Capital Allowances Act 1990

80Effect of subsidies towards wear and tear

(1)If it appears that, during the period during which any machinery or plant will be used by a person for the purposes of his trade, sums which—

(a)are in respect of, or take account of, the wear and tear to the machinery or plant occasioned by its use for those purposes, and

(b)do not fall to be taken into account as income of that person, or in computing the profits or gains of any trade carried on by him,

are, or are to be, payable to that person directly or indirectly by the Crown, or by any government or public or local authority (whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere), or by any other person, then, unless those sums are in respect of, or take account of, part only of that wear and tear, any expenditure incurred by the first-mentioned person in providing the machinery or plant shall be wholly disregarded for the purposes of this Part.

(2)Where subsection (1) above would apply to a person’s expenditure on the provision of machinery or plant but for the fact that the sums there referred to are in respect of, or take account of, part only of the wear and tear to the machinery or plant, a first-year allowance may be made in respect of the expenditure, but the amount thereof shall be reduced to such extent as may be just and reasonable having regard to all the relevant circumstances of the case.

(3)Where sums within subsection (1) above are paid as mentioned in that subsection to a person carrying on a trade, but are in respect of, or take account of, part only of the wear and tear to the machinery or plant in respect of which they are paid, subsections (4) to (6) below shall have effect with respect to the allowances and charges to be made in the case of the trade (“the actual trade”) under section 24.

(4)If an allowance has been made under section 24 for a chargeable period prior to the relevant period, the machinery or plant shall be treated for the purposes of that section as having begun to be used wholly for purposes other than those of the actual trade immediately after the beginning of the relevant period.

(5)Whether or not subsection (4) above applies—

(a)it shall be assumed for the purposes of section 24—

(i)that (with section 81 applying where appropriate) immediately after the beginning of the relevant period, capital expenditure was incurred on providing the machinery or plant wholly and exclusively for the purposes of a trade (“the notional trade”) carried on by the person carrying on the actual trade separately from that and any other trade carried on by him,

(ii)that from then until the notional trade is treated by virtue of sub-paragraph (iii) below as permanently discontinued no sums within subsection (1) above are paid in respect thereof to the person carrying on that trade, and

(iii)that without prejudice to section 24(6)(c)(i) to (iii), the notional trade is permanently discontinued on the machinery or plant beginning to be used wholly or partly for purposes other than those of the actual trade; and

(b)the allowance or charge under section 24 which, on the assumptions set out in paragraph (a) above and having regard to subsection (6) below, would fall to be made for any chargeable period in the case of the notional trade—

(i)shall be reduced to such extent as may be just and reasonable having regard to all the relevant circumstances of the case, and

(ii)shall, as so reduced, be made for that chargeable period in the case of the actual trade.

(6)If an allowance under section 24 falling by virtue of this section to be made for any chargeable period in the case of the actual trade is not claimed or is disclaimed under subsection (4) of that section, or is reduced in amount in accordance with a requirement under subsection (3) or (4) of that section then, in determining the allowance or charge under that section which would fall to be made for any subsequent chargeable period in the case of the notional trade, any allowance falling to be made in the case of that trade for the first-mentioned chargeable period shall be treated as not claimed or as disclaimed or, as the case may require, as proportionately reduced.

(7)In subsections (4) and (5) above “the relevant period” means the chargeable period in which or, as the case may be, in the basis period for which the first sum is paid as mentioned in subsection (1) above in respect of the machinery or plant in question.