Finance Act 1996

Options etc.

3 (1) This paragraph applies for determining the credits and debits to be brought into account for any accounting period in accordance with an authorised accruals basis of accounting, where—

(a) the answer to the question whether any amount will become due under a loan relationship after the end of that period,

(b) the amount which will become due under a loan relationship after the end of that period, or

(c) the time after the end of that period when an amount will become due under a loan relationship,

depends on the exercise of an option by a party to the relationship or an associate of his, or is otherwise under the control of such a party or an associate of his.

(2) It shall be assumed that the party or his associate will exercise his power to determine whether and on what date any amount will become due in the manner which (apart from taxation) appears, as at the end of the accounting period in question, to be the most advantageous to that party.

(3) In this paragraph “associate” has the meaning given for the purposes of Part XI of the Taxes Act 1988 by section 417(3) and (4) of that Act.