Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

International headquarters companies U.K.

3A (1) This paragraph and paragraph 3B below apply where—

(a) a company pays a foreign income dividend in a return period, and

(b) at the time it pays the dividend the company treats itself as an international headquarters company by virtue of section 246S(9).

(2) The return made by the company for the return period—

(a) shall state that the company has so treated itself;

(b) shall show the basis on which it has so treated itself;

(c) shall not include the amount of the dividend in the amount shown under paragraph 2(1)(d) above;

(d) shall state separately that the dividend was paid and show its amount.

(3) The dividend shall be treated for the purposes of section 246F(1) and (2), paragraph 2(5) above and paragraph 4A below as if it had not been paid.

3B (1) Without prejudice to paragraph 3 above, if at any time before the end of the accounting period in which the return period mentioned in paragraph 3A(1) above falls the inspector is not satisfied that there was a reasonable basis for the company treating itself as mentioned in paragraph 3A(1) he may make an assessment on the company to the best of his judgment; and any advance corporation tax due under an assessment made by virtue of this sub-paragraph shall be treated for the purposes of interest on unpaid tax as having been payable at the time when it would have been payable if the company had not so treated itself.

(2) Where an assessment which takes account of the dividend mentioned in paragraph 3A(1) above is made under sub-paragraph (1) above, then, subject to any appeal—

(a) the company shall be deemed for the purposes of Chapter VA of this Part not to have treated itself as an international headquarters company by virtue of section 246S(9) at the time it paid the dividend;

(b) paragraph 3A(3) above shall not apply to the dividend.

(3) In a case where—

(a) the company is not an international headquarters company in the accounting period in which the return period mentioned in paragraph 3A(1) above falls, and

(b) as regards any relevant return period amount X exceeds amount Y,

after the end of the accounting period the inspector may make an assessment on the company for an amount of advance corporation tax equal to the excess; and a relevant return period is a return period falling within the accounting period in question.

(4) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (3) above—

(a) amount X is the amount of advance corporation tax which, if the company had not treated itself as an international headquarters company at any time in the accounting period and had made a return for the relevant return period under paragraph 2 above accordingly, would have been payable by the company in respect of the relevant return period under paragraph 2(6) above;

(b) amount Y is the aggregate of the amounts mentioned in sub-paragraph (5) below.

(5) The amounts referred to in sub-paragraph (4)(b) above are—

(a) the amount (if any) of advance corporation tax which was in fact payable by the company under paragraph 2(6) above in respect of the relevant return period,

(b) any amount of advance corporation tax to which the company has been assessed under sub-paragraph (1) above in respect of that period, and

(c) any amount of advance corporation tax to which the company has been assessed under paragraph 3 above in respect of that period and which is attributable to foreign income dividends.

(6) Any advance corporation tax due under an assessment made by virtue of sub-paragraph (3) above shall be treated for the purposes of interest on unpaid tax as having been payable at the time when it would have been payable if the company had not treated itself as an international headquarters company at any time in the accounting period.