Finance Act, 1970

Industrial building allowance in relation to buildings and structures bought unused.

19.—(1) Where expenditure is incurred on the construction of a building or structure and, before that building or structure is used, the relevant interest therein is sold—

(a) the expenditure actually incurred on the construction thereof shall be left out of account for the purposes of sections 254 , 264 , 265 and 266 of the Income Tax Act, 1967 ; but

(b) the person who buys that interest shall be deemed for those purposes to have incurred, on the date when the purchase price becomes payable, expenditure on the construction thereof equal to the said expenditure or to the net price paid by him for the said interest, whichever is the less:

Provided that, where the relevant interest in the building or structure is sold more than once before the building or structure is used, the provisions of paragraph (b) shall have effect only in relation to the last of those sales.

(2) Where the expenditure incurred on the construction of a building or structure was incurred by a person carrying on a trade which consists, as to the whole or any part thereof, in the construction of buildings or structures with a view to their sale, and, before the building or structure is used, he sells the relevant interest therein in the course of that trade, or, as the case may be, of that part of that trade, paragraph (b) of subsection (1) shall have effect subject to the following modifications—

(a) if that sale is the only sale of the relevant interest before the building or structure is used, the said paragraph (b) shall have effect as if “the said expenditure or to” and “whichever is the less” were omitted, and

(b) if there is more than one sale of the relevant interest before the building or structure is used, the said paragraph (b) shall have effect as if the reference to the expenditure actually incurred on the construction of the building or structure were a reference to the price paid on the said sale.

(3) The Income Tax Acts shall have effect, and the preceding provisions of this section shall be construed, as if those provisions were contained in Chapter II of Part XV of the Income Tax Act, 1967.

(4) In relation to expenditure actually incurred on the construction of a building or structure on or after the 6th day of April, 1970, this section shall have, and be deemed to have had, effect as on and from the said 6th day of April.

(5) In relation to expenditure actually incurred on the construction of a building or structure prior to the 6th day of April, 1970, this section shall have, and be deemed to have had, effect as on and from the 6th day of April, 1964, and all such industrial building allowances and repayments of income tax (including sur-tax) and corporation profits tax shall be made as may be appropriate having regard to the provisions of this section:

Provided that this subsection shall not have effect in relation to any such expenditure if an industrial building allowance in respect thereof has been made.