Finance Act 1994

Corporation tax

181 Return of profits

(1) In subsection (1) of section 11 of the Management Act (return of profits), after the words “as may”, in both places where they occur, there shall be inserted the word “reasonably”.

(2) In subsection (1A) of that section, after the words “a company may”, in both places where they occur, there shall be inserted the word “reasonably”.

(3) After subsection (2) of that section there shall be inserted the following subsections—

“(2A) In the case of a company which carries on a trade, profession or business in partnership with one or more other persons, a return under this section shall include each amount which, in any relevant statement, is stated to be equal to its share of any income, loss or charge for the period in respect of which the statement is made.

(2B) In subsection (2A) above “relevant statement” means a statement which, as respects the partnership, falls to be made under section 12AB of this Act for a period which includes, or includes any part of, the period in respect of which the return is required.”

182 Return of profits to include self-assessment

After section 11 of the Management Act there shall be inserted the following section—

“11AA Return of profits to include self-assessment

(1) Every return under section 11 of this Act for an accounting period shall include an assessment (a self-assessment) of the amount in which, on the basis of the information contained in the return, the company is chargeable to corporation tax for that period.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) below—

(a) at any time before the end of the period of nine months beginning with the day on which a company’s return is delivered, an officer of the Board may by notice to the company so amend the company’s self-assessment as to correct any obvious errors or mistakes in the return (whether errors of principle, arithmetical mistakes or otherwise); and

(b) at any time before the end of the period of twelve months beginning with the filing date, a company may by notice to an officer of the Board so amend its self-assessment as to give effect to any amendments to its return which it has notified to such an officer.

(3) No amendment of a self-assessment may be made under subsection (2) above at any time during the period—

(a) beginning with the day on which an officer of the Board gives notice of his intention to enquire into the return, and

(b) ending with the day on which the officer’s enquiries into the return are completed.

(4) In this section and section 11AB of this Act “the filing date” means the day mentioned in section 11(4) of this Act.”

183 Power to enquire into return of profits

After section 11AA of the Management Act there shall be inserted the following section—

“11AB Power to enquire into return of profits

(1) An officer of the Board may enquire into—

(a) the return on the basis of which a company’s self-assessment was made under section 11AA of this Act, or

(b) any amendment of that return on the basis of which that assessment was amended under subsection (2)(b) of that section,

if, before the end of the period mentioned in subsection (2) below, he gives notice in writing to the company of his intention to do so.

(2) The period referred to in subsection (1) above is—

(a) in the case of a return delivered or amendment made on or before the filing date, the period of twelve months beginning with that date;

(b) in the case of a return delivered or amendment made after that date, the period ending with the quarter day next following the first anniversary of the day on which the return or amendment was delivered or made;

and the quarter days for the purposes of this subsection are 31st January, 30th April, 31st July and 31st October.

(3) A return or amendment which has been enquired into under subsection (1) above shall not be the subject of a further notice under that subsection.”