Finance Act 1990

60 Allowance for abandonment expenditure related to offshore machinery or plant

In section 62 of the [1990 c. 1.] Capital Allowances Act 1990 (treatment of demolition costs) in subsection (1)(b) after the words “machinery or plant” there shall be inserted “then, subject to section 62A”; and after that section there shall be inserted the following sections—

“62A Special allowance for demolition costs related to offshore machinery or plant

(1) Subject to subsection (3) below, this section applies to expenditure which, apart from this section, would fall within section 62(1)(b) and which is incurred—

(a) by any person carrying on a ring fence trade; and

(b) for the purposes of or in connection with the closing down of, or of any part of, an oil field, within the meaning of Part I of the [1975 c. 22.] Oil Taxation Act 1975; and

(c) on the demolition of machinery or plant which has been brought into use for the purposes of that trade and which is or forms part of an offshore installation or a submarine pipe-line;

and in this section any such expenditure is referred to as “abandonment expenditure”.

(2) In this section “ring fence trade” means activities which—

(a) fall within any of paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (1) of section 492 of the principal Act (treatment of oil extraction activities etc. for tax purposes); and

(b) constitute a separate trade (whether by virtue of that subsection or otherwise).

(3) In subsection (1)(c) above—

(a) the reference to demolition is a reference to demolition which is carried out, wholly or substantially, in order to comply with an abandonment programme, within the meaning of Part I of the [1987 c. 12.] Petroleum Act 1987, or with any condition to which the approval of such a programme is subject; and

(b) “offshore installation” and “submarine pipe-line” have the same meaning as in that Part.

(4) If the person incurring any abandonment expenditure so elects,—

(a) for the chargeable period related to the incurring of that expenditure there shall be made to that person an allowance equal to the excess of the abandonment expenditure to which the election relates over any moneys received for the remains of the machinery or plant concerned; and

(b) that excess shall not be taken into account to increase qualifying expenditure as mentioned in section 62(1)(b).

(5) An election under this section—

(a) shall specify the abandonment expenditure to which it relates and the amounts of any such moneys received as mentioned in subsection (4)(a) above;

(b) shall be made by notice in writing given to the inspector not later than two years after the end of the chargeable period related to the incurring of the abandonment expenditure; and

(c) shall be irrevocable.

(6) This section has effect where the chargeable period related to the incurring of the expenditure or its basis period ends after 30th June 199l.

62B Treatment of post-cessation abandonment expenditure related to offshore machinery or plant

(1) Subsection (2) below applies in any case where—

(a) a person (in this section referred to as “the former trader”) ceases to carry on a ring fence trade; and

(b) after 30th June 1991 and within the period of three years immediately following the last day on which he carried on that trade, the former trader incurs expenditure (in this section referred to as “post-cessation expenditure”) on the demolition of machinery or plant which falls within section 62A(1)(c); and

(c) the post-cessation expenditure would have been abandonment expenditure for the purposes of section 62A if the demolition had been carried out and the expenditure incurred before the cessation of the ring fence trade; and

(d) apart from this section, the post-cessation expenditure would not be deductible in computing the income of the former trader for any purpose of corporation tax or income tax.

(2) Where this subsection applies, the qualifying expenditure of the former trader for the chargeable period related to the cessation of his ring fence trade shall be treated for the purposes of sections 24 and 25 as increased by so much of the post-cessation expenditure as exceeds any moneys received in the three year period referred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (1) above for the remains of the machinery or plant referred to in that paragraph.

(3) Where subsection (2) above applies, any moneys received as mentioned in that subsection shall not constitute income of the former trader for any purpose of income tax or corporation tax.

(4) All such adjustments shall be made, whether by way of discharge or repayment of tax or otherwise, as may be required in consequence of the provisions of this section.

(5) In this section “ring fence trade” has the same meaning as in section 62A.”