Oil Taxation Act 1975

Claim periods and claims U.K.

1 (1) In relation to any oil field— U.K.

(a) the first claim period is whichever of the following periods the responsible person elects, namely the period ending at the end of June following the determination of the field or the period ending at the end of December following that determination (including, in either case, an unlimited time prior to that determination);

(b) each subsequent claim period is whichever of the following periods the responsible person elects, namely the period of six months or the period of twelve months from the end of the preceding claim period:

Provided that unless and until the responsible person elects the period of six months from the end of any particular claim period, the claim period next after that claim period shall be taken to be the period of twelve months from the end of it.

(2) An election under this paragraph must be made by notice in writing to the Board.

2 (1) A claim under this Schedule for the allowance of any expenditure allowable under section 3 or 4 of this Act for an oil field must be made by the responsible person to the Board and, subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act, must be made in a claim or claims for the claim period in which the expenditure is incurred, but may not be made before the determination of the field or more than six years after the end of the claim period in which the expenditure is incurred.

(2) A claim under this Schedule for the allowance of any expenditure allowable under section 3 or 4 of this Act for an oil field which was incurred by a person before he became a participator in the field must be made in a claim for the claim period in which he became a participator.

(3) A claim under this Schedule shall not include any expenditure allowable under section 3 or 4 of this Act which has been included in a claim under Schedule 6 to this Act.

(4) A claim must state—

(a) what part (if any) of the expenditure is claimed as qualifying for supplement under section 2(9)(b)(ii) of this Act; and

(b) the shares in which, in accordance with their respective interests in the oil field, the participators propose to divide between them, for the purposes of paragraph (b) of section 2(9) of this Act, the expenditure allowed on the claim and the amount which will arise under sub-paragraph (ii) of that paragraph if some or all of that expenditure is allowed on the claim as so qualifying.

(5) Where a claim for the allowance of any expenditure under section 4 of this Act for an oil field was made in relation to any asset for the claim period which, in the case of that asset, is the first relevant claim period (as defined in that section), then any claim with respect to that field made under this Schedule for any subsequent claim period must give all such information as is relevant for the purpose of enabling the Board to carry into effect the provisions of that section in relation to that asset.

(6) A claim must be in such form as the Board may prescribe and must include a declaration that all statements contained in it are correct to the best of the knowledge and belief of the person making the claim.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 See Oil Taxation Act 1983 (c. 56), s. 3(6)

C2 See Finance Act 1982 (c. 39), s. 135(1)(c) in relation to any case where oil was won before the date of determination

C3 See Finance (No. 2) Act 1979 (c. 47), s. 19(4) where more than one rate of uplift applies; Finance Act 1981 (c. 35), s. 111(6)

C4 See Oil Taxation Act 1983 (c. 56), s. 5(7)

Valid from 25/07/1991

[F1 2A (1) This paragraph applies where— U.K.

(a) a claim is made under this Schedule for the allowance of any expenditure which is incurred after 30th June 1991 and is allowable for an oil field by virtue of paragraph (i) or paragraph (j) of subsection (1) of section 3 of this Act (in this paragraph referred to as “the abandonment expenditure”);

(b) a participator (in this paragraph referred to as “the defaulter”) has defaulted on his liability under a relevant agreement to make a payment towards the abandonment expenditure;

(c) at the end of the claim period for which the claim is made, the defaulter still has an interest in the oil field which falls to be taken into account in determining, under paragraph 2(4)(b) above, the shares of each of the participators in the abandonment expenditure;

(d) the participators (other than any who have defaulted as mentioned in paragraph (b) above) have taken all reasonable steps by way of legal remedy to secure that the defaulter meets the whole of the liability referred to in paragraph (b) above and to enforce any guarantee or other security provided in respect of that liability; and

(e) one or more of those participators has paid an amount in or towards meeting the whole or any part of the payment for which the defaulter was liable as mentioned in paragraph (b) above.

