Finance Act 1990

74 Debts of overseas governments etc

After section 88 of the Taxes Act 1988 there shall be inserted—

“88A Debts of overseas governments etc

(1) For any period of account of a company ending on or after 20th March 1990, section 88B shall have effect for the purpose of restricting the extent to which a debt to which subsection (2) below applies may be estimated to be bad for the purposes of section 74(j); and—

(a) any deduction which may fall to be made in computing the company’s profits or gains for the period, and

(b) any addition which may fall to be so made (for example because the relevant percentage of the debt for the period is smaller than the amount estimated to be bad for an earlier period),

shall be determined accordingly.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) below, this subsection applies to any debt—

(a) which is owed by an overseas State authority, or

(b) payment of which is guaranteed by an overseas State authority, or

(c) which is estimated to be bad for the purposes of section 74(j) wholly or mainly because due payment is or may be prevented, restricted or subjected to conditions—

(i) by virtue of any law of a State or other territory outside the United Kingdom or any act of an overseas State authority, or

(ii) under any agreement entered into in consequence or anticipation of such a law or act.

(3) Subsection (2) above does not apply to interest on a debt or to a debt which represents the consideration for the provision of goods or services.

(4) In this section “overseas State authority” means—

(a) a State or other territory outside the United Kingdom,

(b) the government of such a State or territory,

(c) the central bank or other monetary authority of such a State or territory,

(d) a public or local authority in such a State or territory, or

(e) a body controlled by such a State, territory, government, bank or authority;

and for this purpose “controlled” shall be construed in accordance with section 840.

88B Section 88A debts: restriction on deductions under section 74(j)

(1) Where this section has effect in relation to a debt, no more than the relevant percentage of the debt shall be estimated to be bad for the purposes of section 74(j).

(2) The relevant percentage of a debt for any period of account of the company is such percentage (which may be zero) as may be determined in accordance with regulations by reference to the position at the end of that period.

(3) Subsection (2) above has effect subject to the following provisions of this section, and in those provisions—

(a) “the base period” means the last period of account of the company ending before 20th March 1990, and

(b) “the base percentage”, in relation to a debt, means such percentage (which may be zero) as may be determined in accordance with regulations by reference to the position at the end of the base period.

(4) If for any period of account of the company which ends less than two years after the base period the percentage provided for in subsection (2) above in relation to a debt is greater than the base percentage, the base percentage shall be the relevant percentage for the first-mentioned period.

(5) If for any later period of account of the company the percentage provided for in subsection (2) above in relation to a debt is greater than the base percentage increased by five percentage points for each complete year (except the first) that has elapsed between—

(a) the end of the base period, and

(b) the end of the later period in question,

then the base percentage as so increased shall be the relevant percentage for the later period.

(6) In relation to a company which had no periods of account ending before 20th March 1990, the relevant percentage in relation to a debt shall be the same as it would have been on the assumption that the company had had such periods of account (and that any notional periods of account before its first actual period of account had been of one year each).

(7) In this section “regulations” means regulations made by the Treasury; but the Treasury shall not make any regulations under this section unless a draft of them has been laid before and approved by a resolution of the House of Commons.

88C Section 88A debts: restriction on other deductions

(1) Where—

(a) on or after 20th March 1990 a company incurs in respect of a debt a loss which would be allowed as a deduction in computing the amount of the company’s profits or gains under Case I or Case II of Schedule D,

(b) section 88A(2) applies to the debt,

(c) either—

(i) a deduction is made in respect of the debt in accordance with section 74(j) for any period of account of the company before that in which the loss is incurred, or

(ii) the debt was acquired by the company on or after 20th March 1990 for a consideration greater than the price which it might reasonably have been expected to fetch on a sale in the open market at the time of acquisition, and

(d) the amount of the loss is greater than 5 per cent. of the debt,

then, subject to subsection (3) below, only such part of the loss as equals 5 per cent. of the debt shall be allowed as a deduction for the period of account in which the loss is incurred; but further parts calculated in accordance with subsection (2) below may be allowed for subsequent periods until the loss is exhausted.

(2) The part of the loss allowed as a deduction for any period of account after that in which the loss is incurred shall not exceed such amount as, together with any parts allowed under this section for earlier periods, is equal to 5 per cent. of the debt for each complete year that has elapsed between—

(a) the beginning of the period in which the loss was incurred, and

(b) the end of the period in question.

(3) Subsections (1) and (2) above shall not apply to a loss incurred on a disposal of the debt to an overseas State authority if the State or territory by reference to which it is an overseas State authority is the same as that by reference to which section 88A(2) applies to the debt.

(4) References in subsections (1) and (2) above to the incurring of a loss in respect of a debt include references to the making of a deduction, otherwise than in accordance with section 74(j), in respect of a reduction in the value of a debt; and for the purposes of those subsections such a deduction shall be treated as made immediately before the end of the period of account for which it is made.”