Commentary on Sections Overview Overview Section 128: Taxation of amounts taken to reserves
485.This section contains a special rule for the treatment of securities held by a company carrying on a banking or insurance business, or a business of dealing in securities, and on which profits and losses are calculated by reference to the “fair value” of the securities rather than on a realisation basis. It is based on section 472A of ICTA. The corresponding rule for income tax is in section 149 of ITTOIA.
486.Financial assets can be dealt with in a number of ways for accounting purposes.
487.Where a company dealing in securities uses United Kingdom generally accepted accountancy practice (“UK GAAP”), profits and losses calculated by reference to the fair value of securities treated as trading assets are taken to profit and loss account. “Fair value” is an accounting term, the meaning of which is broadly equivalent to market value. UK GAAP is defined in section 50(4) of FA 2004.
488.Where a company dealing in securities prepares accounts in accordance with international accounting standards, the securities would usually fall to be accounted for as at fair value, in accordance with paragraph 9 of International Accounting Standard 39 (“IAS 39”), and any profits and losses calculated by reference to the fair value of securities taken to the profit and loss account. But the company may instead account for certain securities as “available for sale” if they do not meet the conditions for being treated as at fair value through profit or loss. In such a case profits and losses calculated by reference to the fair value of securities are taken initially to a statement of changes in equity.
489.Since 2005, UK GAAP in this area follows IAS 39. Under UK GAAP the profits and losses on “available for sale” assets are taken to the statement of total recognised gains and losses.
490.Section 46 of this Act provides that the calculation of profits or losses from a trade must be based on accounts drawn up in accordance with generally accepted accountancy practice, subject to any adjustment authorised by law. Implicit in this rule is that the profits must appear in the profit and loss account. There is no tax law (apart from this section) which allows profits on equity securities taken to any form of reserve to be treated for corporation tax purposes as if they were taken to profit and loss account.
491.Subsection (3)(b) provides that subsection (2) does not apply to “an amount recognised for accounting purposes by way of correction of a fundamental error”. This refers to the requirement in International Accounting Standard 8 (Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors) that the correction of a fundamental error should be treated as a prior period adjustment. “For accounting purposes” is defined in section 832(1) of ICTA as “for the purposes of accounts drawn up in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice”.
492.Section 472A(4)(a) of ICTA defines “securities” to include rights, interests or options treated as shares for the purposes of sections 126 to 136 of TCGA by virtue of sections 135(5) or 136(5) of TCGA. Sections 135(5) and 136(5) of TCGA define “shares” in the case of a company with no share capital as “any interests in the company possessed by members of the company.” So subsection (4)(c) of this section defines “securities” to include such interests.