(2) For the purposes of this paragraph, a participator is to be regarded as defaulting on his liability to make a payment as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(b) above if he has failed to make the payment in full on the date on which it becomes due under the relevant agreement and either—

(a) on the sixtieth day after that due date any of the payment remains unpaid; or

(b) before that sixtieth day the participator’s interest in a relevant licence becomes liable under the relevant agreement to be sold or forfeited, in whole or in part, by reason of his failure to meet his liability.

(3) In this paragraph—

(a) “relevant agreement” has the meaning given by section 104(5)(a) of the Finance Act 1991;

(b) “the sum in default” means so much of the payment referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(b) above as has neither been paid by the defaulter nor met by virtue of any such guarantee or security as is referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(d) above;

(c) the “default payment” means the amount which the qualifying participator has paid as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(e) above; and

(d) a “qualifying participator” means a participator who falls within sub-paragraph (1)(e) above and who is not connected with the defaulter, applying section 839 of the Taxes Act (connected persons) for the purposes of this paragraph.

(4) For the purposes of paragraphs 2(4)(b) and 3(1)(c) of this Schedule, there shall be attributed to a qualifying participator (as an addition to the share of the abandonment expenditure referable to his own interest in the oil field) whichever is the less of—

(a) the default payment; and

(b) subject to sub-paragraph (5) below, that portion of the sum in default which, in accordance with the relevant agreement, the qualifying participator is required to meet in the event of a failure by the defaulter to meet his liability to pay in full the payment referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(b) above.

(5) If, in the case of any oil field, there are only two participators and one of them is the defaulter, the portion referred to in sub-paragraph (4)(b) above is the whole.

(6) Where this paragraph applies, account shall, in the first instance, be taken under paragraph 2(4)(b) above of the whole of the defaulter’s interest in the oil field in determining the share of the abandonment expenditure which, apart from sub-paragraph (4) above, is to be attributed to each of the other participators; but the amount of the abandonment expenditure which, apart from this paragraph, would be attributed to the defaulter by reference to his interest in the oil field shall be reduced (or, as the case may be, extinguished) by deducting therefrom any expenditure attributed to the other participators under sub-paragraph (4) above.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 5 para. 2A inserted by Finance Act 1991 (c. 31, SIF 63:1), s. 107(2).

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C5 Sch. 5 para. 2A definitions applied by Finance Act 1991 (c. 31, SIF 63:1), s.108(1).

3 (1) The Board shall by notice in writing to the responsible person inform him of their decision on the claim, stating in the notice— U.K.

(a) the amount of the expenditure allowed by them on the claim;

(b) the amount, if any, of that expenditure allowed by them on the claim as qualifying for supplement under section 2(9)(b)(ii) of this Act; and

(c) the shares determined by the Board to be the shares in which, in the opinion of the Board, the amount stated under (a) above or, as the case may be, the aggregate of that amount and an amount equal to the relevant percentage of the amount stated under (b) above, is divisible between the participators for the purposes of section 2(9)(b) of this Act;

and where the decision relates to part only of the expenditure claimed, or claimed as so qualifying, the Board shall give a further notice or notices in relation to the remainder.

(2) In this paragraph “the relevant percentage” means the percentage mentioned in the said section 2(9)(b)(ii).

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C6 See Finance (No. 2) Act 1979 (c. 47), s. 19(4) where more than one rate of uplift applies; Finance Act 1981 (c. 35), s. 111(6)

C7 See Finance (No. 2) Act 1979 (c. 47), s. 19 where more than one rate of uplift applies

4 U.K. If, in a case where sub-paragraph (5) of paragraph 2 above requires a claim made for a particular claim period to give all such information as is relevant for the purpose there mentioned in relation to an asset, a claim satisfying the requirements of that sub-paragraph is not made within twelve months after the end of that period, then, in carrying into effect the provisions of section 4 of this Act in relation to that asset for that claim period, the Board may proceed according to the best of their judgment, and may make any adjustments under any of the provisions mentioned in paragraph 6(2) of Schedule 4 to this Act accordingly.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C8 See Oil Taxation Act 1983 (c. 56), s. 5(7)