04. BPT - Groups and consortia Flashcards
Who is group loss relief available to?
Members of 75% group
Define a 75% group
2 companies are members where
- One comp is 75% subsidiary of the other
- Both companies are 75% subsidiaries of a third company
When is one company a 75% subsidiary of another?
If
- At least 75% of its ordinary share capital is owned directly or indirectly by the other company
- It has the right to 75% or more of distributable profits
- It has the right to 75% or more of net assets on the winding up
What must be done for group loss relief?
For group loss relief, you need a strict 75% group: direct and indirect holding must be over 75%
In order to get group relief, do all companies have to be UK resident?
No, group relief rules allow groups to be created through companies resident anywhere in the world
BUT the companies claiming/surrendering group relief must be resident in UK
So if non-UK resident has profits in the charge to UK CT (e.g. trading through UK PE or dealing in UK land) a group relief could b possible on the prof/loss that are subject to UK tax
If non-UK resident comp is based outside EEA, the loss of the UK PE can only be offset against UK group companies if all options have been exhausted overseas
Who is the surrendering company?
The company that surrenders its loss
Who is the claimant compan?
The company to which the loss is surrendered
Which of the following losses can be surrendered?
- Current period losses
- Brought forward losses
- Losses carried back
Current losses can be surrendered
Some brought forward losses can be surrendered
Losses carried back CAN’T be surrendered
What is the maximum group relief available?
The lower of
- Available loss of surrendering company
- Available profits of claimant company
When surrendering a loss, does the full loss have to be used up/ full profit be removed?
No, they can choose any amount up to the maximum available
Which is the lower of
- Available loss of surrendering company
- Available profits of claimant company
Does the surrendering company have to relieve the trading loss against its own profit first?
No, there is no requirement (i.e. doesn’t have to claim s37 first)
i.e. doesn’t have to reduce its own profit first, can have its own profit and still pass on a loss to another
What losses is group relief available on?
- CY trading income loss
- CY non-trading loan relationship deficits
- CY excess qualifying charity donations
- CY excess property loss
- CY excess management expenses
i.e. excess means to the extent that they can’t be utilised in the current year by surrendering company
What is loss relief offset against by the claimant company?
Offsets the loss against TTP of its corresponding accounting period
What is the maximum loss that can be claimed by the claimant specifically?
- TTP X Less CY trading losses (whether or not claim is made) (X) Less Bfwd trading losses relieved (X) Less CY NTLR deficits relieved (X) Less bfwd NTLR deficits relieved (X) Less CY property losses (X) Less bfwd property losses relieved (X)
= Max loss relief in claimant company X
What carried forward losses ca be relieved in a group?
- Certain losses carried forward are eligible for group relief. This is only avail on losses on/after 1 April 17
Following can be surrendered
- Trading losses
- NTLR deficits
- Losses on non-trading IFAs
- Property losses
- Management expenses
What are the additional requirements for if a surrendering company wants to surrender carried forward losses?
If it is unable to use the loss itself when calculating TTP
What are the additional requirements for if a claimant company wants to claim carried forward losses?
If it doesn’t have any unused carried forward losses itself
Profits available to offset bfwd losses are the same as those against which current year group relief is claimed
What is the restriction on carried forward losses within a loss relief group?
The carried forward deductions allowance of £5m applies to the loss relief group as a whole
- Loss relief group can claim one single allowance for both income losses (for which group relief claim can be made) and capital losses (no group transfer of bfwd capital losses can be made)
£5m allowance can be split amongst the group however they see fit
Does the £5m carried forward deductions allowance have to be split equally among a group?
No, it can be split however the group sees best
But if the comp is a member of one group and parent of another, it can only be allocated a share of the deceptions allowance from the group which it is a member
What is a corresponding accounting period?
- Any acc period falling wholly or partly within a surrendering company’s acc period
What does coterminous mean?
The same
i.e. if companies don’t have coterminous year ends, they don’t have the same ye
What must be done if companies within a relief group don’t have the same year end?
Losses surrendered by group relief must be set against the company’s profits for the ‘corresponding acc period’
Corresponding acc period = Any acc period falling wholly or partly within a surrendering company’s acc period
Where companies don’t have coterminous (same) ye, the profits and losses of the companies must be time apportioned
If A owns 100% of B, but then sells B to C, when does group relief stop with A and B and start with B and C?
- A and B can swap losses losses until ‘arrangements to sell’ come into place (usually start of negotiations)
- B and C can swap losses from date of purchase
What are the restrictions on group relief if A owns 100% of B, but then sells B to C?
- When there is a change in ownership on/after 1 April 17, any cfwd losses can’t be surrendered for group relief within 5 years of change of ownership
- Restriction is applicable to the comp whose ownership has changed
- There is no restriction on other companies in the group surrendering losses to the company that has joined
What issues should be considered when determining the best use of losses in a group?
- summary:
» Reduce need for instalment payment
» prof > £5m, consider relevant max for each
» use pre 1 April 17 losses first (less flex)
» diff year ends- earlier period helps cash flow
» if overseas comp don’t waste DTR
» can choose to disclaim, cap allowances - Loss relief in one company may remove need for payments of CT by instalments. Consider especially for very large companies as these pay earliest
- Where prof and losses are greater than £5m, relevant max must be considered for each comp in group
- Where comp has pre and post 1 April 17 losses, pre 1 April 17 losses should be used first as they are less flexible
- If comp in group has non-coterminous year ends, relief to comp is earlier period may aid cash flow
- If group has overseas income, don’t waste DTR and sufficient losses should be left in group to make sure its available
- Comp can choose to disclaim cap allowances. Preferable where not all loss can be used in AP and would otherwise be cfwd. Relevant for comps w large losses which would be subject to restriction of relief when cfwd