Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

499 Surrender of ACT where oil extraction company etc. owned by a consortium

(1) In any case where—

(a) a company (in this section referred to as (“the consortium company”) is owned by a consortium consisting of two members only, each of which owns 50 per cent. of the issued share capital of the company; and

(b) the consortium company carries on a trade consisting of or including activities falling within section 492(1)(a) to (c); and

(c) all of the issued share capital of the consortium company is of the same class and carries the same rights as to voting, dividends and distribution of assets on a winding up,

section 240 shall have effect, subject to the following provisions of this section, as if the company were a subsidiary of each member of the consortium.

(2) This section has effect with respect to advance corporation tax paid by either member of the consortium in respect of a dividend paid by it on or after 17th March 1987; and, in relation to a surrender under section 240 of the benefit of the advance corporation tax paid in respect of such a dividend—

(a) “surrendered advance corporation tax” means advance corporation tax which, by virtue of section 240(2), the consortium company is treated as having paid; and

(b) “the notional distribution date” means the date of the distribution in respect of which the surrendered advance corporation tax is treated as paid.

(3) No surrender under section 240 of the benefit of advance corporation tax may be made by virtue of this section—

(a) unless the conditions in paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (1) above are fulfilled throughout that accounting period of the consortium company in which falls the notional distribution date; or

(b) if arrangements are in existence by virtue of which any person could cause one or more of those conditions to cease to be fulfilled at some time during that or any later accounting period.

(4) In the application of section 239 in relation to surrendered advance corporation tax resulting from a surrender by either one of the consortium members under section 240, the reference in section 239(2) to the consortium company’s profits charged to corporation tax shall be construed as a reference to one half of so much of those profits as consists of ring fence profits.

(5) So much of any surplus advance corporation tax as consists of or includes surrendered advance corporation tax shall not be treated under section 239(4) as if it were advance corporation tax paid in respect of distributions made by the consortium company in a later accounting period unless the conditions in paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (1) above are fulfilled throughout that later period.

(6) In any case where—

(a) as a result of a surrender by one of the consortium members, the consortium company is treated as paying an amount of surrendered advance corporation tax which exceeds the limit applicable under section 239(2) (as modified by subsection (4) above), and

(b) that excess falls to be treated under section 239(4) as advance corporation tax paid by the consortium company in respect of distributions made in a later accounting period,

then, for the purposes of the application of section 239(2) (as modified by subsection (4) above) in relation to that later accounting period, the excess of the surrendered advance corporation tax shall be treated as resulting from a surrender by that one of the consortium members referred to in paragraph (a) above.

(7) Where section 240 has effect as mentioned in subsection (2) above, subsection (11) of that section shall have effect with the omission of paragraph (b) (and the word “and” immediately preceding it).

(8) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) above the consortium company shall not be regarded as a subsidiary for the purposes of section 498.