Finance Act 2000

16 (1) Amend section 804A of the Taxes Act 1988 (overseas life assurance business: restriction of credit) as follows.

(2) For subsection (1) (application of subsection (2)) substitute—

“(1) Subsection (2) below applies where credit for tax—

(a) which is payable under the laws of a territory outside the United Kingdom in respect of insurance business carried on by a company through a branch or agency in that territory, and

(b) which is computed otherwise than wholly by reference to profits arising in that territory,

is to be allowed (in accordance with this Part) against corporation tax charged under Case I or Case VI of Schedule D in respect of the profits, computed in accordance with the provisions applicable to Case I of Schedule D, of life assurance business or any category of life assurance business carried on by the company in an accounting period (in this section referred to as “the relevant profits”).

(1A) For the purposes of paragraph (b) of subsection (1) above, the cases where tax payable under the laws of a territory outside the United Kingdom is “computed otherwise than wholly by reference to profits arising in that territory” are those cases where the charge to tax in that territory falls within subsection (1B) below.

(1B) A charge to tax falls within this subsection if it is such a charge made otherwise than by reference to profits as (by disallowing their deduction in computing the amount chargeable) to require sums payable and other liabilities arising under policies to be treated as sums or liabilities falling to be met out of amounts subject to tax in the hands of the company.”

(3) In subsection (3) (the shareholders' share of the overseas tax) for the definition of A (the amount of profits chargeable under section 441) substitute—

“A is an amount equal to the amount of the relevant profits before making any deduction authorised by subsection (5) below;”.

(4) In subsection (5) (relaxation of rule in section 795(2)(a) against deducting foreign tax in computing the profits of the overseas life assurance business) for “the profits of the overseas life assurance business” substitute “the relevant profits”.

(5) In consequence of the amendments made by this paragraph, the sidenote to the section becomes “Life assurance companies with overseas branches etc: restriction of credit.”

(6) This paragraph has effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1st April 2000.