Corporation Tax Act 2009

Accounting rules and definitions

716 “Recognised” amounts and “GAAP-compliant accounts”

(1) References in this Part to an amount “recognised” in determining a company’s profit or loss for a period are to—

(a) an amount recognised in—

(i) the company’s profit and loss account, income statement or statement of comprehensive income for that period,

(ii) the company’s statement of total recognised gains and losses, statement of recognised income and expense, statement of changes in equity or statement of income and retained earnings for that period, or

(iii) any other statement of items brought into account in calculating the company’s profits and losses for that period, and

(b) an amount that would have been so recognised if such an account or statement had been drawn up for that period in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice.

(2) An amount that in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice is shown as a prior period adjustment in any such statement as is mentioned in subsection (1) must be brought into account for the purposes of this Part in calculating the company’s profits and losses for the period to which the statement relates.

(3) Subsection (2) does not apply to an amount recognised for accounting purposes by way of correction of a fundamental error.

(4) In this Part “GAAP-compliant accounts” means accounts drawn up in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice.

(5) In the case of a company that is a member of a group, see also section 718.

717 Companies without GAAP-compliant accounts

(1) If a company—

(a) draws up accounts that are not GAAP-compliant accounts, or

(b) does not draw up accounts at all,

this Part applies as if GAAP-compliant accounts had been drawn up.

(2) References in this Part to amounts recognised for accounting purposes are references to the amounts which would have been recognised if GAAP-compliant accounts had been drawn up for the period of account in question and any relevant earlier period.

(3) For this purpose a period of account is relevant to a later period if the accounts for the later period rely to any extent on amounts derived from the earlier period.

718 GAAP-compliant accounts: reference to consolidated group accounts

(1) In determining whether a company’s accounts are GAAP-compliant, reference may be made to any view about—

(a) the useful life of an asset, or

(b) the economic value of an asset,

taken for the purposes of consolidated group accounts prepared for any group of companies of which the company is a member.

(2) This section does not apply if the consolidated group accounts—

(a) are drawn up using a different accounting framework from that used for the company’s individual accounts, and

(b) as a result are prepared on a basis that, in relation to the matters mentioned in subsection (1), substantially diverges from the basis used in the company’s individual accounts.

(3) This section does not apply so far as the consolidated group accounts are prepared—

(a) in accordance with the requirements of the law of a country outside the United Kingdom, and

(b) on a basis that, in relation to the matters mentioned in subsection (1), substantially diverges from generally accepted accounting practice.

719 Accounting value

In this Part “accounting value”, in relation to an asset, means the net book value (or carrying amount) of the asset recognised for accounting purposes.