(1)If a company (“the chargeable company”) ceases to be a member of a group of companies, this section shall have effect as respects any asset which the chargeable company acquired from another company which was at the time of acquisition a member of that group of companies, but only if the time of acquisition fell within the period of 6 years ending with the time when the company ceases to be a member of the group; and references in this section to a company ceasing to be a member of a group of companies do not apply to cases where a company ceases to be a member of a group [F1in consequence of another member of the group ceasing to exist].
(2)Where 2 or more associated companies cease to be members of the group at the same time, subsection (1) above shall not have effect as respects an acquisition by one from another of those associated companies.
[F2(2A)Where—
(a)a company that has ceased to be a member of a group of companies (“the first group”) acquired an asset from another company which was a member of that group at the time of the acquisition,
(b)subsection (2) above applies in the case of that company’s ceasing to be a member of the first group so that subsection (1) above does not have effect as respects the acquisition of that asset,
(c)the company that made the acquisition subsequently ceases to be a member of another group of companies (“the second group”), and
(d)there is a connection between the two groups,
subsection (1) above shall have effect in relation to the company’s ceasing to be a member of the second group as if it had been the second group of which both companies had been members at the time of the acquisition.
(2B)For the purposes of subsection (2A) above there is a connection between the first group and the second group if, at the time when the chargeable company ceases to be a member of the second group, the company which is the principal company of that group is under the control of—
(a)the company which is the principal company of the first group or, if that group no longer exists, which was the principal company of that group when the chargeable company ceased to be a member of it;
(b)any company which controls the company mentioned in paragraph (a) above or which has had it under its control at any time in the period since the chargeable company ceased to be a member of the first group; or
(c)any company which has, at any time in that period, had under its control either—
(i)a company which would have fallen within paragraph (b) above if it had continued to exist, or
(ii)a company which would have fallen within this paragraph (whether by reference to a company which would have fallen within that paragraph or to a company or series of companies falling within this sub-paragraph).]
(3)If, when the chargeable company ceases to be a member of the group, the chargeable company, or an associated company also leaving the group, owns, otherwise than as trading stock—
(a)the asset, or
(b)property to which a chargeable gain has been carried forward from the asset on a replacement of business assets,
then, subject to subsection (4) below, the chargeable company shall be treated for all the purposes of this Act as if immediately after its acquisition of the asset it had sold, and immediately reacquired, the asset at market value at that time.
(4)Any chargeable gain or allowable loss which, apart from this subsection, would accrue to the chargeable company on the sale referred to in subsection (3) above shall be treated as accruing to the chargeable company [F3at whichever is the later of the following, that is to say—
(a)the time immediately after the beginning of the accounting period of that company in which or, as the case may be, at the end of which the company ceases to be a member of the group; and
(b)the time when under subsection (3) above it is treated as having reacquired the asset;
and subsection (2) of section 409 of the Taxes Act (group relief) shall require any apportionment under that subsection to be made accordingly but shall not require any reference in this subsection to an accounting period to have effect for any of the purposes specified in subsection (3) of that section as a reference to any accounting period other than a true accounting period.]
(5)Where, apart from subsection (6) below, a company ceasing to be a member of a group by reason only of the fact that the principal company of the group becomes a member of another group would be treated by virtue of subsection (3) above as selling an asset at any time, subsections (6) to (8) below shall apply.
(6)The company in question shall not be treated as selling the asset at that time; but if—
(a)within 6 years of that time the company in question ceases at any time (“the relevant time”) to satisfy the following conditions, and
(b)at the relevant time, the company in question, or a company in the same group as that company, owns otherwise than as trading stock the asset or property to which a chargeable gain has been carried forward from the asset on a replacement of business assets,
the company in question shall be treated for all the purposes of this Act as if, immediately after its acquisition of the asset, it had sold and immediately reacquired the asset at the value that, at the time of acquisition, was its market value.
(7)Those conditions are—
(a)that the company is a 75 per cent. subsidiary of one or more members of the other group referred to in subsection (5) above, and
(b)that the company is an effective 51 per cent. subsidiary of one or more of those members.
(8)Any chargeable gain or allowable loss accruing to the company on that sale shall be treated as accruing at the relevant time.
