Companies Act 1985

3 (1) Any item required in accordance with paragraph 1 to be shown in a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account may be shown in greater detail than so required.

(2) A company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account may include an item representing or covering the amount of any asset or liability, income or expenditure not specifically covered by any of the items listed in the balance sheet format provided or the profit and loss account format adopted, but the following shall not be treated as assets in any company’s balance sheet:

(i) preliminary expenses;

(ii) expenses of and commission on any issue of shares or debentures; and

(iii) costs of research.

(3) Items to which lower case letters are assigned in any of the formats set out in section B below may be combined in a company’s accounts for any financial year if either:

(a) their individual amounts are not material for the purpose of giving a true and fair view; or

(b) the combination facilitates the assessment of the state of affairs or profit or loss of the company for that year;

but in a case within paragraph (b) the individual amounts of any items so combined shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts and any notes required by this Schedule to the items so combined shall, notwithstanding the combination, be given.

(4) Subject to paragraph 4(3) below, a heading or sub-heading corresponding to an item listed in the balance sheet format or the profit and loss account format adopted in preparing a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account shall not be included if there is no amount to be shown for that item in respect of the financial year to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates.