Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992

Part II U.K. General Provisions relating to computation of gains and acquisitions and disposals of assets

Chapter I U.K. Introductory

15 Computation of gains. U.K.

(1) The amount of the gains accruing on the disposal of assets shall be computed in accordance with this Part, subject to the other provisions of this Act.

(2) Every gain shall, except as otherwise expressly provided, be a chargeable gain.

16 Computation of losses. U.K.

(1) Subject to section 72 of the M1 Finance Act 1991 and except as otherwise expressly provided, the amount of a loss accruing on a disposal of an asset shall be computed in the same way as the amount of a gain accruing on a disposal is computed.

(2) Except as otherwise expressly provided, all the provisions of this Act which distinguish gains which are chargeable gains from those which are not, or which make part of a gain a chargeable gain, and part not, shall apply also to distinguish losses which are allowable losses from those which are not, and to make part of a loss an allowable loss, and part not; and references in this Act to an allowable loss shall be construed accordingly.

(3) A loss accruing to a person in a year of assessment during no part of which he is resident or ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom shall not be an allowable loss for the purposes of this Act unless, under section 10, he would be chargeable to tax in respect of a chargeable gain if there had been a gain instead of a loss on that occasion.

(4) In accordance with section 12(1), losses accruing on the disposal of assets situated outside the United Kingdom to an individual resident or ordinarily resident but not domiciled in the United Kingdom shall not be allowable losses.

Marginal Citations

M1 1991 c. 31.

17 Disposals and acquisitions treated as made at market value. U.K.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, a person’s acquisition or disposal of an asset shall for the purposes of this Act be deemed to be for a consideration equal to the market value of the asset—

(a) where he acquires or, as the case may be, disposes of the asset otherwise than by way of a bargain made at arm’s length, and in particular where he acquires or disposes of it by way of gift or on a transfer into settlement by a settlor or by way of distribution from a company in respect of shares in the company, or

(b) where he acquires or, as the case may be, disposes of the asset wholly or partly for a consideration that cannot be valued, or in connection with his own or another’s loss of office or employment or diminution of emoluments, or otherwise in consideration for or recognition of his or another’s services or past services in any office or employment or of any other service rendered or to be rendered by him or another.

(2) Subsection (1) shall not apply to the acquisition of an asset if—

(a) there is no corresponding disposal of it, and

(b) there is no consideration in money or money’s worth or the consideration is of an amount or value lower than the market value of the asset.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 17 excluded (retrospective to 11.1.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 252(3), Sch. 24 para. 7(4)

C2 S. 17 excluded (with saving) (retrospective to 11.1.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 252(3), Sch. 24 para. 11(2)

18 Transactions between connected persons. U.K.

(1) This section shall apply where a person acquires an asset and the person making the disposal is connected with him.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of section 17(1) the person acquiring the asset and the person making the disposal shall be treated as parties to a transaction otherwise than by way of a bargain made at arm’s length.

(3) Subject to subsection (4) below, if on the disposal a loss accrues to the person making the disposal, it shall not be deductible except from a chargeable gain accruing to him on some other disposal of an asset to the person acquiring the asset mentioned in subsection (1) above, being a disposal made at a time when they are connected persons.

(4) Subsection (3) above shall not apply to a disposal by way of gift in settlement if the gift and the income from it is wholly or primarily applicable for educational, cultural or recreational purposes, and the persons benefiting from the application for those purposes are confined to members of an association of persons for whose benefit the gift was made, not being persons all or most of whom are connected persons.

(5) Where the asset mentioned in subsection (1) above is an option to enter into a sale or other transaction given by the person making the disposal a loss accruing to the person acquiring the asset shall not be an allowable loss unless it accrues on a disposal of the option at arm’s length to a person who is not connected with him.

(6) Subject to subsection (7) below, in a case where the asset mentioned in subsection (1) above is subject to any right or restriction enforceable by the person making the disposal, or by a person connected with him, then (where the amount of the consideration for the acquisition is, in accordance with subsection (2) above, deemed to be equal to the market value of the asset) that market value shall be—

(a) what its market value would be if not subject to the right or restriction, minus—

(b) the market value of the right or restriction or the amount by which its extinction would enhance the value of the asset to its owner, whichever is the less.

(7) If the right or restriction is of such a nature that its enforcement would or might effectively destroy or substantially impair the value of the asset without bringing any countervailing advantage either to the person making the disposal or a person connected with him or is an option or other right to acquire the asset or, in the case of incorporeal property, is a right to extinguish the asset in the hands of the person giving the consideration by forfeiture or merger or otherwise, the market value of the asset shall be determined, and the amount of the gain accruing on the disposal shall be computed, as if the right or restriction did not exist.

(8) Subsections (6) and (7) above shall not apply to a right of forfeiture or other right exercisable on breach of a covenant contained in a lease of land or other property, and shall not apply to any right or restriction under a mortgage or other charge.

19 Deemed consideration in certain cases where assets disposed of in a series of transactions. U.K.

(1) For the purposes of this Act, in any case where—

(a) by way of 2 or more material transactions which are linked (a series of linked transactions), one person disposes of assets to another person with whom he is connected or to 2 or more other persons with each of whom he is connected, and

(b) the original market value of the assets disposed of by any of the transactions in the series, as determined under section 20, is less than the appropriate portion of the aggregate market value of the assets disposed of by all the transactions in the series, as so determined,

then, subject to subsection (2) below, the disposal effected by any linked transaction in the series in respect of which the condition in paragraph (b) above is fulfilled shall be deemed to be for a consideration equal to the appropriate portion referred to in that paragraph.

(2) Where the disposal effected by a material transaction is one to which section 58 applies, nothing in subsection (1) above shall affect the amount which, for the purposes of this Act, is the consideration for that disposal.

(3) Subject to subsection (5) below, any reference in this section to a material transaction is a reference to a transaction by way of gift or otherwise; and, for the purposes of this section, 2 or more material transactions are linked if they occur within the period of 6 years ending on the date of the last of them.

(4) This section shall apply or, as the case may be, shall again apply—

(a) when a second material transaction causes a series of linked transactions to come into being; and

(b) whenever, on the occurrence of a further material transaction, an existing series is extended by the inclusion of that transaction (whether or not an earlier transaction ceases to form part of the series);

and all such assessments and adjustments of assessments shall be made as may be necessary to give effect to this section on each such occasion.

(5) Where a member of a group of companies disposes of an asset to another member of the group in circumstances such that, by virtue of section 171, both companies are treated, so far as relates to corporation tax on chargeable gains, as if the consideration for the disposal were of such an amount as would secure that neither a gain nor a loss would accrue, the transaction by which that disposal is effected is not a material transaction; and a disposal in these circumstances is in this section referred to as an “inter-group transfer”.

(6) In any case where—

(a) a company (“company A”) disposes of an asset by way of a material transaction, and

(b) company A acquired the asset after 19th March 1985 by way of an inter-group transfer, and

(c) the disposal by company A is to a person who is connected with another company (“company B”) which at some time after 19th March 1985 disposed of the asset by way of an inter-group transfer, and

(d) either the disposal by way of inter-group transfer which is referred to in paragraph (c) above was the occasion of the acquisition referred to in paragraph (b) above or, between that disposal and that acquisition, there has been no disposal of the asset which was not an inter-group transfer,

then, for the purpose of determining whether subsection (1) above applies in relation to a series of linked transactions, the disposal by company A shall be treated as having been made by company B; but any increase in the consideration for that disposal resulting from the application of subsection (1) above shall have effect with respect to company A.

20 Original market value and aggregate market value for purposes of section 19. U.K.

(1) This section has effect for determining the original market value of assets and the aggregate market value of assets as mentioned in subsection (1)(b) of section 19.

(2) Expressions used in this section have the same meaning as in that section.

(3) Where there is a series of linked transactions, the original market value of the assets disposed of by each transaction in the series shall be determined as follows—

(a) if at the time in question the transaction is the most recent in the series, the original market value of the assets disposed of by that transaction is the market value which, apart from section 19, would be deemed to be the consideration for that transaction for the purposes of this Act; and

(b) in the case of any other transaction in the series, the original market value of the assets disposed of by that transaction is the value which, prior to the occurrence of the most recent transaction in the series, was or would have been deemed for the purposes of this Act to be the consideration for the transaction concerned (whether by virtue of the previous operation of section 19, or by virtue of any other provision of this Act).

(4) Subject to subsections (6) to (9) below, in relation to any transaction in a series of linked transactions—

(a) any reference in this section or section 19 to the aggregate market value of the assets disposed of by all the transactions in the series is a reference to what would have been the market value of all those assets for the purposes of this Act if, considering all the assets together, they had been disposed of by one disposal occurring at the time of the transaction concerned; and

(b) any reference in section 19 to the appropriate portion of the aggregate market value of the assets disposed of by all the transactions in the series is a reference to that portion of the market value determined in accordance with paragraph (a) above which it is reasonable to apportion to those of the assets which were actually disposed of by the transaction concerned.

(5) The reference in subsection (4)(a) above to considering all the assets together includes a reference not only to considering them as a group or holding or collection of assets retaining their separate identities but also (if it gives a higher market value) to considering them as brought together, physically or in law, so as to constitute either a single asset or a number of assets which are distinct from those which were comprised in each of the transactions concerned.

(6) If any of the assets disposed of by all the transactions in a series of linked transactions were acquired after the time of the first of those transactions, then, in the application of subsections (4) and (5) above in relation to each of the transactions in the series—

(a) no account shall be taken of any assets which were acquired after the time of that transaction unless they were acquired by way of an inter-group transfer; and

(b) subject to subsection (7) below, the number of assets of which account is to be taken shall be limited to the maximum number which were held by the person making the disposal at any time in the period beginning immediately before the first of the transactions in the series and ending immediately before the last.

(7) If, before the first of the transactions referred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (6) above, the person concerned (being a company) disposed of any assets by way of an inter-group transfer, the maximum number of assets referred to in that paragraph shall be determined as if the inter-group transfer had occurred after that first transaction.

(8) In the application of subsection (6) above in a case where the assets disposed of are securities, the assets disposed of by any of the transactions in a series of linked transactions shall be identified with assets acquired on an earlier date rather than with assets acquired on a later date.

(9) In subsection (8) above “securities” includes any assets which are of a nature to be dealt in without identifying the particular assets disposed of or acquired.

Chapter II U.K. Assets and disposals of assets

General provisions U.K.

21 Assets and disposals. U.K.

(1) All forms of property shall be assets for the purposes of this Act, whether situated in the United Kingdom or not, including—

(a) options, debts and incorporeal property generally, and

(b) any currency other than sterling, and

(c) any form of property created by the person disposing of it, or otherwise coming to be owned without being acquired.

(2) For the purposes of this Act—

(a) references to a disposal of an asset include, except where the context otherwise requires, references to a part disposal of an asset, and

(b) there is a part disposal of an asset where an interest or right in or over the asset is created by the disposal, as well as where it subsists before the disposal, and generally, there is a part disposal of an asset where, on a person making a disposal, any description of property derived from the asset remains undisposed of.

22 Disposal where capital sums derived from assets. U.K.

(1) Subject to sections 23 and 26(1), and to any other exceptions in this Act, there is for the purposes of this Act a disposal of assets by their owner where any capital sum is derived from assets notwithstanding that no asset is acquired by the person paying the capital sum, and this subsection applies in particular to—

(a) capital sums received by way of compensation for any kind of damage or injury to assets or for the loss, destruction or dissipation of assets or for any depreciation or risk of depreciation of an asset,

(b) capital sums received under a policy of insurance of the risk of any kind of damage or injury to, or the loss or depreciation of, assets,

(c) capital sums received in return for forfeiture or surrender of rights, or for refraining from exercising rights, and

(d) capital sums received as consideration for use or exploitation of assets.

(2) In the case of a disposal within paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) of subsection (1) above, the time of the disposal shall be the time when the capital sum is received as described in that subsection.

(3) In this section “capital sum” means any money or money’s worth which is not excluded from the consideration taken into account in the computation of the gain.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C3 S. 22 excluded (27.7.1993) by 1993 c. 37, s. 12, Sch. 2 Pt. I para.17

23 Receipt of compensation and insurance money not treated as a disposal. U.K.

(1) If the recipient so claims, receipt of a capital sum within paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) of section 22(1) derived from an asset which is not lost or destroyed shall not be treated for the purposes of this Act as a disposal of the asset if—

(a) the capital sum is wholly applied in restoring the asset, or

(b) (subject to subsection (2) below), the capital sum is applied in restoring the asset except for a part of the capital sum which is not reasonably required for the purpose and which is small as compared with the whole capital sum, or

(c) (subject to subsection (2) below), the amount of the capital sum is small, as compared with the value of the asset,

but, if the receipt is not treated as a disposal, all sums which would, if the receipt had been so treated, have been brought into account as consideration for that disposal in the computation of the gain shall be deducted from any expenditure allowable under Chapter III of this Part as a deduction in computing a gain on the subsequent disposal of the asset.

(2) If the allowable expenditure is less than the consideration for the disposal constituted by the receipt of the capital sum (or is nil)—

(a) paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (1) above shall not apply, and

(b) if the recipient so elects (and there is any allowable expenditure)—

(i) the amount of the consideration for the disposal shall be reduced by the amount of the allowable expenditure, and

(ii) none of that expenditure shall be allowable as a deduction in computing a gain accruing on the occasion of the disposal or any subsequent occasion.

In this subsection “allowable expenditure” means expenditure which, immediately before the disposal, was attributable to the asset under paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 38(1).

(3) If, in a case not falling within subsection (1)(b) above, a part of a capital sum within paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of section 22(1) derived from an asset which is not lost or destroyed is applied in restoring the asset, then if the recipient so claims, that part of the capital sum shall not be treated as consideration for the disposal deemed to be effected on receipt of the capital sum but shall be deducted from any expenditure allowable under Chapter III of this Part as a deduction in computing a gain on the subsequent disposal of the asset.

(4) If an asset is lost or destroyed and a capital sum received by way of compensation for the loss or destruction, or under a policy of insurance of the risk of the loss or destruction, is within one year of receipt, or such longer period as the inspector may allow, applied in acquiring an asset in replacement of the asset lost or destroyed the owner shall if he so claims be treated for the purposes of this Act—

(a) as if the consideration for the disposal of the old asset were (if otherwise of a greater amount) of such amount as would secure that on the disposal neither a gain nor a loss accrues to him, and

(b) as if the amount of the consideration for the acquisition of the new asset were reduced by the excess of the amount of the capital sum received by way of compensation or under the policy of insurance, together with any residual or scrap value, over the amount of the consideration which he is treated as receiving under paragraph (a) above.

(5) A claim shall not be made under subsection (4) above if part only of the capital sum is applied in acquiring the new asset but if all of that capital sum except for a part which is less than the amount of the gain (whether all chargeable gain or not) accruing on the disposal of the old asset is so applied, then the owner shall if he so claims be treated for the purposes of this Act—

(a) as if the amount of the gain so accruing were reduced to the amount of the said part (and, if not all chargeable gain, with a proportionate reduction in the amount of the chargeable gain), and

(b) as if the amount of the consideration for the acquisition of the new asset were reduced by the amount by which the gain is reduced under paragraph (a) of this subsection.

(6) This section shall not apply in relation to a wasting asset.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C4 S. 23(4) modified (retrospective to 11.1.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 252(3), Sch. 24 para. 3(1)(3)

C5 S. 23(5) modified (retrospective to 11.1.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 252(3), Sch. 24 para. 3(2)(3)

24 Disposals where assets lost or destroyed, or become of negligible value. U.K.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act and, in particular to section 144, the occasion of the entire loss, destruction, dissipation or extinction of an asset shall, for the purposes of this Act, constitute a disposal of the asset whether or not any capital sum by way of compensation or otherwise is received in respect of the destruction, dissipation or extinction of the asset.

(2) If, on a claim by the owner of an asset, the inspector is satisfied that the value of an asset has become negligible, he may allow the claim and thereupon this Act shall have effect as if the claimant had sold, and immediately reacquired, the asset for a consideration of an amount equal to the value specified in the claim.

(3) For the purposes of subsections (1) and (2) above, a building and any permanent or semi-permanent structure in the nature of a building may be regarded as an asset separate from the land on which it is situated, but where either of those subsections applies in accordance with this subsection, the person deemed to make the disposal of the building or structure shall be treated as if he had also sold, and immediately reacquired, the site of the building or structure (including in the site any land occupied for purposes ancillary to the use of the building or structure) for a consideration equal to its market value at that time.

25 Non-residents: deemed disposals. U.K.

(1) Where an asset ceases by virtue of becoming situated outside the United Kingdom to be a chargeable asset in relation to a person, he shall be deemed for all purposes of this Act—

(a) to have disposed of the asset immediately before the time when it became situated outside the United Kingdom, and

(b) immediately to have reacquired it,

at its market value at that time.

(2) Subsection (1) above does not apply—

(a) where the asset becomes situated outside the United Kingdom contemporaneously with the person there mentioned ceasing to carry on a trade in the United Kingdom through a branch or agency, or

(b) where the asset is an exploration or exploitation asset.

(3) Where an asset ceases to be a chargeable asset in relation to a person by virtue of his ceasing to carry on a trade in the United Kingdom through a branch or agency, he shall be deemed for all purposes of this Act—

(a) to have disposed of the asset immediately before the time when he ceased to carry on the trade in the United Kingdom through a branch or agency, and

(b) immediately to have reacquired it,

at its market value at that time.

(4) Subsection (3) above shall not apply to an asset by reason of a transfer of the whole or part of the long term business of an insurance company to another company if section 139 has effect in relation to the asset by virtue of section 211.

(5) Subsection (3) above does not apply to an asset which is a chargeable asset in relation to the person there mentioned at any time after he ceases to carry on the trade in the United Kingdom through a branch or agency and before the end of the chargeable period in which he does so.

(6) In this section—

• “exploration or exploitation asset” means an asset used in connection with exploration or exploitation activities carried on in the United Kingdom or a designated area, and

• “designated area” and “exploration or exploitation activities” have the same meanings as in section 276.

(7) For the purposes of this section an asset is at any time a chargeable asset in relation to a person if, were it to be disposed of at that time, any chargeable gains accruing to him on the disposal—

(a) would be gains in respect of which he would be chargeable to capital gains tax under section 10(1), or

(b) would form part of his chargeable profits for corporation tax purposes by virtue of section 10(3).

(8) This section shall apply as if references to a trade included references to a profession or vocation.

26 Mortgages and charges not to be treated as disposals. U.K.

(1) The conveyance or transfer by way of security of an asset or of an interest or right in or over it, or transfer of a subsisting interest or right by way of security in or over an asset (including a retransfer on redemption of the security), shall not be treated for the purposes of this Act as involving any acquisition or disposal of the asset.

(2) Where a person entitled to an asset by way of security or to the benefit of a charge or incumbrance on an asset deals with the asset for the purpose of enforcing or giving effect to the security, charge or incumbrance, his dealings with it shall be treated for the purposes of this Act as if they were done through him as nominee by the person entitled to it subject to the security, charge or incumbrance; and this subsection shall apply to the dealings of any person appointed to enforce or give effect to the security, charge or incumbrance as receiver and manager or judicial factor as it applies to the dealings of the person entitled as aforesaid.

(3) An asset shall be treated as having been acquired free of any interest or right by way of security subsisting at the time of any acquisition of it, and as being disposed of free of any such interest or right subsisting at the time of the disposal; and where an asset is acquired subject to any such interest or right the full amount of the liability thereby assumed by the person acquiring the asset shall form part of the consideration for the acquisition and disposal in addition to any other consideration.

27 Disposals in cases of hire-purchase and similar transactions. U.K.

A hire-purchase or other transaction under which the use and enjoyment of an asset is obtained by a person for a period at the end of which the property in the asset will or may pass to that person shall be treated for the purposes of this Act, both in relation to that person and in relation to the person from whom he obtains the use and enjoyment of the asset, as if it amounted to an entire disposal of the asset to that person at the beginning of the period for which he obtains the use and enjoyment of the asset, but subject to such adjustments of tax, whether by way of repayment or discharge of tax or otherwise, as may be required where the period for which that person has the use and enjoyment of the asset terminates without the property in the asset passing to him.

28 Time of disposal and acquisition where asset disposed of under contract. U.K.

(1) Subject to section 22(2), and subsection (2) below, where an asset is disposed of and acquired under a contract the time at which the disposal and acquisition is made is the time the contract is made (and not, if different, the time at which the asset is conveyed or transferred).

(2) If the contract is conditional (and in particular if it is conditional on the exercise of an option) the time at which the disposal and acquisition is made is the time when the condition is satisfied.

Value shifting U.K.

29 General provisions. U.K.

(1) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of this Act as to the transactions which are disposals of assets, any transaction which under the following subsections is to be treated as a disposal of an asset—

(a) shall be so treated (with a corresponding acquisition of an interest in the asset) notwithstanding that there is no consideration, and

(b) so far as, on the assumption that the parties to the transaction were at arm’s length, the party making the disposal could have obtained consideration, or additional consideration, for the disposal, shall be treated as not being at arm’s length and the consideration so obtainable, or the additional consideration so obtainable added to the consideration actually passing, shall be treated as the market value of what is acquired.

(2) If a person having control of a company exercises his control so that value passes out of shares in the company owned by him or a person with whom he is connected, or out of rights over the company exercisable by him or by a person with whom he is connected, and passes into other shares in or rights over the company, that shall be a disposal of the shares or rights out of which the value passes by the person by whom they were owned or exercisable.

(3) A loss on the disposal of an asset shall not be an allowable loss to the extent to which it is attributable to value having passed out of other assets, being shares in or rights over a company which by virtue of the passing of value are treated as disposed of under subsection (2) above.

(4) If, after a transaction which results in the owner of land or of any other description of property becoming the lessee of the property there is any adjustment of the rights and liabilities under the lease, whether or not involving the grant of a new lease, which is as a whole favourable to the lessor, that shall be a disposal by the lessee of an interest in the property.

(5) If an asset is subject to any description of right or restriction the extinction or abrogation, in whole or in part, of the right or restriction by the person entitled to enforce it shall be a disposal by him of the right or restriction.

30 Tax-free benefits. U.K.

(1) This section has effect as respects the disposal of an asset if a scheme has been effected or arrangements have been made (whether before or after the disposal) whereby—

(a) the value of the asset or a relevant asset has been materially reduced, and

(b) a tax-free benefit has been or will be conferred—

(i) on the person making the disposal or a person with whom he is connected, or

(ii) subject to subsection (4) below, on any other person.

(2) For the purposes of this section, where the asset disposed of by a company (“the disposing company”) consists of shares in, or securities of, another company, another asset is a relevant asset if, at the time of the disposal, it is owned by a company associated with the disposing company; but no account shall be taken of any reduction in the value of a relevant asset except in a case where—

(a) during the period beginning with the reduction in value and ending immediately before the disposal by the disposing company, there is no disposal of the asset to any person, other than a disposal falling within section 171(1),

(b) no disposal of the asset is treated as having occurred during that period by virtue of section 178 or 179, and

(c) if the reduction had not taken place but any consideration given for the relevant asset and any other material circumstances (including any consideration given before the disposal for the asset disposed of) were unchanged, the value of the asset disposed of would, at the time of the disposal, have been materially greater;

and in this subsection “securities” has the same meaning as in section 132.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1)(b) above a benefit is conferred on a person if he becomes entitled to any money or money’s worth or the value of any asset in which he has an interest is increased or he is wholly or partly relieved from any liability to which he is subject; and a benefit is tax-free unless it is required, on the occasion on which it is conferred on the person in question, to be brought into account in computing his income, profits or gains for the purposes of income tax, capital gains tax or corporation tax.

(4) This section shall not apply by virtue of subsection (1)(b)(ii) above if it is shown that avoidance of tax was not the main purpose or one of the main purposes of the scheme or arrangements in question.

(5) Where this section has effect in relation to any disposal, any allowable loss or chargeable gain accruing on the disposal shall be calculated as if the consideration for the disposal were increased by such amount as appears to the inspector, or on appeal the Commissioners concerned, to be just and reasonable having regard to the scheme or arrangements and the tax-free benefit in question.

(6) Where—

(a) by virtue of subsection (5) above the consideration for the disposal of an asset has been treated as increased, and

(b) the benefit taken into account under subsection (1)(b) above was an increase in the value of another asset,

any allowable loss or chargeable gain accruing on the first disposal of the other asset after the increase in its value shall be calculated as if the consideration for that disposal were reduced by such amount as appears to the inspector, or on appeal the Commissioners concerned, to be just and reasonable having regard to the scheme or arrangements in question and the increase made in relation to the disposal mentioned in paragraph (a) above.

(7) References in this section to a disposal do not include references to any disposal falling within section 58(1), 62(4) or 171(1).

(8) References in this section, in relation to any disposal, to a reduction in the value of an asset, where the asset consists of shares owned by a company in another company, shall be interpreted in accordance with sections 31 to 33 and, in those sections, the disposal, the asset and those companies are referred to respectively as “the section 30 disposal”, “the principal asset”, “the first company” and “the second company”.

(9) In relation to a case in which the disposal of an asset precedes its acquisition the references in subsections (1)(a) and (2) above to a reduction shall be read as including a reference to an increase.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C6 S. 30 excluded (retrospective to 5.11.2993) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 252(2), Sch. 24 para. 4(1)

C7 S. 30(5) excluded (retrospective to 11.1.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 252(3), Sch. 24 para. 4(2)(3)

31 Distributions within a group followed by a disposal of shares. U.K.

(1) The references in section 30 to a reduction in the value of an asset, in the case mentioned in subsection (8) of that section, do not include a reduction attributable to the payment of a dividend by the second company at a time when it and the first company are associated, except to the extent (if any) that the dividend is attributable to chargeable profits of the second company and, in such a case, the tax-free benefit shall be ascertained without regard to any part of the dividend that is not attributable to such profits.

(2) Subsections (3) to (11) below apply for the interpretation of subsection (1) above.

(3) Chargeable profits shall be ascertained as follows—

(a) the distributable profits of any company are chargeable profits of that company to the extent that they are profits arising on a transaction caught by this section, and

(b) where any company makes a distribution attributable wholly or partly to chargeable profits (including any profits that are chargeable profits by virtue of this paragraph) to another company, the distributable profits of the other company, so far as they represent that distribution or so much of it as was attributable to chargeable profits, are chargeable profits of the other company,

and for this purpose any loss or other amount to be set against the profits of a company in determining the distributable profits shall be set first against profits other than the profits so arising or, as the case may be, representing so much of the distribution as was attributable to chargeable profits.

(4) The distributable profits of a company are such profits computed on a commercial basis as, after allowing for any provision properly made for tax, the company is empowered, assuming sufficient funds, to distribute to persons entitled to participate in the profits of the company.

(5) Profits of a company (“company A”) are profits arising on a transaction caught by this section where each of the following 3 conditions is satisfied.

(6) The first condition is that the transaction is—

(a) a disposal of an asset by company A to another company in circumstances such that company A and the other company are treated as mentioned in section 171(1), or

(b) an exchange, or a transaction treated for the purposes of section 135(2) and (3) as an exchange, of shares in or debentures of a company held by company A for shares in or debentures of another company, being a company associated with company A immediately after the transaction, and is treated by virtue of section 135(3) as a reorganisation of share capital, or

(c) a revaluation of an asset in the accounting records of company A.

In the following conditions the “asset with enhanced value” means (subject to section 33), in the paragraph (a) case, the asset acquired by the person to whom the disposal is made, in the paragraph (b) case, the shares in or debentures of the other company and, in the paragraph (c) case, the revalued asset.

(7) The second condition is that—

(a) during the period beginning with the transaction referred to in subsection (6) above and ending immediately before the section 30 disposal, there is no disposal of the asset with enhanced value to any person, other than a disposal falling within section 171(1), and

(b) no disposal of the asset with enhanced value is treated as having occurred during that period by virtue of section 178 or 179.

(8) The third condition is that, immediately after the section 30 disposal, the asset with enhanced value is owned by a person other than the company making that disposal or a company associated with it.

(9) The conditions in subsections (6) to (8) above are not satisfied if—

(a) at the time of the transaction referred to in subsection (6) above, company A carries on a trade and a profit on a disposal of the asset with enhanced value would form part of the trading profits, or

(b) by reason of the nature of the asset with enhanced value, a disposal of it could give rise neither to a chargeable gain nor to an allowable loss, or

(c) immediately before the section 30 disposal, the company owning the asset with enhanced value carries on a trade and a profit on a disposal of the asset would form part of the trading profits.

(10) The amount of chargeable profits of a company to be attributed to any distribution made by the company at any time in respect of any class of shares, securities or rights shall be ascertained by—

(a) determining the total of distributable profits, and the total of chargeable profits, that remains after allowing for earlier distributions made in respect of that or any other class of shares, securities or rights, and for distributions made at or to be made after that time in respect of other classes of shares, securities or rights, and

(b) attributing first to that distribution distributable profits other than chargeable profits.

(11) The amount of chargeable profits of a company to be attributed to any part of a distribution made at any time to which a person is entitled by virtue of any part of his holding of any class of shares, securities or rights, shall be such proportion of the chargeable profits as are attributable under subsection (10) above to the distributions made at that time in respect of that class as corresponds to that part of his holding.

32 Disposals within a group followed by a disposal of shares. U.K.

(1) The references in section 30 to a reduction in the value of an asset, in the case mentioned in subsection (8) of that section, do not include a reduction attributable to the disposal of any asset (“the underlying asset”) by the second company at a time when it and the first company are associated, being a disposal falling within section 171(1), except in a case within subsection (2) below.

(2) A case is within this subsection if the amount or value of the actual consideration for the disposal of the underlying asset—

(a) is less than the market value of the underlying asset, and

(b) is less than the cost of the underlying asset,

unless the disposal is effected for bona fide commercial reasons and does not form part of a scheme or arrangements of which the main purpose, or one of the main purposes, is avoidance of liability to corporation tax.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2) above, the cost of an asset owned by a company is the aggregate of—

(a) any capital expenditure incurred by the company in acquiring or providing the asset, and

(b) any other capital expenditure incurred by the company in respect of the asset while owned by that company.

(4) For the purposes of this section, where the disposal of the underlying asset is a part disposal, the reference in subsection (2)(a) above to the market value of the underlying asset is to the market value of the asset acquired by the person to whom the disposal is made and the amounts to be attributed to the underlying asset under paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (3) above shall be reduced to the appropriate proportion of those amounts, that is—

(a) the proportion of capital expenditure in respect of the underlying asset properly attributed in the accounting records of the company to the asset acquired by the person to whom the disposal is made, or

(b) where paragraph (a) above does not apply, such proportion as appears to the inspector, or on appeal the Commissioners concerned, to be just and reasonable.

(5) Where by virtue of a distribution in the course of dissolving or winding up the second company the first company is treated as disposing of an interest in the principal asset, the exception mentioned in subsection (1) above does not apply.

33 Provisions supplementary to sections 30 to 32. U.K.

(1) For the purposes of sections 30(2) and 31(7) to (9), subsections (2) to (6) below apply for the purpose of determining in the case of any asset (“the original asset”) whether it is subsequently disposed of or treated as disposed of or owned or any other condition is satisfied in respect of it.

(2) References in sections 30(2)(a) and (b) and 31(7) to a disposal are to a disposal other than a part disposal.

(3) References to an asset are to the original asset or, where at a later time one or more assets are treated by virtue of subsections (5) or (6) below as the same as the original asset—

(a) if no disposal falling within paragraph (a) or (b) of section 30(2) or, as the case may be, of 31(7) has occurred, those references are to the asset so treated or, as the case may be, all the assets so treated, and

(b) in any other case, those references are to an asset or, as the case may be, all the assets representing that part of the value of the original asset that remains after allowing for earlier disposals falling within the paragraphs concerned,

references in this subsection to a disposal including a disposal which would fall within the paragraphs concerned but for subsection (2) above.

(4) Where by virtue of subsection (3) above those references are to 2 or more assets—

(a) those assets shall be treated as if they were a single asset,

(b) any disposal of any one of them is to be treated as a part disposal, and

(c) the reference in section 30(2) to the asset owned at the time of the disposal by a company associated with the disposing company and the reference in section 31(8) to the asset with enhanced value is to all or any of those assets.

(5) Where there is a part disposal of an asset, that asset and the asset acquired by the person to whom the disposal is made are to be treated as the same.

(6) Where the value of an asset is derived from any other asset in the ownership of the same or an associated company, in a case where assets have been merged or divided or have changed their nature or rights or interests in or over assets have been created or extinguished, the first asset is to be treated as the same as the second.

(7) For the purposes of section 30(2), where account is to be taken under that subsection of a reduction in the value of a relevant asset and at the time of the disposal by the disposing company referred to in that subsection—

(a) references to the relevant asset are by virtue of this section references to 2 or more assets treated as a single asset, and

(b) one or more but not all of those assets are owned by a company associated with the disposing company,

the amount of the reduction in the value of the relevant asset to be taken into account by virtue of that subsection shall be reduced to such amount as appears to the inspector, or on appeal the Commissioners concerned, to be just and reasonable.

(8) For the purposes of section 31, where—

(a) a dividend paid by the second company is attributable to chargeable profits of that company, and

(b) the condition in subsection (7), (8) or (9)(c) of that section is satisfied by reference to an asset, or assets treated as a single asset, treated by virtue of subsection (3)(b) above as the same as the asset with enhanced value,

the amount of the reduction in value of the principal asset shall be reduced to such amount as appears to the inspector, or on appeal the Commissioners concerned, to be just and reasonable.

(9) For the purposes of sections 30 to 32 and this section, companies are associated if they are members of the same group.

(10) Section 170(2) to (11) applies for the purposes of sections 30 to 32 and this section as it applies for the purposes of that section.

34 Transactions treated as a reorganisation of share capital. U.K.

(1) Where—

(a) but for sections 127 and 135(3), section 30 would have effect as respects the disposal by a company (“the disposing company”) of an asset consisting of shares in or debentures of another company (“the original holding”) in exchange for shares in or debentures of a further company which, immediately after the disposal, is not a member of the same group as the disposing company, and

(b) if section 30 had effect as respects that disposal, any allowable loss or chargeable gain accruing on the disposal would be calculated as if the consideration for the disposal were increased by an amount,

the disposing company shall be treated for the purposes of section 128(3) as receiving, on the reorganisation of share capital that is treated as occurring by virtue of section 135(3), that amount for the disposal of the original holding.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) above it shall be assumed that section 136 has effect generally for the purposes of this Act, and in that subsection “group” has the same meaning as in sections 30 to 33.

Chapter III U.K. Computation of gains: General provisions

Re-basing to 1982, and assets held on 6th April 1965 U.K.

35 Assets held on 31st March 1982 (including assets held on 6th April 1965). U.K.

(1) This section applies to a disposal of an asset which was held on 31st March 1982 by the person making the disposal.

(2) Subject to the following provisions of this section, in computing for the purpose of this Act the gain or loss accruing on the disposal it shall be assumed that the asset was on 31st March 1982 sold by the person making the disposal, and immediately reacquired by him, at its market value on that date.