(9)Where—
(a)by virtue of this section a company is treated as having sold an asset at any time, and
(b)if at that time the company had in fact sold the asset at market value at that time, then, by virtue of section 30, any allowable loss or chargeable gain accruing on the disposal would have been calculated as if the consideration for the disposal were increased by an amount,
subsections (3) and (6) above shall have effect as if the market value at that time had been that amount greater.
[F4(9A)Section 416(2) to (6) of the Taxes Act (meaning of control) shall have effect for the purposes of subsection (2B) above as it has effect for the purposes of Part XI of that Act; but a person carrying on a business of banking shall not for the purposes of that subsection be regarded as having control of any company by reason only of having, or of the consequences of having exercised, any rights of that person in respect of loan capital or debt issued or incurred by the company for money lent by that person to the company in the ordinary course of that business.]
(10)For the purposes of this section—
(a)2 or more companies are associated companies if, by themselves, they would form a group of companies,
(b)a chargeable gain is carried forward from an asset to other property on a replacement of business assets if, by one or more claims under sections 152 to 158, the chargeable gain accruing on a disposal of the asset is reduced, and as a result an amount falls to be deducted from the expenditure allowable in computing a gain accruing on the disposal of the other property,
(c)an asset acquired by the chargeable company shall be treated as the same as an asset owned at a later time by that company or an associated company if the value of the second asset is derived in whole or in part from the first asset, and in particular where the second asset is a freehold, and the first asset was a leasehold and the lessee has acquired the reversion.
(11)If any corporation tax assessed on a company in consequence of this section is not paid within 6 months from the date determined under subsection (12) below, then—
(a)a company which on that date, or immediately after the chargeable company ceased to be a member of the group, was the principal company of the group, and
(b)a company which owned the asset on that date, or when the chargeable company ceased to be a member of the group,
may, at any time within 2 years from the date so determined, be assessed and charged (in the name of the chargeable company) to all or any part of that tax; and a company paying any amount of tax under this subsection shall be entitled to recover from the chargeable company a sum of that amount together with any interest paid by the company concerned under section 87A of the Management Act on that amount.
(12)The date referred to in subsection (11) above is whichever is the later of—
(a)the date when the tax becomes due and payable by the company; and
(b)the date when the assessment was made on the chargeable company.
(13)Where under this section the chargeable company is to be treated as having disposed of, and reacquired, an asset, all such recomputations of liability in respect of other disposals, and all such adjustments of tax, whether by way of assessment or by way of discharge or repayment of tax, as may be required in consequence of the provisions of this section shall be carried out.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 179(1) substituted (retrosp.) by 1992, c. 48, s. 25(1)
F2S. 179(2A)(2B) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 49(3) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 49(1)
F3Words in s. 179(4) substituted (27.7.1993 with effect as mentioned in s. 89(2)) by 1993 c. 34, s. 89(1)(2)
F4S. 179(9A) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 49(3) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 49(2)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 179 excluded (27.7.1993) by 1993 c. 37, s. 12, Sch. 2 Pt. I para. 4(1)
S. 179: modified (27.7.1993) by 1993 c. 37, s. 12, Sch. 2 Pt. I para. 4(2); modified (27.7.1993) by 1993 c. 37, s. 12, Sch. 2 Pt. I para. 51(2)
C2S. 179 modified (retrospective to 11.1.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 252(3), Sch. 24 para. 8(1)-(3)
C3S. 179 applied (retrospective to 11.1.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 252(3), Sch. 24 para. 8(5)
C4S. 179 restricted (3.5.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 250(2)
C5S. 179 modified (19.9.1994) by Coal industry Act 1994 (c. 21), s. 68(4), Sch. 4 para. 8(1)(2) (with Sch. 4 paras. 8(3), 14); S.I. 1994/2189, art. 2, Sch.
C6S. 179 applied (19.9.1994) by Coal industry Act 1994 (c. 21), s. 68(4), Sch. 4 para. 8(4) (with Sch. 4 para. 14); S.I. 1994/2189, art. 2, Sch.
C7S. 179 modified (8.11.1995) by Atomic Energy Authority Act 1995 (c. 37), Sch. 3 para. 5(1)(2) (with Sch. 3 para. 5(4))
C8S. 179 modified (24.7.1996) by Broadcasting Act 1996 (c. 55), s. 149(1), Sch. 7 para. 6 (with Sch. 7 para. 9(1))
Commencement Information
I1s. 179: 30.9.1993 appointed for the purposes of s. 179 by S.I. 1992/3066, art. 2(2)(d)