Finance Act 2004

Part 2 U.K. Conditions to be satisfied by firms

General U.K.

5 U.K. In the case of an application for an individual or a company to be registered for gross payment as a partner in a firm, the following conditions must be satisfied by the firm.

The business test U.K.

6 U.K. The applicant must satisfy the Inland Revenue, by such evidence as may be prescribed in regulations made by the Board of Inland Revenue, that the firm’s business—

(a) is carried on in the United Kingdom, and

(b) satisfies the conditions mentioned in paragraph 2(a) and (b).

The turnover test U.K.

7 (1) The partners must satisfy the Inland Revenue, by such evidence as may be prescribed in regulations made by the Board of Inland Revenue, that the carrying on of the firm’s business is likely to involve the receipt in the year following the making of the application of an aggregate amount by way of relevant payments which is not less than whichever is the smaller of— U.K.

(a) the multiple turnover threshold; and

(b) the amount specified for the purposes of this paragraph in regulations made by the Board;

and in this sub-paragraph “relevant payments” has the meaning given by paragraph 3(2).

(2) In sub-paragraph (1) “the multiple turnover threshold” means the sum of—

(a) the amount obtained by multiplying the number of partners in the firm who are individuals by the amount specified in regulations as the minimum turnover for the purposes of paragraph 3(1); and

(b) in respect of each partner in the firm which is a company (other than one to which paragraph 11(1)(b) would apply), the amount equal to what would have been the minimum turnover for the purposes of paragraph 11 (1) if the application had been for registration of that company for gross payment.

(3) The Board may make regulations—

(a) for determining the number of partners in the firm to be taken into account for the purposes of sub-paragraph (2) (for example, where the number of partners has fluctuated over a period);

(b) for the purpose of enabling a firm which does not satisfy the condition in sub-paragraph (1) to be treated as satisfying that condition in such circumstances as may be prescribed.

The compliance test U.K.

8 (1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), each of the persons who are partners at the time of the application must have complied, so far as any such charge to income tax or corporation tax is concerned as falls to be computed by reference to the profits or gains of the firm’s business, with— U.K.

[F1 (a) any obligation imposed on that partner in the qualifying period (see paragraph 14)—

(i) to pay the amount liable to be deducted under section 61 of this Act from payments made during that period,

(ii) to submit returns as required by regulations made under section 70 of this Act,

(iii) to pay the tax liable to be deducted under [F2 PAYE regulations], and

(iv) to submit a self-assessment return, and

[F3 (v) to account for or pay VAT as required by or under the Value Added Tax Act 1994, and]]

(b) all requests made in the qualifying period to him as such a partner to supply to the Inland Revenue accounts of, or other information about, the firm’s business or his share of the profits or gains of that business.

(2) Where a person has failed to comply with such an obligation or request as—

(a) is referred to in sub-paragraph (1), and

(b) is of a kind prescribed by regulations made by the Board of Inland Revenue,

the firm is, in such circumstances as may be prescribed by the regulations, to be treated, in relation to that partner, as satisfying the condition in that sub-paragraph as regards that obligation or request.

(3) Where a person has failed to comply with such an obligation or request as is referred to in sub-paragraph (1), the firm is to be treated, in relation to that partner, as satisfying the condition in that sub-paragraph as regards that obligation or request if the Board of Inland Revenue are of the opinion that—

(a) the person had a reasonable excuse for the failure to comply, and

(b) if the excuse ceased, he complied with the obligation or request without unreasonable delay after the excuse had ceased.

(4) There must be reason to expect that each of the persons who are from time to time partners in the firm will, in respect of periods after the qualifying period, comply with such obligations and requests as are referred to in sub-paragraph (1).

(5) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), a person is not to be taken for the purposes of this paragraph to have complied with any such obligation or request as is referred to in sub-paragraph (1) if there has been a contravention of a requirement as to—

(a) the time at which, or

(b) the period within which,

the obligation or request was to be complied with.

[F4 (6) This paragraph is subject to paragraph 8A (exception from compliance test: firms).]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 11 para. 8(1)(a) substituted (6.4.2016) by The Income Tax (Construction Industry Scheme) (Amendment of Schedule 11 to the Finance Act 2004) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/404), arts. 1, 2(b)

F2 Words in Sch. 11 para. 8(1)(a)(iii) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 35(4) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), s. 35(3)(b)(i) (with s. 35(5))

F3 Sch. 11 para. 8(1)(a)(v) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 35(4) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), s. 35(3)(b)(ii) (with s. 35(5))

F4 Sch. 11 para. 8(6) inserted (6.4.2015) by The Income Tax (Construction Industry Scheme) (Amendment of Schedule 11 to the Finance Act 2004) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/789), arts. 1, 2(a)

[F5 Exception from compliance test: firms U.K.

Textual Amendments

F5 Sch. 11 para. 8A inserted (6.4.2015) by The Income Tax (Construction Industry Scheme) (Amendment of Schedule 11 to the Finance Act 2004) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/789), arts. 1, 2(b)

8A (1) The conditions in paragraph 8 (the compliance test: firms) do not need to be satisfied by the firm if, at the time of the application— U.K.

(a) one or more of the partners is already registered for gross payment as a partner in another firm or otherwise than as a partner in a firm, and

(b) that partner has, or those partners together have, a right to a share of at least half the assets, or at least half the income, of the firm.

(2) In sub-paragraph (1)(a) the reference to registration for gross payment does not include registration for gross payment by virtue of this paragraph or paragraph 12A (exception from compliance test: companies).]