Finance Act 1998

105 Meaning of “financial expenditure”

After section 798A of the Taxes Act 1988 there shall be inserted the following section—

“798B Meaning of “financial expenditure”

(1) For the purposes of section 798 “financial expenditure”, in relation to a qualifying taxpayer and any interest or dividends is, subject to the provisions of this section, the aggregate of—

(a) so much of the financial expenses (consisting of interest, discounts or similar sums or qualifying losses) incurred by the taxpayer or a person connected or associated with him as—

(i) is properly attributable to the earning of the interest or dividends; and

(ii) falls to be taken into account in computing the taxpayer’s or person’s liability to income tax or corporation tax; and

(b) so much of any other sum paid by the taxpayer or a person connected or associated with him which—

(i) falls to be taken into account as mentioned in paragraph (a) above; and

(ii) would not, apart from this paragraph, be taken into account in determining the amount of the interest or dividends,

as it is reasonable to regard as attributable to the earning of the interest or dividends (whether or not it would fall, in accordance with normal accountancy practice, to be so treated).

(2) There shall be deducted from the aggregate given by subsection (1) above so much of the qualifying gains and profits accruing to the qualifying taxpayer or a person connected or associated with him as—

(a) is properly attributable to the earning of the interest or dividends; and

(b) falls to be taken into account in computing the taxpayer’s or person’s liability to income tax or corporation tax.

(3) In a case where the amount of a qualifying taxpayer’s financial expenditure in relation to the earning of the interest or dividends is not readily ascertainable—

(a) that amount shall be taken, subject to subsection (4) below, to be such sum as it is just and reasonable to attribute to the earning of the interest or dividends; and

(b) in the case of interest, regard shall be had in particular to any market rates of interest by reference to which the rate of the interest is determined.

(4) The Board may by regulations supplement subsection (3) above—

(a) by specifying matters to be taken into account in determining such a just and reasonable attribution as is referred to in paragraph (a); and

(b) by making provision with respect to the determination of market rates of interest for the purposes of paragraph (b);

and any such regulations may make different provision for different cases.

(5) In this section “qualifying losses” means—

(a) losses falling to be brought into account for the purposes of Chapter II of Part II of the [1993 c. 34.] Finance Act 1993 (exchange gains and losses) in accordance with sections 125 to 127 of that Act; and

(b) losses falling to be brought into account for the purposes of Chapter II of Part IV of the [1994 c. 9.] Finance Act 1994 (interest rate and currency contracts) in accordance with sections 155 to 158 of that Act;

and “qualifying gains” and “qualifying profits” shall be construed accordingly.”