Part 4 Loss relief

Chapter 2 Trade losses

Trade loss relief against total profits

37 Relief for trade losses against total profits
(1) This section applies if, in an accounting period, a company carrying on a trade makes a loss in the trade.
(2) The company may make a claim for relief for the loss under this section (but see subsection (5)).
(3) If the company makes a claim, the relief is given by deducting the loss from the company's total profits of—
(a) the accounting period in which the loss is made (“the loss-making period”), and
(b) if the claim so requires, previous accounting periods so far as they fall (wholly or partly) within the period of 12 months ending immediately before the loss-making period begins.
(4) The amount of a deduction to be made under subsection (3) for any accounting period is the amount of the loss so far as it cannot be deducted under that subsection for a subsequent accounting period.
(5) The company may not make a claim if, in the loss-making period, the company carries on the trade wholly outside the United Kingdom.
(6) A deduction under subsection (3)(b) may be made for an accounting period only if the company—
(a) carried on the trade in the period, and
(b) did not do so wholly outside the United Kingdom.
(7) The company's claim must be made—
(a) within the period of two years after the end of the loss-making period, or
(b) within such further period as an officer of Revenue and Customs may allow.
(8) If, for an accounting period, deductions under subsection (3) are to be made for losses of different accounting periods, the deductions are to be made in the order in which the losses were made (starting with the earliest loss).
(9) Relief under this section is subject to restriction or modification in accordance with provisions of the Corporation Tax Acts.

38 Limit on deduction if accounting period falls partly within 12 month period
(1) This section applies if an accounting period falls partly within the period of 12 months mentioned in section 37(3)(b).
(2) The amount of the deduction for the loss for the accounting period is not to exceed an amount equal to the overlapping proportion of the company's total profits of that period.
(3) The overlapping proportion is the same as the proportion that the part of the accounting period falling within the period of 12 months bears to the whole of the accounting period.

39 Terminal losses: extension of periods for which relief may be given
(1) This section applies if—
(a) a company ceases to carry on a trade, and
(b) the company has made a terminal loss in the trade.
(2) Sections 37(3)(b) and 38(1) and (3) have effect in relation to the terminal loss as if the references to 12 months were references to 3 years.
(3) The following are terminal losses made in the trade—
(a) the whole of any loss made by the company in the trade in an accounting period that begins during the final 12 months, and
(b) the overlapping proportion of any loss made by the company in the trade in an accounting period that ends, but does not begin, during the final 12 months.
(4) The overlapping proportion is the same as the proportion that the part of the accounting period falling within the final 12 months bears to the whole of the accounting period.
(5) “The final 12 months” means the period of 12 months ending when the company ceases to carry on the trade.
(6) This section is subject to section 41.

40 Ring fence trades: extension of periods for which relief may be given
(1) This section applies if—
(a) in an accounting period a company makes a loss in a ring fence trade (as defined in section 162 of CAA 2001),
(b) the accounting period is an accounting period for which any allowances under section 164 or by virtue of section 416ZA of CAA 2001 are made to the company in respect of decommissioning expenditure, and
Words in s. 40(1)(b) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 21 para. 6 of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2012 (c. 14), Sch. 21 para. 5(2)
Words in s. 40(1)(b) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 92(10) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2013 (c. 29), s. 92(8)
(c) not all the loss is a terminal loss (see section 39(3) above).
(2) Sections 37(3)(b) and 38(1) and (3) have effect in relation to the loss (so far as it is not a terminal loss) as if the references to 12 months were references to 3 years.
(3) But if the loss exceeds the sum of the allowances mentioned in subsection (1)(b), subsection (2) applies in relation to the loss only so far as it does not exceed that amount.
Words in s. 40(3) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 21 para. 6 of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2012 (c. 14), Sch. 21 para. 5(3)(a)
Words in s. 40(3) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 21 para. 6 of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2012 (c. 14), Sch. 21 para. 5(3)(b)
(3A) In this section “decommissioning expenditure” has the meaning given by section 330C.
S. 40(3A) inserted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 21 para. 6 of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2012 (c. 14), Sch. 21 para. 5(4)
(4) This section is subject to section 41.

41 Sections 39 and 40: transfers of trade to obtain relief
Sections 39 and 40 do not apply by reason of a company ceasing to carry on a trade if—
(a) on the company ceasing to carry on the trade, any of the activities of the trade begin to be carried on by a person who is not (or by persons any or all of whom are not) within the charge to corporation tax, and
(b) the company's ceasing to carry on the trade is part of a scheme or arrangement the main purpose, or one of the main purposes, of which is to secure that either or both of those sections apply in relation to a loss by reason of the cessation.

