 27 para. 2(4)(5) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2001 (c. 9), Sch. 27 para. 2(3)

F6 S. 799(2A) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 85(2) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2005 (c. 7), s. 85(1)

F7 Word at the end of s. 799(3)(a) inserted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 30 para. 8(5)(6) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2000 (c. 17), Sch. 30 para. 8(4)(a)

F8 S. 799(3)(b) repealed (with effect in accordance with Sch. 30 para. 8(5)(6) of the repealing Act) by Finance Act 2000 (c. 17), Sch. 30 para. 8(4)(b), Sch. 40 Pt. 2(13), Note

F9 Words in s. 799(3)(c) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 30 para. 8(5)(6) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2000 (c. 17), Sch. 30 para. 8(4)(c)

F10 S. 799(5)-(7) added (with effect in accordance with Sch. 30 para. 9(3) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2000 (c. 17), Sch. 30 para. 9(2)

F11 Words in s. 799(6)(b) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 80(3)(4) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2005 (c. 7), Sch. 4 para. 7

Marginal Citations

M1 Source—1970 s.506; 1976 s.50(3)