Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003

23 (1) This paragraph applies where a company (“the service provider”) provides services or facilities for a business carried on by another person. U.K.

(2) Providing those services or facilities is an excluded activity if—

(a) the business consists to a substantial extent in carrying on excluded activities within any of sub-paragraphs (a) to (k) of paragraph 16, and

(b) a controlling interest in the business is held by a person (other than a company of which the service provider is a subsidiary) who also has a controlling interest in the business carried on by the service provider.

(3) Sub-paragraphs (4) to (6) explain what is meant by a controlling interest in a business for the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)(b).

(4) In the case of a business carried on by a company, a person (“P”) has a controlling interest in the business if—

(a) P controls the company,

(b) the company is a close company and P, or an associate of P's, is a director of the company and either—

(i) is the beneficial owner of more than 30% of the ordinary share capital of the company, or

(ii) is able (directly or through the medium of other companies or by any other indirect means) to control more than 30% of that share capital, or

(c) not less than half of the business could, in accordance with section 344(2) of ICTA (company reconstructions: supplemental), be regarded as belonging to him for the purposes of section 343 of that Act (company reconstructions without a change of ownership).

(5) In any other case, a person has a controlling interest in a business if that person is entitled to not less than half—

(a) of the assets used for the business, or

(b) of the income arising from it.

(6) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (4)(a) the question whether a person controls a company is to be determined in accordance with section 416(2) to (6) of ICTA (“control” in the context of close companies).

(7) For the purposes of this paragraph any rights or powers of a person who is an associate of another person are to be attributed to that other person.

(8) In this paragraph—

• “associate” has the meaning given in section 417(3) and (4) of ICTA (expressions relating to close companies), except that in those subsections as they apply for the purposes of this paragraph “relative” does not include a brother or sister;

• “business” includes any trade, profession or vocation;

• “director” is to be construed in accordance with section 417(5) of ICTA (expressions relating to close companies).