(3) Subject to subsection (5) below, subsection (2) above shall not apply to a disposal—

(a) where a gain would accrue on the disposal to the person making the disposal if that subsection did apply, and either a smaller gain or a loss would so accrue if it did not,

(b) where a loss would so accrue if that subsection did apply, and either a smaller loss or a gain would accrue if it did not,

(c) where, either on the facts of the case or by virtue of Schedule 2, neither a gain nor a loss would accrue if that subsection did not apply, or

(d) where neither a gain nor a loss would accrue by virtue of any of—

(i) sections 58, 73, 139, [F1 140A,] 171, 172, 215, 216, [F2 217A,] 218 to 221, 257(3), 258(4), 264 and 267(2) of this Act;

(ii) section 148 of the 1979 Act;

(iii) section 148 of the M2 Finance Act 1982;

(iv) paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the M3 Trustee Savings Banks Act 1985;

(v) section 130(3) of the M4 Transport Act 1985;

(vi) section 486(8) of the Taxes Act; F3 . . .

(vii) paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 12 to the M5 Finance Act 1990 F4 [F5 ...

(viii) paragraph 5(3) of Schedule 17 to the Finance (No. 2) Act 1992]

[F6 (ix) paragraphs 2(1), 7(2), 11(3) and (4) and 25(2) of Schedule 24 to the Finance Act 1994;]

[F7 (x) paragraph 4(2) of Schedule 25 to the Finance Act 1994.]

(4) Where in the case of a disposal of an asset—

(a) the effect of subsection (2) above would be to substitute a loss for a gain or a gain for a loss, but

(b) the application of subsection (2) is excluded by subsection (3),

it shall be assumed in relation to the disposal that the asset was acquired by the person making the disposal for a consideration such that, on the disposal, neither a gain nor a loss accrues to him.

(5) If a person so elects, disposals made by him (including any made by him before the election) shall fall outside subsection (3) above (so that subsection (2) above is not excluded by that subsection).

(6) An election by a person under subsection (5) above shall be irrevocable and shall be made by notice to the inspector at any time before 6th April 1990 or at any time during the period beginning with the day of the first relevant disposal and ending—

(a) 2 years after the end of the year of assessment or accounting period in which the disposal is made, or

(b) at such later time as the Board may allow;

and “the first relevant disposal” means the first disposal to which this section applies which is made by the person making the election.

(7) An election made by a person under subsection (5) above in one capacity does not cover disposals made by him in another capacity.

(8) All such adjustments shall be made, whether by way of discharge or repayment of tax, the making of assessments or otherwise, as are required to give effect to an election under subsection (5) above.

(9) Schedule 2 shall have effect in relation to disposals of assets owned on 6th April 1965 in cases where neither subsection (2) nor subsection (4) above applies.

(10) Schedule 3, which contains provisions supplementary to subsections (1) to (8) above, shall have effect.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 35(3)(d)(i) inserted (retrosp.) by 1992 c. 48, s. 46(1)(2)

F2 Words in s. 35 (3)(d)(i) inserted (19.2.1993) by 1992 c. 48, s. 56, Sch. 9 para. 21(2); S.I. 1993/236, art.2

F3 Words in s. 35(3)(d)(vi) repealed (retrosp.) by 1992 c. 48, ss. 77, 82, Sch. 17 paras. 5(9), 7, Sch. 18 Pt. X

F4 Word in s. 35(3)(d)(vii) repealed (retrospective to 11.1.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 252(3), Sch. 24 para. 2(2), Sch. 26 Pt. VIII(2)

F5 Words in s. 35(3)(d) inserted (retrosp.) by 1992 c. 48, s. 77, Sch. 17 paras. 5(9), 7

F6 S. 35(3)(d)(ix) inserted (retrospective to 11.1.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 252(3), Sch. 24 para. 2(2)

F7 S. 35(3)(d)(x) inserted (with effect as specified in Sch. 25 para. 4(1) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), Sch. 25 para. 4(3)

Marginal Citations

M2 1982 c. 39.

M3 1985 c. 50.

M4 1985 c. 67.

M5 1990 c. 29.

36 Deferred charges on gains before 31st March 1982. U.K.

Schedule 4, which provides for the reduction of a deferred charge to tax where the charge is wholly or partly attributable to an increase in the value of an asset before 31st March 1982, shall have effect.

Allowable deductions U.K.

37 Consideration chargeable to tax on income. U.K.

(1) There shall be excluded from the consideration for a disposal of assets taken into account in the computation of the gain any money or money’s worth charged to income tax as income of, or taken into account as a receipt in computing income or profits or gains or losses of, the person making the disposal for the purposes of the Income Tax Acts.

(2) Subsection (1) above shall not be taken as excluding from the consideration so taken into account any money or money’s worth which is—

(a) taken into account in the making of a balancing charge under the 1990 Act, including the provisions of the Taxes Act which are to be treated as contained in the 1990 Act but excluding Part III of the 1990 Act, or

(b) brought into account as the disposal value of machinery or plant under section 24 of the 1990 Act.

(3) This section shall not preclude the taking into account in a computation of the gain, as consideration for the disposal of an asset, of the capitalised value of a rentcharge (as in a case where a rentcharge is exchanged for some other asset) or of the capitalised value of a ground annual or feu duty, or of a right of any other description to income or to payments in the nature of income over a period, or to a series of payments in the nature of income.

(4) The reference in subsection (1) above to computing income or profits or gains or losses shall not be taken as applying to a computation of a company’s income for the purposes of subsection (2) of section 76 of the Taxes Act (expenses of management of insurance companies).

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C8 S. 37 extended (27.7.1993 with effect for the year 1992-93 and subsequent years of assessment as mentioned in s. 184(3)) by 1993 c. 34, ss. 176(2)(b), 184(3)

C9 S. 37(1) restricted (16.7.1992, with effect as mentioned in s. 65(6) of the amending Act) by 1992 c. 48, s. 65(2)(e)(5)

38 Acquisition and disposal costs etc. U.K.

(1) Except as otherwise expressly provided, the sums allowable as a deduction from the consideration in the computation of the gain accruing to a person on the disposal of an asset shall be restricted to—

(a) the amount or value of the consideration, in money or money’s worth, given by him or on his behalf wholly and exclusively for the acquisition of the asset, together with the incidental costs to him of the acquisition or, if the asset was not acquired by him, any expenditure wholly and exclusively incurred by him in providing the asset,

(b) the amount of any expenditure wholly and exclusively incurred on the asset by him or on his behalf for the purpose of enhancing the value of the asset, being expenditure reflected in the state or nature of the asset at the time of the disposal, and any expenditure wholly and exclusively incurred by him in establishing, preserving or defending his title to, or to a right over, the asset,

(c) the incidental costs to him of making the disposal.

(2) For the purposes of this section and for the purposes of all other provisions of this Act, the incidental costs to the person making the disposal of the acquisition of the asset or of its disposal shall consist of expenditure wholly and exclusively incurred by him for the purposes of the acquisition or, as the case may be, the disposal, being fees, commission or remuneration paid for the professional services of any surveyor or valuer, or auctioneer, or accountant, or agent or legal adviser and costs of transfer or conveyance (including stamp duty) together—

(a) in the case of the acquisition of an asset, with costs of advertising to find a seller, and

(b) in the case of a disposal, with costs of advertising to find a buyer and costs reasonably incurred in making any valuation or apportionment required for the purposes of the computation of the gain, including in particular expenses reasonably incurred in ascertaining market value where required by this Act.

(3) Except as provided by section 40, no payment of interest shall be allowable under this section.

(4) Any provision in this Act introducing the assumption that assets are sold and immediately reacquired shall not imply that any expenditure is incurred as incidental to the sale or reacquisition.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C10 S. 38 restricted (3.5.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 173(4)(d) (with s. 173(1))

39 Exclusion of expenditure by reference to tax on income. U.K.

(1) There shall be excluded from the sums allowable under section 38 as a deduction in the computation of the gain any expenditure allowable as a deduction in computing the profits or gains or losses of a trade, profession or vocation for the purposes of income tax or allowable as a deduction in computing any other income or profits or gains or losses for the purposes of the Income Tax Acts and any expenditure which, although not so allowable as a deduction in computing any losses, would be so allowable but for an insufficiency of income or profits or gains; and this subsection applies irrespective of whether effect is or would be given to the deduction in computing the amount of tax chargeable or by discharge or repayment of tax or in any other way.

(2) Without prejudice to the provisions of subsection (1) above, there shall be excluded from the sums allowable under section 38 as a deduction in the computation of the gain any expenditure which, if the assets, or all the assets to which the computation relates, were, and had at all times been, held or used as part of the fixed capital of a trade the profits or gains of which were (irrespective of whether the person making the disposal is a company or not) chargeable to income tax would be allowable as a deduction in computing the profits or gains or losses of the trade for the purposes of income tax.

