Finance Act 2000

Part I U.K. Introductory

Tonnage tax U.K.

1 (1) This Schedule provides an alternative regime (“tonnage tax”) for calculating the profits of a shipping company for the purposes of corporation tax. U.K.

(2) The regime applies only if an election to that effect (a “tonnage tax election”) is made (see Part II of this Schedule).

Companies that are members of a group must join in a group election.

(3) A tonnage tax election may only be made if—

(a) the company or group is a qualifying company or group (see Part III of this Schedule), and

(b) certain requirements are met as to training (see Part IV of this Schedule) and other matters (see Part V of this Schedule).

Tonnage tax companies and groups U.K.

2 (1) In this Schedule a “tonnage tax company” or “tonnage tax group” means a company or group in relation to which a tonnage tax election has effect. U.K.

(2) References in this Schedule to a company entering or leaving tonnage tax are to its becoming or ceasing to be a tonnage tax company.

References to a company being subject to tonnage tax have a corresponding meaning.

Profits of tonnage tax company U.K.

3 (1) In the case of a tonnage tax company, its tonnage tax profits are brought into charge to corporation tax in place of its relevant shipping profits (see Part VI of this Schedule). U.K.

(2) Where profits would be relevant shipping income, any loss accruing to the company is similarly left out of account for the purposes of corporation tax.

Tonnage tax profits: method of calculation U.K.

4 (1) A company’s tonnage tax profits for an accounting period are calculated in accordance with this paragraph by reference to the net tonnage of the qualifying ships operated by the company. U.K.

For the purposes of the calculation the net tonnage of a ship is rounded down (if necessary) to the nearest multiple of 100 tons.

(2) The calculation is as follows:

Step One

Determine the daily profit for each qualifying ship operated by the company by reference to the following table and the net tonnage of the ship:

For each 100 tons up to 1,000 tons	£0.60
For each 100 tons between 1,000 and 10,000 tons	£0.45
For each 100 tons between 10,000 and 25,000 tons	£0.30
For each 100 tons above 25,000 tons	£0.15

Step Two

Work out the ship’s profit for the accounting period by multiplying the daily profit by—

(a) the number of days in the accounting period, or

(b) if the ship was operated by the company as a qualifying ship for only part of the period, by the number of days in that part.

Step Three

Follow Steps One and Two for each of the qualifying ships operated by the company in the accounting period.

Step Four

Add together the resulting amounts and the total is the amount of the company’s tonnage tax profits for that accounting period.

Tonnage tax profits: calculation in case of joint operation etc. U.K.

5 (1) If two or more companies fall to be regarded as operators of a ship by virtue of a joint interest in the ship, or in an agreement for the use of the ship, the tonnage tax profits of each are calculated as if each were entitled to a share of the profits proportionate to its share of that interest. U.K.

(2) If two or more companies fall to be treated as the operator of a ship otherwise than as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1), the tonnage tax profits of each are computed as if each were the only operator.

Measurement of tonnage of ship U.K.

6 (1) References in this Schedule to the gross or net tonnage of a ship are to that tonnage as determined— U.K.

(a) in the case of a vessel of 24 metres in length or over, in accordance with the IMO International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships (ITC69);

(b) in the case of a vessel under 24 metres in length, in accordance with tonnage regulations.

(2) A ship shall not be treated as a qualifying ship for the purposes of this Schedule unless there is in force—

(a) a valid International Tonnage Certificate (1969), or

(b) a valid certificate recording its tonnage as measured in accordance with tonnage regulations.

(3) In this paragraph “tonnage regulations” means regulations under section 19 of the M1 Merchant Shipping Act 1995 or provisions of the law of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom corresponding to those regulations.

Marginal Citations

M1 1995 c. 21.