42 Ring fence trades: further extension of period for relief
(1) This section applies if—
(a) a company makes a claim under section 37 for relief in respect of a loss made in a ring fence trade,
(b) the claim is made by virtue of section 39 or 40, and
(c) a part of the loss that is eligible for relief under section 37 cannot be so relieved because there are not enough profits from which the loss may be deducted under that section.
(2) Relief for the part of the loss that cannot be relieved under section 37 (“the unrelieved loss”) is given to the company under this section.
(3) The relief is given by deducting the unrelieved loss from the profits of the ring fence trade of an accounting period that—
(a) falls wholly or partly before the three year relief period, and
(b) ends on or after 17 April 2002.
(4) The amount of a deduction to be made under subsection (3) for any accounting period is so much of the unrelieved loss as cannot be deducted under that subsection from profits of the ring fence trade of a subsequent accounting period (but this is subject to subsections (5) and (6)).
(5) In the case of an accounting period that falls partly before the 3 year relief period, the amount given by subsection (4) is to be reduced by the proportion which the part of the accounting period falling within the 3 year relief period bears to the whole of the accounting period.
(6) In the case of an accounting period that falls partly before 17 April 2002, the amount given by subsection (4) is to be reduced by the proportion which the part of the accounting period falling before that date bears to the whole of the accounting period.
(7) If, for an accounting period, deductions under subsection (3) are to be made for losses of different accounting periods, the deductions are to be made in the order in which the losses were made (starting with the earliest first).
(8) In this section—
“ring fence trade” has the same meaning as in section 162 of CAA 2001, and
“3 year relief period” means the period of 3 years that applies to a claim under section 37 by virtue of section 39 or 40.

43 Claim period in case of ring fence or mineral extraction trades
(1) This section applies in relation to a claim under section 37 if—
(a) as a result of section 165 of CAA 2001 (general decommissioning expenditure after ceasing ring fence trade) a company's qualifying expenditure for the accounting period in which it ceases to carry on a ring fence trade (as defined in section 162 of that Act) is increased by any amount, or
(b) as a result of section 416 or 416ZA of CAA 2001 (expenditure on site restoration ) any expenditure is treated as qualifying expenditure of a company incurred on the last day of trading.
Words in s. 43(1)(b) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 92(10) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2013 (c. 29), s. 92(9)(a)
Words in s. 43(1)(b) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 92(10) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2013 (c. 29), s. 92(9)(b)
(2) So far as the claim relates to the increase mentioned in subsection (1)(a), the period of two years specified in section 37(7)(a) for making the claim is instead to be read as a reference to the period given by adding two years to the post-cessation period (within the meaning of section 165 of CAA 2001).
(3) So far as the claim relates to the expenditure mentioned in subsection (1)(b), the period of two years specified in section 37(7)(a) for making the claim is instead to be read as a reference to a period of 5 years.

44 Trade must be commercial or carried on for statutory functions
(1) Relief under section 37 is not available for a loss made in a trade unless for the loss-making period (see section 37(3)(a)) the trade is carried on—
(a) on a commercial basis, and
(b) with a view to the making of a profit in the trade or so as to afford a reasonable expectation of making such a profit.
(2) References in subsection (1)(b) to a profit in the trade include references to a profit in any larger undertaking of which the trade forms part.
(3) If during the loss-making period there is a change in the way in which the trade is carried on, it is treated as having been carried on throughout that period in the way in which it is being carried on by the end of that period.
(4) The restriction on relief under this section does not apply if the trade is a trade carried on in the exercise of functions conferred by or under an Act (including an Act of the Scottish Parliament).

S. 37 applied (with effect in accordance with s. 148 of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2012 (c. 14), s. 123 (with s. 147, Sch. 17(34))
S. 37(3)(b) applied (with modifications) by 2009 c. 10, Sch. 6 para. 3(1) (as substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 1184(1) of the amending Act) by Corporation Tax Act 2010 (c. 4), s. 1184(1), Sch. 1 para. 714(2) (with Sch. 2))
S. 38(1) applied (with modifications) by 2009 c. 10, Sch. 6 para. 3(1) (as substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 1184(1) of the amending Act) by Corporation Tax Act 2010 (c. 4), s. 1184(1), Sch. 1 para. 714(2) (with Sch. 2))
S. 38(3) applied (with modifications) by 2009 c. 10, Sch. 6 para. 3(1) (as substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 1184(1) of the amending Act) by Corporation Tax Act 2010 (c. 4), s. 1184(1), Sch. 1 para. 714(2) (with Sch. 2))