(3) No account shall be taken of any relief under Chapter II of Part IV of the M6 Finance Act 1981 or under Schedule 5 to the M7 Finance Act 1983, in so far as it is not withdrawn and relates to shares issued before 19th March 1986, in determining whether any sums are excluded by virtue of subsection (1) or (2) above from the sums allowable as a deduction in the computation of gains or losses for the purposes of this Act.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C11 S. 39 extended (27.7.1993 with effect for the years 1992-93 and subsequent years of assessment as mentioned in s. 184(3)) by 1993 c. 34, s. 176(2)(b), 184(3)

Marginal Citations

M6 1981 c. 35.

M7 1983 c. 28.

40 Interest charged to capital. U.K.

(1) Where—

(a) a company incurs expenditure on the construction of any building, structure or works, being expenditure allowable as a deduction under section 38 in computing a gain accruing to the company on the disposal of the building, structure or work, or of any asset comprising it, and

(b) that expenditure was defrayed out of borrowed money,

the sums so allowable under section 38 shall, subject to subsection (2) below, include the amount of any interest on that borrowed money which is referable to a period or part of a period ending on or before the disposal.

(2) Subsection (1) above has effect subject to section 39 and does not apply to interest which is a charge on income.

(3) In relation to interest paid in any accounting period ending before 1st April 1981 subsection (1) above shall have effect with the substitution for all following paragraph (b) of— “and

(c) the company charged to capital all or any of the interest on that borrowed money referable to a period or part of a period ending on or before the disposal,

and the sums so allowable under section 38 shall include the amount of that interest charged to capital. ”;

and subsection (2) above shall not apply.

41 Restriction of losses by reference to capital allowances and renewals allowances. U.K.

(1) Section 39 shall not require the exclusion from the sums allowable as a deduction in the computation of the gain of any expenditure as being expenditure in respect of which a capital allowance or renewals allowance is made, but the amount of any losses accruing on the disposal of an asset shall be restricted by reference to capital allowances and renewals allowances as follows.

(2) In the computation of the amount of a loss accruing to the person making the disposal, there shall be excluded from the sums allowable as a deduction any expenditure to the extent to which any capital allowance or renewals allowance has been or may be made in respect of it.

(3) If the person making the disposal acquired the asset—

(a) by a transfer by way of sale in relation to which an election under section 158 of the 1990 Act was made, or

(b) by a transfer to which section 78(2) of that Act applies,

(being enactments under which a transfer is treated for the purposes of capital allowances as being made at written down value), the preceding provisions of this section shall apply as if any capital allowance made to the transferor in respect of the asset had (except so far as any loss to the transferor was restricted under those provisions) been made to the person making the disposal (that is the transferee); and where the transferor acquired the asset by such a transfer, capital allowances which by virtue of this subsection can be taken into account in relation to the transferor shall also be taken into account in relation to the transferee (that is the person making the disposal), and so on for any series of transfers before the disposal.

(4) In this section “capital allowance” means—

(a) any allowance under the 1990 Act, including the provisions of the Taxes Act which are to be treated as contained in the 1990 Act, other than an allowance under section 33(1) of the Taxes Act (relief for cost of maintenance of agricultural land),

(b) any relief given under section 30 of the Taxes Act (expenditure on sea walls), and

(c) any deduction in computing profits or gains allowable under section 91 of the Taxes Act (cemeteries).

(5) In this section “renewals allowance” means a deduction allowable in computing the profits or gains of a trade, profession or vocation for the purpose of income tax by reference to the cost of acquiring an asset for the purposes of the trade, profession or vocation in replacement of another asset, and for the purposes of this Chapter a renewals allowance shall be regarded as a deduction allowable in respect of the expenditure incurred on the asset which is being replaced.

(6) The amount of capital allowances to be taken into account under this section in relation to a disposal include any allowances falling to be made by reference to the event which is the disposal, and there shall be deducted from the amount of the allowances the amount of any balancing charge to which effect has been or is to be given by reference to the event which is the disposal, or any earlier event.

(7) Where the disposal is of machinery or plant in relation to expenditure on which allowances or charges have been made under Part II of the 1990 Act, and neither section 79 (assets used only partly for trade purposes) nor section 80 (wear and tear subsidies) of that Act applies, the capital allowances to be taken into account under this section are to be regarded as equal to the difference between the capital expenditure incurred, or treated as incurred, under that Part on the provision of the machinery or plant by the person making the disposal and the disposal value required to be brought into account in respect of the machinery or plant.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C12 S. 41 modified (16.7.1992)) by 1992 c. 48, s. 77, Sch. 17 paras. 6(2)(5),7

42 Part disposals. U.K.

(1) Where a person disposes of an interest or right in or over an asset, and generally wherever on the disposal of an asset any description of property derived from that asset remains undisposed of, the sums which under paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 38(1) are attributable to the asset shall, both for the purposes of the computation of the gain accruing on the disposal and for the purpose of applying this Part in relation to the property which remains undisposed of, be apportioned.

(2) The apportionment shall be made by reference—

(a) to the amount or value of the consideration for the disposal on the one hand (call that amount or value A), and

(b) to the market value of the property which remains undisposed of on the other hand (call that market value B),

and accordingly the fraction of the said sums allowable as a deduction in the computation of the gain accruing on the disposal shall be—

and the remainder shall be attributed to the property which remains undisposed of.

(3) Any apportionment to be made in pursuance of this section shall be made before operating the provisions of section 41 and if, after a part disposal, there is a subsequent disposal of an asset the capital allowances or renewals allowances to be taken into account in pursuance of that section in relation to the subsequent disposal shall, subject to subsection (4) below, be those referable to the sums which under paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 38(1) are attributable to the asset whether before or after the part disposal, but those allowances shall be reduced by the amount (if any) by which the loss on the earlier disposal was restricted under the provisions of section 41.

(4) This section shall not be taken as requiring the apportionment of any expenditure which, on the facts, is wholly attributable to what is disposed of, or wholly attributable to what remains undisposed of.

(5) It is hereby declared that this section, and all other provisions for apportioning on a part disposal expenditure which is deductible in computing a gain, are to be operated before the operation of, and without regard to, section 58(1), sections 152 to 158 (but without prejudice to section 152(10)), section 171(1) or any other enactment making an adjustment to secure that neither a gain nor a loss occurs on a disposal.

43 Assets derived from other assets. U.K.

If and so far as, in a case where assets have been merged or divided or have changed their nature or rights or interests in or over assets have been created or extinguished, the value of an asset is derived from any other asset in the same ownership, an appropriate proportion of the sums allowable as a deduction in the computation of a gain in respect of the other asset under paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 38(1) shall, both for the purpose of the computation of a gain accruing on the disposal of the first-mentioned asset and, if the other asset remains in existence, on a disposal of that other asset, be attributed to the first-mentioned asset.

Wasting assets U.K.

44 Meaning of “wasting asset". U.K.

(1) In this Chapter “wasting asset” means an asset with a predictable life not exceeding 50 years but so that—

(a) freehold land shall not be a wasting asset whatever its nature, and whatever the nature of the buildings or works on it;

(b) “life”, in relation to any tangible movable property, means useful life, having regard to the purpose for which the tangible assets were acquired or provided by the person making the disposal;

(c) plant and machinery shall in every case be regarded as having a predictable life of less than 50 years, and in estimating that life it shall be assumed that its life will end when it is finally put out of use as being unfit for further use, and that it is going to be used in the normal manner and to the normal extent and is going to be so used throughout its life as so estimated;

(d) a life interest in settled property shall not be a wasting asset until the predictable expectation of life of the life tenant is 50 years or less, and the predictable life of life interests in settled property and of annuities shall be ascertained from actuarial tables approved by the Board.

(2) In this Chapter “the residual or scrap value”, in relation to a wasting asset, means the predictable value, if any, which the wasting asset will have at the end of its predictable life as estimated in accordance with this section.

(3) The question what is the predictable life of an asset, and the question what is its predictable residual or scrap value at the end of that life, if any, shall, so far as those questions are not immediately answered by the nature of the asset, be taken, in relation to any disposal of the asset, as they were known or ascertainable at the time when the asset was acquired or provided by the person making the disposal.

45 Exemption for certain wasting assets. U.K.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, no chargeable gain shall accrue on the disposal of, or of an interest in, an asset which is tangible movable property and which is a wasting asset.

(2) Subsection (1) above shall not apply to a disposal of, or of an interest in, an asset—

(a) if, from the beginning of the period of ownership of the person making the disposal to the time when the disposal is made, the asset has been used and used solely for the purposes of a trade, profession or vocation and if that person has claimed or could have claimed any capital allowance in respect of any expenditure attributable to the asset or interest under paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of section 38(1); or

(b) if the person making the disposal has incurred any expenditure on the asset or interest which has otherwise qualified in full for any capital allowance.

