Finance Act 2000

Part VI U.K. Relevant shipping profits

Introduction U.K.

44 (1) For the purposes of this Schedule the relevant shipping profits of a tonnage tax company are— U.K.

(a) its relevant shipping income (as defined below), and

(b) so much of its chargeable gains as is effectively excluded from the charge to tax by the provisions of Part VIII of this Schedule.

(2) The “relevant shipping income” of a tonnage tax company means—

(a) its income from tonnage tax activities (see paragraphs 45 to 48), and

(b) any income that is relevant shipping income under—

• paragraph 49 (distributions of overseas shipping companies), or

• paragraph 50 (certain interest etc.),

but subject to paragraph 51 (general exclusion of investment income).

Tonnage tax activities U.K.

45 (1) References in this Schedule to the “tonnage tax activities" of a tonnage tax company are to— U.K.

(a) its core qualifying activities (see paragraph 46),

(b) its qualifying secondary activities to the extent that they do not exceed the permitted level (see paragraph 47), and

(c) its qualifying incidental activities (see paragraph 48).

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) has effect subject to paragraph 51(2) (exclusion of activities giving rise to investment income).

Core qualifying activities U.K.

46 (1) A tonnage tax company’s “core qualifying activities" are— U.K.

(a) its activities in operating qualifying ships, and

(b) other ship-related activities that are a necessary and integral part of the business of operating its qualifying ships.

(2) A company’s activities in operating qualifying ships means the activities mentioned in paragraph 19(1)(a) to (d) by virtue of which the ship is a qualifying ship.

Qualifying secondary activities U.K.

47 (1) The Inland Revenue may make provision by regulations as to— U.K.

(a) the descriptions of activity that are to be regarded as qualifying secondary activities, and

(b) the permitted level in relation to any such activity or description of activity.

(2) The regulations may set the permitted level or provide for its determination by reference to such factors as may be specified in the regulations.

Qualifying incidental activities U.K.

48 (1) A company’s incidental activities means its ship-related activities that— U.K.

(a) are incidental to its core qualifying activities, and

(b) are not qualifying secondary activities.

(2) If the turnover in an accounting period of the company from its incidental activities (taken together) does not exceed 0.25% of the company’s turnover in that period from—

(a) its core qualifying activities, and

(b) its qualifying secondary activities to the extent that they do not exceed the permitted level,

the company’s incidental activities in that period are qualifying incidental activities.

Relevant shipping income: distributions of overseas shipping companies U.K.

49 (1) Income of a tonnage tax company consisting in a dividend or other distribution of an overseas company is relevant shipping income if the following conditions are met. U.K.

(2) The conditions are—

(a) that the overseas company operates qualifying ships;

(b) that more than 50% of the voting power in the overseas company is held by a company resident in a [F1 the United Kingdom, Gibraltar or a member State], or that two or more companies each of which is resident in a [F1 the United Kingdom, Gibraltar or a member State] hold in aggregate more than 50% of that voting power;

(c) that the 75% limit is not exceeded in relation to the overseas company in any accounting period in respect of which the distribution is paid;

(d) that all the income of the overseas company is such that, if it were a tonnage tax company, it would be relevant shipping income;

(e) that the distribution is paid entirely out of profits arising at a time when—

(i) the conditions in paragraphs (a) to (d) were met, and

(ii) the tonnage tax company was subject to tonnage tax; and

(f) the profits of the overseas company out of which the distribution is paid are subject to a tax on profits (in the country of residence of the company or elsewhere, or partly in that country and partly elsewhere).

(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)(c) the “75% limit” is the requirement set out in paragraph 37 (requirement that not more than 75% of tonnage is chartered in) as it applies to a single company.

(4) In this paragraph an “overseas company” means a company that is not resident in the United Kingdom.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Sch. 22 para. 49(2)(b) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Taxes (Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/332), regs. 1, 2(7)

Relevant shipping income: certain interest etc. U.K.

50 (1) Income to which this paragraph applies is relevant shipping income only to the extent that it would apart from this Schedule fall to be taken into account as trading income from a trade consisting of the company’s tonnage tax activities. U.K.

(2) This paragraph applies to—

(a) anything giving rise to a credit that would fall to be brought into account for the purposes of [F2 Part 5 of the Corporation Tax Act 2009] (loan relationships); [F3 and]

F4 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) any credit falling to be brought into account [F5 in accordance with Part 7 of the Corporation Tax Act 2009 (derivative contracts)].

Textual Amendments

F2 Words in Sch. 22 para. 50(2)(a) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 1329(1) of the amending Act) by Corporation Tax Act 2009 (c. 4), s. 1329(1), Sch. 1 para. 470(2)(a) (with Sch. 2 Pts. 1, 2)

F3 Word in Sch. 22 para. 50(2)(a) inserted (24.7.2002 with effect as mentioned in s. 79(3) of the amending Act) by 2002 c. 23, s. 79, Sch. 23 Pt. 2 para. 23(2)

F4 Sch. 22 para. 50(2)(b) repealed (24.7.2002 with effect as mentioned in s. 79(3) of the amending Act) by 2002 c. 23, s. 79, Sch. 40 Pt. 3(10) Note

F5 Words in Sch. 22 para. 50(2)(c) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 1329(1) of the amending Act) by Corporation Tax Act 2009 (c. 4), s. 1329(1), Sch. 1 para. 470(2)(b) (with Sch. 2 Pts. 1, 2)

General exclusion of investment income U.K.

51 (1) Income from investments is not relevant shipping income. U.K.

(2) To the extent that an activity gives rise to income from investments it is not regarded as part of a company’s tonnage tax activities.

[F6 (3) For the purposes of this paragraph “income from investments” includes anything chargeable to tax under—

(a) Part 4 of the Corporation Tax Act 2009 (property income),

(b) section 299 of that Act (loan relationships: non-trading profits),

F7 (c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(d) Chapter 7 of [F8 Part 10 of that Act] (annual payments not otherwise charged) [F9 , or

(e) regulation 15 of the Unauthorised Unit Trusts (Tax) Regulations 2013.]]

(5) Sub-paragraph (1) above does not affect income that is relevant shipping income under—

paragraph 49 (distributions of overseas shipping companies), or

paragraph 50 (certain interest etc.).

Textual Amendments

F6 Sch. 22 para. 51(3) substituted for Sch. 22 para. 51(3)(4) (with effect in accordance with s. 1329(1) of the amending Act) by Corporation Tax Act 2009 (c. 4), s. 1329(1), Sch. 1 para. 470(3) (with Sch. 2 Pts. 1, 2)

F7 Sch. 22 para. 51(3)(c) omitted (6.4.2014) by virtue of The Unauthorised Unit Trusts (Tax) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2819), regs. 1(3), 35(a) (with reg. 32)

F8 Words in Sch. 22 para. 51(3)(d) substituted (6.4.2014) by The Unauthorised Unit Trusts (Tax) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2819), regs. 1(3), 35(b) (with reg. 32)

F9 Sch. 22 para. 51(3)(e) and word inserted (6.4.2014) by The Unauthorised Unit Trusts (Tax) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2819), regs. 1(3), 35(c) (with reg. 32)