Corporation Tax Act 2009

Reliefs U.K.

1044 Additional deduction in calculating profits of trade U.K.

(1) A company is entitled to corporation tax relief for an accounting period if it meets each of conditions A to [F1 F].

(2) Condition A is that the company is a small or medium-sized enterprise in the period.

[F2 (2A) Condition B is that the company—

(a) meets the R&D intensity condition in the period, or

(b) obtained relief under this Chapter for its most recent prior accounting period of 12 months’ duration, having met the R&D intensity condition in that period.]

F3 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) Condition C is that the company carries on a trade in the period.

(5) Condition D is that the company has qualifying Chapter 2 expenditure which is allowable as a deduction in calculating for corporation tax purposes the profits of the trade for the period.

[F4 (5A) Condition E is that the company makes a loss in the trade in the period.

(5B) Condition F is that the company is not an ineligible company (see section 1142).]

(6) For the company to obtain the relief it must make a claim [F5 (see Part 9A of Schedule 18 to the FA 1998, and also sections 1045A and 1112F)].

F6 ...

(7) The relief is an additional deduction in calculating the profits of the trade for the period. [F7 The deduction is, in particular, additional to any given under section 87.]

(8) The amount of the additional deduction is [F8 86%] of the qualifying Chapter 2 expenditure.

F9 (9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(10) For the meaning of “qualifying Chapter 2 expenditure” see section 1051.

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 1044(1) substituted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(4)(a), 16 (with Sch. 1 para. 18); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

F2 S. 1044(2A) inserted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(4)(b), 16 (with Sch. 1 paras. 18, 20); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

F3 S. 1044(3) omitted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 3 para. 39 of the amending Act) by virtue of Finance Act 2012 (c. 14), Sch. 3 para. 3(3)

F4 S. 1044(5A)(5B) inserted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(4)(c), 16 (with Sch. 1 para. 18); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

F5 Words in s. 1044(6) inserted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(4)(d)(i), 16 (with Sch. 1 para. 18); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

F6 Words in s. 1044(6) omitted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by virtue of Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(4)(d)(ii), 16 (with Sch. 1 para. 18); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

F7 Words in s. 1044(7) inserted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(4)(e), 16 (with Sch. 1 para. 18); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

F8 Word in s. 1044(8) substituted (in relation to expenditure incurred on or after 1.4.2023) by Finance Act 2023 (c. 1), s. 4(3)(a)(4)

F9 S. 1044(9) omitted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by virtue of Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(4)(f), 16 (with Sch. 1 para. 18); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

1045 Alternative treatment for pre-trading expenditure: deemed trading loss U.K.

(1) A company is entitled to corporation tax relief for an accounting period if it meets [F10 each of conditions A to D].

(2) Condition A is that the company is a small or medium-sized enterprise in the period.

[F11 (2A) Condition B is that the company—

(a) meets the R&D intensity condition in the period, or

(b) obtained relief under this Chapter for its most recent prior accounting period of 12 months’ duration, having met the R&D intensity condition in that period.]

F12 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) Condition C is that the company has incurred qualifying Chapter 2 expenditure in the period which—

(a) is not allowable as a deduction in calculating for corporation tax purposes the profits of a trade carried on by it at the time the expenditure was incurred, but

(b) would have been so allowable had it, at that time, been carrying on a trade consisting of the activities in respect of which the expenditure was incurred.

[F13 (4A) Condition D is that the company is not an ineligible company (see section 1142).]

(5) For the company to obtain the relief it must make an election [F14 (see section 1047, and also section 1112F)].

F15 ...

(6) The relief is that the company is treated as if it had made a trading loss in the period.

(7) The trading loss is equal to [F16 186%] of the qualifying Chapter 2 expenditure.

(8) If a company makes an election under this section in respect of qualifying Chapter 2 expenditure, section 61 (pre-trading expenses) does not apply to the expenditure.

F17 (9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(10) For the meaning of “qualifying Chapter 2 expenditure” see section 1051.

(11) See also section 1137, which makes provision about the accounting periods of a company which is not within the charge to corporation tax.

Textual Amendments

F10 Words in s. 1045(1) substituted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(5)(a), 16 (with Sch. 1 para. 18); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

F11 S. 1045(2A) inserted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(5)(b), 16 (with Sch. 1 paras. 18, 20); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

F12 S. 1045(3) omitted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 3 para. 39 of the amending Act) by virtue of Finance Act 2012 (c. 14), Sch. 3 para. 3(4)(b)

F13 S. 1045(4A) inserted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(5)(c), 16 (with Sch. 1 para. 18); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

F14 Words in s. 1045(5) inserted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(5)(d)(i), 16 (with Sch. 1 para. 18); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

F15 Words in s. 1045(5) omitted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by virtue of Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(5)(d)(ii), 16 (with Sch. 1 para. 18); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

F16 Word in s. 1045(7) substituted (in relation to expenditure incurred on or after 1.4.2023) by Finance Act 2023 (c. 1), s. 4(3)(b)(4)

F17 S. 1045(9) omitted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by virtue of Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(5)(e), 16 (with Sch. 1 para. 18); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

[F18 1045ZA R&D intensity condition U.K.

(1) This section determines whether a company meets the R&D intensity condition in an accounting period for the purposes of sections 1044 and 1045.

(2) If the company is not connected with another company, the company meets the condition if its relevant R&D expenditure for the period amounts to at least 30% of its total relevant expenditure for the period.

(3) If the company is connected with at least one other company, the company meets the condition if the connected companies’ relevant R&D expenditure for the period amounts to at least 30% of the connected companies’ total relevant expenditure for the period.

(4) In subsection (3), “the connected companies” refers to the company to which this section is being applied and each company with which it is connected; and the references to their expenditure are to the aggregate of each of their expenditures.

(5) Expenditure forms part of a company’s total relevant expenditure for an accounting period if—

(a) in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice, it is brought into account in calculating the profits for the period of any trade carried on by the company,

(b) it is expenditure in respect of which the company is, for the period, entitled to relief under section 1045, or

(c) in reliance on section 1308(2) (expenditure brought into account in determining value of intangible asset allowable as a deduction), it is brought into account in calculating the company’s profits for the period for corporation tax purposes.

(6) But—

(a) expenditure of a company is to be ignored for the purposes of subsection (5) if it consists of a payment, or other transfer of value, to another company with which the company is connected, and

(b) where expenditure forms part of a company's total relevant expenditure by virtue of subsection (5)(c), a deduction brought into account as mentioned in subsection (5)(a) is to be ignored for the purposes of that provision to the extent that a corresponding deduction for corporation tax purposes is prevented by section 1308(5).

(7) Expenditure forms part of a company’s relevant R&D expenditure for an accounting period if—

(a) it forms part of the company’s total relevant expenditure for the period, or would do but for subsection (6)(a), and

(b) it is expenditure in respect of which the company would, assuming that it met the R&D intensity condition, be entitled to relief under this Chapter for the period.

(8) For the purposes of this section in its application to an accounting period, a company is to be treated as connected with another company if it is connected with that company on any day within the period.]

Textual Amendments

F18 S. 1045ZA inserted (with effect in relation to accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 paras. 6(6), 16 (with Sch. 1 paras. 18, 21); S.I. 2024/286, reg. 2

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 1045ZA(2)(3) modified (22.2.2024) by Finance Act 2024 (c. 3), Sch. 1 para. 21(3)(4)