(3) In the case of the disposal of, or of an interest in, an asset which, in the period of ownership of the person making the disposal, has been used partly for the purposes of a trade, profession or vocation and partly for other purposes, or has been used for the purposes of a trade, profession or vocation for part of that period, or which has otherwise qualified in part only for capital allowances—

(a) the consideration for the disposal, and any expenditure attributable to the asset or interest by virtue of section 38(1)(a) and (b), shall be apportioned by reference to the extent to which that expenditure qualified for capital allowances, and

(b) the computation of the gain shall be made separately in relation to the apportioned parts of the expenditure and consideration, and

(c) subsection (1) above shall not apply to any gain accruing by reference to the computation in relation to the part of the consideration apportioned to use for the purposes of the trade, profession or vocation, or to the expenditure qualifying for capital allowances.

(4) Subsection (1) above shall not apply to a disposal of commodities of any description by a person dealing on a terminal market or dealing with or through a person ordinarily engaged in dealing on a terminal market.

46 Straightline restriction of allowable expenditure. U.K.

(1) In the computation of the gain accruing on the disposal of a wasting asset it shall be assumed—

(a) that any expenditure attributable to the asset under section 38(1)(a) after deducting the residual or scrap value, if any, of the asset, is written off at a uniform rate from its full amount at the time when the asset is acquired or provided to nothing at the end of its life, and

(b) that any expenditure attributable to the asset under section 38(1)(b) is written off from the full amount of that expenditure at the time when that expenditure is first reflected in the state or nature of the asset to nothing at the end of its life,

so that an equal daily amount is written off day by day.

(2) Thus, calling the predictable life of a wasting asset at the time when it was acquired or provided by the person making the disposal L, the period from that time to the time of disposal T(1), and, in relation to any expenditure attributable to the asset under section 38(1)(b), the period from the time when that expenditure is first reflected in the state or nature of the asset to the said time of disposal T(2), there shall be excluded from the computation of the gain—

(a) out of the expenditure attributable to the asset under section 38(1)(a) a fraction—

of an amount equal to the amount of that expenditure minus the residual or scrap value, if any, of the asset, and

(b) out of the expenditure attributable to the asset under section 38(1)(b) a fraction—

of the amount of the expenditure.

(3) If any expenditure attributable to the asset under section 38(1)(b) creates or increases a residual or scrap value of the asset, the provisions of subsection (1)(a) above shall be applied so as to take that into account.

47 Wasting assets qualifying for capital allowances. U.K.

(1) Section 46 shall not apply in relation to a disposal of an asset—

(a) which, from the beginning of the period of ownership of the person making the disposal to the time when the disposal is made, is used and used solely for the purposes of a trade, profession or vocation and in respect of which that person has claimed or could have claimed any capital allowance in respect of any expenditure attributable to the asset under paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of section 38(1), or

(b) on which the person making the disposal has incurred any expenditure which has otherwise qualified in full for any capital allowance.

(2) In the case of the disposal of an asset which, in the period of ownership of the person making the disposal, has been used partly for the purposes of a trade, profession or vocation and partly for other purposes, or has been used for the purposes of a trade, profession or vocation for part of that period, or which has otherwise qualified in part only for capital allowances—

(a) the consideration for the disposal, and any expenditure attributable to the asset by paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of section 38(1) shall be apportioned by reference to the extent to which that expenditure qualified for capital allowances, and

(b) the computation of the gain shall be made separately in relation to the apportioned parts of the expenditure and consideration, and

(c) section 46 shall not apply for the purposes of the computation in relation to the part of the consideration apportioned to use for the purposes of the trade, profession or vocation, or to the expenditure qualifying for capital allowances, and

(d) if an apportionment of the consideration for the disposal has been made for the purposes of making any capital allowance to the person making the disposal or for the purpose of making any balancing charge on him, that apportionment shall be employed for the purposes of this section, and

(e) subject to paragraph (d) above, the consideration for the disposal shall be apportioned for the purposes of this section in the same proportions as the expenditure attributable to the asset is apportioned under paragraph (a) above.

Miscellaneous provisions U.K.

48 Consideration due after time of disposal. U.K.

In the computation of the gain consideration for the disposal shall be brought into account without any discount for postponement of the right to receive any part of it and, in the first instance, without regard to a risk of any part of the consideration being irrecoverable or to the right to receive any part of the consideration being contingent; and if any part of the consideration so brought into account is subsequently shown to the satisfaction of the inspector to be irrecoverable, such adjustment, whether by way of discharge or repayment of tax or otherwise, shall be made as is required in consequence.

49 Contingent liabilities. U.K.

(1) In the first instance no allowance shall be made in the computation of the gain—

(a) in the case of a disposal by way of assigning a lease of land or other property, for any liability remaining with, or assumed by, the person making the disposal by way of assigning the lease which is contingent on a default in respect of liabilities thereby or subsequently assumed by the assignee under the terms and conditions of the lease,

(b) for any contingent liability of the person making the disposal in respect of any covenant for quiet enjoyment or other obligation assumed as vendor of land, or of any estate or interest in land, or as a lessor,

(c) for any contingent liability in respect of a warranty or representation made on a disposal by way of sale or lease of any property other than land.

(2) If it is subsequently shown to the satisfaction of the inspector that any such contingent liability has become enforceable, and is being or has been enforced, such adjustment, whether by way of discharge or repayment of tax or otherwise, shall be made as is required in consequence.

(3) Subsection (2) above also applies where the disposal in question was before the commencement of this section.

50 Expenditure reimbursed out of public money. U.K.

There shall be excluded from the computation of a gain any expenditure which has been or is to be met directly or indirectly by the Crown or by any Government, public or local authority whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere.

51 Exemption for winnings and damages etc. U.K.

(1) It is hereby declared that winnings from betting, including pool betting, or lotteries or games with prizes are not chargeable gains, and no chargeable gain or allowable loss shall accrue on the disposal of rights to winnings obtained by participating in any pool betting or lottery or game with prizes.

(2) It is hereby declared that sums obtained by way of compensation or damages for any wrong or injury suffered by an individual in his person or in his profession or vocation are not chargeable gains.

52 Supplemental. U.K.

(1) No deduction shall be allowable in a computation of the gain more than once from any sum or from more than one sum.

(2) References in this Chapter to sums taken into account as receipts or as expenditure in computing profits or gains or losses for the purposes of income tax shall include references to sums which would be so taken into account but for the fact that any profits or gains of a trade, profession, employment or vocation are not chargeable to income tax or that losses are not allowable for those purposes.

(3) In this Chapter references to income or profits charged or chargeable to tax include references to income or profits taxed or as the case may be taxable by deduction at source.

(4) For the purposes of any computation of the gain any necessary apportionments shall be made of any consideration or of any expenditure and the method of apportionment adopted shall, subject to the express provisions of this Chapter, be such method as appears to the inspector or on appeal the Commissioners concerned to be just and reasonable.

(5) In this Chapter “capital allowance” and “renewals allowance” have the meanings given by subsections (4) and (5) of section 41.

Chapter IV U.K. Computation of gains: the indexation allowance

General U.K.

53 The indexation allowance and interpretative provisions. U.K.

(1) Subject to any provision to the contrary, [F8 if on the disposal of an asset there is an unindexed gain, an allowance (“the indexation allowance”) shall be allowed against the unindexed gain—

(a) so as to give the gain for the purposes of this Act, or

(b) if the indexation allowance equals or exceeds the unindexed gain, so as to extinguish it (in which case the disposal shall be one on which, after taking account of the indexation allowance, neither a gain nor a loss accrues)];

and any reference in this Act to an indexation allowance or to the making of an indexation allowance shall be construed accordingly.

(2) For the purposes of [F9 this Chapter], in relation to any disposal of an asset—

[F10 (a) “unindexed gain” means the amount of the gain on the disposal computed in accordance with this Part]; and

(b) “relevant allowable expenditure” means, subject to subsection (3) below, any sum which, in the computation of the unindexed [F11 gain] was taken into account by virtue of paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of section 38(1).

[F12 (2A) Notwithstanding anything in section 16 of this Act, this section shall not apply to a disposal on which a loss accrues.]

(3) In determining what sum (if any) was taken into account as mentioned in subsection (2)(b) above, account shall be taken of any provision of any enactment which, for the purpose of the computation of the gain, increases, excludes or reduces the whole or any part of any item of expenditure falling within section 38 or provides for it to be written-down.

(4) Sections 54 and 108 and this section have effect subject to sections 56, 57, 109, 110, 113, 131 and 145.

Textual Amendments

F8 Words in s. 53(1) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 93(11) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 93(1) (with Sch. 12)

F9 Words in s. 53(2) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 93(11) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 93(2)(a) (with Sch. 12)

F10 S. 53(2)(a) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 93(11) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 93(2)(b) (with Sch. 12)

F11 Word in s. 53(2)(b) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 93(11) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 93(2)(c) (with Sch. 12)

F12 S. 53(2A) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 93(11) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 93(3) (with Sch. 12)

54 Calculation of indexation allowance. U.K.

(1) Subject to any provision to the contrary, the indexation allowance is the aggregate of the indexed rise in each item of relevant allowable expenditure; and, in relation to any such item of expenditure, the indexed rise is a sum produced by multiplying the amount of that item by a figure expressed as a decimal and determined, subject to subsections (2) and (3) below, by the formula—

where—

• RD is the retail prices index for the month in which the disposal occurs; and

• RI is the retail prices index for March 1982 or the month in which the expenditure was incurred, whichever is the later.

