Finance Act 2002

Contracts which become derivative contracts: chargeable assets

4 (1) This paragraph applies if the conditions in sub-paragraphs (2) to (4) are satisfied in relation to any contract of a company.

(2) The first condition is that the company is a party to the contract immediately before and on its commencement day.

(3) The second condition is that the contract—

(a) was not a qualifying contract (within the meaning of Chapter 2 of Part 4 of the Finance Act 1994) immediately before the company’s commencement day, but

(b) as from that day is a derivative contract.

(4) The third condition is that the contract was, immediately before the company’s commencement day, a chargeable asset.

(5) Where this paragraph applies, the company shall, when it ceases to be a party to the contract, bring into account, for the accounting period in which it ceases to be a party to the contract, the amount of any chargeable gain or allowable loss which would have been treated as accruing to the company on the assumption—

(a) that it had made a disposal of the asset immediately before its commencement day, and

(b) that the disposal had been for a consideration equal to the value (if any) given to the contract in the accounts of the company at the end of the company’s accounting period immediately before its first new period.

(6) Sub-paragraph (5) has effect subject to sub-paragraph (7).

(7) The company may elect that a debit representing the amount of any allowable loss, which under sub-paragraph (5) is to be brought into account for the accounting period in which it ceases to be a party to the contract, shall be brought into account for that accounting period as if it were a non-trading debit falling to be brought into account for the purposes of Chapter 2 of Part 4 of the Finance Act 1996 (c. 8) in respect of a loan relationship of the company.

(8) An election under sub-paragraph (7) may only be made within the period of two years following the end of the accounting period in which the company ceases to be a party to the contract.

(9) For the purposes of this paragraph an asset is a chargeable asset if any gain accruing on the disposal of the asset by the company would be a chargeable gain for the purposes of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 (c. 12) (and includes any obligations under futures contracts which, by virtue of section 143 of that Act, are regarded as assets to the disposal of which that Act applies).

(10) This paragraph has effect subject to paragraph 5.