Finance Act 1976

PART II Corporation Tax

Entitlement to relief

9 (1) Where a company carries on a trade in respect of which it is within the charge to corporation tax under Case I of Schedule D and—

(a) the value of its trading stock at the end of a period of account (the " closing stock value ") exceeds

(b) the value of its trading stock at the beginning of that period (the " opening stock value "),

the company shall, subject to the provisions of this Schedule, be entitled to relief under this paragraph by reference to the amount of that excess (the " increase in stock value ").

(2) The amount of relief to which a company is entitled under this paragraph for any trade in respect of any period of account is the amount of the increase in stock value in that period less 152 of the relevant income of that trade for that period.

(3) A company shall not be entitled to relief under this paragraph unless a claim for the relief is made within two years after the end of the period of account in respect of which the relief is claimed.

Charge by way of recovery of relief

10 (1) Where a company carries on a trade in respect of which it is within the charge to corporation tax under Case I of Schedule D and in a period of account its closing stock value is less than its opening stock value, then, subject to the provisions of this Schedule, a charge by way of recovery of relief shall be made on the company, on whichever is the lesser of—

(a) the whole amount of the reduction in stock value in that period; or

(b) the amount of unrecovered past relief allowed to the company for that trade.

(2) Where during or at the end of a period of account a company carrying on a trade ceases to do so, or ceases to be within the charge to corporation tax under Case I of Schedule D in respect of the trade, it is not entitled to relief or liable to a charge in respect of that period under the foregoing provisions of this Part, but a final charge by way of recovery of relief shall be made on the company on an amount equal to the unrecovered past relief allowed to it for that trade.

This sub-paragraph is subject to paragraphs 20 and 21 below (which provide for continuity in the case of certain successions).

(3) Where during or at the end of a period of account a company carrying on a trade ceases (by virtue of ceasing to be resident in the United Kingdom) to be within the charge to corporation tax in respect of a part of the trade, it shall be treated for the purposes of this Schedule as if that part were a separate trade carried on by it in that period; and all necessary apportionments between the two parts of the trade (including the apportionment of unrecovered past relief allowed for that trade) shall be made by reference to the respective values of the trading stock of each part immediately after that event.

11 (1) Where there is a change of ownership of a company and section 483 of the Taxes Act applies so as to restrict the carrying forward of losses incurred before the change, then relief to which those disallowed losses are attributable shall, although unrecovered in periods of account ending before the change of ownership nevertheless be disregarded in ascertaining the amount of unrecovered past relief in later periods of account.

(2) Relief to which disallowed losses are attributable is that which was not given effect in the period of account or base period for which it was allowed or in a subsequent period of account.

(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2) relief is assumed to be given effect before capital allowances and profits or gains are assumed to be set against losses attributable to relief before other losses. Section 483(5) of the Taxes Act has effect subject to this sub-paragraph.

(4) For the purpose of ascertaining the extent to which relief to which disallowed losses are attributable has been recovered in periods of account ending before the change of ownership, it shall be assumed—

(a) that relief is recovered from earlier periods before later periods ; and

(b) that effect is given to relief from earlier periods before later periods.

Method of giving effect to relief or charge

12 (1) Relief under paragraph 9 above in respect of any period of account shall, subject to the provisions of this paragraph, be given effect by treating the amount of the relief as a trading expense of the trade in that period.

(2) A charge under paragraph 10 above in respect of any period of account shall, subject to the provisions of this paragraph, be given effect by treating the amount on which the charge is to be made as a trading receipt of the trade in that period.

(3) Where a trade is set up and commenced by a company during a period of account, any amount which in accordance with this paragraph falls to be treated as an expense or receipt of the trade in that period, shall be brought into account only in respect of the accounting period, or periods, beginning with or after that commencement.

(4) Where during a period of account a company carrying on a trade ceases to do so, or ceases in respect of it to be within the charge to corporation tax under Case I of Schedule D, any relief or charge which in accordance with this paragraph falls to be treated as an expense or receipt of the trade in that period, shall be brought into account only in respect of the accounting period, or periods, ending on or before that discontinuance or other event.