(2) If, in relation to any item of expenditure—

(a) the expenditure is attributable to the acquisition of relevant securities, within the meaning of section 108, which are disposed of within the period of 10 days beginning on the day on which the expenditure was incurred, or

(b) RD, as defined in subsection (1) above, is equal to or less than RI, as so defined,

the indexed rise in that item is nil.

(3) If, in relation to any item of expenditure, the figure determined in accordance with the formula in subsection (1) above would, apart from this subsection, be a figure having more than 3 decimal places, it shall be rounded to the nearest third decimal place.

(4) For the purposes of this section—

(a) relevant allowable expenditure falling within paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 38 shall be assumed to have been incurred at the time when the asset in question was acquired or provided; and

(b) relevant allowable expenditure falling within paragraph (b) of that subsection shall be assumed to have been incurred at the time when that expenditure became due and payable.

55 Assets owned on 31st March 1982 or acquired on a no gain/no loss disposal. U.K.

(1) For the purpose of computing the indexation allowance on a disposal of an asset where, on 31st March 1982, the asset was held by the person making the disposal, it shall be assumed that on that date the asset was sold by the person making the disposal and immediately reacquired by him at its market value on that date.

(2) Except where an election under section 35(5) has effect, neither subsection (1) above nor section 35(2) shall apply for the purpose of computing the indexation allowance in a case where that allowance would be greater if they did not apply.

(3) If under subsection (1) above it is to be assumed that any asset was on 31st March 1982 sold by the person making the disposal and immediately reacquired by him, sections 41 and 47 shall apply in relation to any capital allowance or renewals allowance made in respect of the expenditure actually incurred by him in providing the asset as if it were made in respect of expenditure which, on that assumption, was incurred by him in reacquiring the asset on 31st March 1982.

(4) Where, after 31st March 1982, an asset which was held on that date has been merged or divided or has changed its nature or rights in or over the asset have been created, then, subject to subsection (2) above, subsection (1) above shall have effect to determine for the purposes of section 43 the amount of the consideration for the acquisition of the asset which was so held.

(5) Subsection (6) below applies to a disposal of an asset which is not a no gain/no loss disposal if—

(a) the person making the disposal acquired the asset after 31st March 1982; and

(b) the disposal by which he acquired the asset and any previous disposal of the asset after 31st March 1982 was a no gain/no loss disposal;

and for the purposes of this subsection a no gain/no loss disposal is one on which, by virtue of section 257(2) or 259(2) or any of the enactments specified in section 35(3)(d), neither a gain nor a loss accrues (or accrued) to the person making the disposal.

(6) Where this subsection applies to a disposal of an asset—

(a) the person making the disposal shall be treated for the purpose of computing the indexation allowance on the disposal as having held the asset on 31st March 1982; and

(b) for the purpose of determining any gain or loss on the disposal, the consideration which, apart from this subsection, that person would be treated as having given for the asset shall be taken to be reduced by deducting therefrom any indexation allowance brought into account by virtue of section 56(2) on any disposal falling within subsection (5)(b) above.

[F13 (7) The rules in subsection (8) below apply (after the application of section 53 but before the application of section 35(3) or (4)) to give the gain or loss for the purposes of this Act where—

(a) subsection (6) above applies to the disposal (the “disposal in question”) of an asset by any person (the “transferor”), and

(b) but for paragraph (b) of that subsection, the consideration the transferor would be treated as having given for the asset would include an amount or amounts of indexation allowance brought into account by virtue of section 56(2) on any disposal made before 30th November 1993.

(8) The rules are as follows—

(a) where (apart from this subsection) there would be a loss, an amount equal to the rolled-up indexation shall be added to it so as to increase it,

(b) where (apart from this subsection) the unindexed gain or loss would be nil, there shall be a loss of an amount equal to the rolled-up indexation, and

(c) where (apart from this subsection)—

(i) there would be an unindexed gain, and

(ii) the gain or loss would be nil but the amount of the indexation allowance used to extinguish the gain would be less than the rolled-up indexation,

the difference shall constitute a loss.

(9) In this section the “rolled-up indexation” means, subject to subsections (10) and (11) below, the amount or, as the case may be, the aggregate of the amounts referred to in subsection (7)(b) above; and subsections (10) and (11) below shall, as well as applying on the disposal in question, be treated as having applied on any previous part disposal by the transferor.

(10) Where, for the purposes of any disposal of the asset by the transferor, any amount falling within any, or any combination of, paragraphs (a) to (c) of section 38(1) is required by any enactment to be excluded, reduced or written down, the amount or aggregate referred to in subsection (9) above (or so much of it as remains after the application of this subsection and subsection (11) below on a previous part disposal) shall be reduced in proportion to any reduction made in the amount falling within the paragraph, or the combination of paragraphs, in question.

(11) Where the transferor makes a part disposal of the asset at any time, then, for the purposes of that and any subsequent disposal, the amount or aggregate referred to in subsection (9) above (or so much of it as remains after the application of this subsection and subsection (10) above on a previous part disposal by him or after the application of subsection (10) above on the part disposal) shall be apportioned between the property disposed of and the property which remains in the same proportions as the sums falling within section 38(1)(a) and (b).]

Textual Amendments

F13 S. 55(7)-(11) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 93(11) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 93(4) (with Sch. 12)

56 Part disposals and disposals on a no-gain/no-loss basis. U.K.

(1) For the purpose of determining the indexation allowance (if any) on the occasion of a part disposal of an asset, the apportionment under section 42 of the sums which make up the relevant allowable expenditure shall be effected before the application of section 54 and, accordingly, in relation to a part disposal—

(a) references in section 54 to an item of expenditure shall be construed as references to that part of that item which is so apportioned for the purposes of the computation of the unindexed gain F14 ... on the part disposal; and

(b) no indexation allowance shall be determined by reference to the part of each item of relevant allowable expenditure which is apportioned to the property which remains undisposed of.

(2) [F15 On a no gain/no loss disposal by any person (“the transferor”)]—

(a) the amount of the consideration shall be calculated for the purposes of this Act on the assumption that, on the disposal, an unindexed gain accrues to the transferor which is equal to the indexation allowance on the disposal, and

(b) the disposal shall accordingly be one on which, after taking account of the indexation allowance, neither a gain nor a loss accrues;

and for the purposes of the application of sections 53 and 54 there shall be disregarded so much of any enactment as provides that, on the subsequent disposal of the asset by the person acquiring the asset on the disposal (“the transferee”), the transferor’s acquisition of the asset is to be treated as the transferee’s acquisition of it.

[F16 (3) Where apart from this subsection—

(a) a loss would accrue on the disposal of an asset, and

(b) the sums allowable as a deduction in computing that loss would include an amount attributable to the application of the assumption in subsection (2) above on any no gain/no loss disposal made on or after 30th November 1993,

those sums shall be determined as if that subsection had not applied on any such disposal made on or after that date and the loss shall be reduced accordingly or, if those sums are then equal to or less than the consideration for the disposal, the disposal shall be one on which neither a gain nor a loss accrues.

(4) For the purposes of this section a no gain/no loss disposal is one which, by virtue of any enactment other than section 35(4), 53(1) or this section, is treated as a disposal on which neither a gain nor a loss accrues to the person making the disposal.]

Textual Amendments

F14 Words in s. 56(1)(a) repealed (with effect in accordance with s. 93(11) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), Sch. 26 Pt. V(8)

F15 Words in s. 56(2) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 93(11) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 93(5)(a) (with Sch. 12)

F16 S. 56(3)(4) added (with effect in accordance with s. 93(11) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), s. 93(5)(b) (with Sch. 12)

57 Receipts etc. which are not treated as disposals but affect relevant allowable expenditure. U.K.

(1) This section applies where, in determining the relevant allowable expenditure in relation to a disposal of an asset, account is required to be taken, as mentioned in section 53(3), of any provision of any enactment which, by reference to a relevant event, reduces the whole or any part of an item of expenditure as mentioned in that subsection.

(2) For the purpose of determining, in a case where this section applies, the indexation allowance (if any) to which the person making the disposal is entitled, no account shall in the first instance be taken of the provision referred to in subsection (1) above in calculating the indexed rise in the item of expenditure to which that provision applies but, from that indexed rise as so calculated, there shall be deducted a sum equal to the indexed rise (determined as for the purposes of the actual disposal) in a notional item of expenditure which—

(a) is equal to the amount of the reduction effected by the provision concerned; and

(b) was incurred on the date of the relevant event referred to in subsection (1) above.

(3) In this section “relevant event” means any event which does not fall to be treated as a disposal for the purposes of this Act.