Section 77 | Definition of “normal commercial loan”.

(1)In paragraph 1 of Schedule 18 to the Taxes Act 1988 (under which a person who is a loan creditor of a company in respect of a non-commercial loan is an equity holder of the company) after sub-paragraph (5D) there shall be inserted—

(5E)For the purposes of sub-paragraph (5)(b) above, the amount to which the loan creditor is entitled by way of interest—

(a)shall not be treated as depending to any extent on the results of the company’s business or any part of it by reason only of the fact that the terms of the loan provide for the rate of interest to be reduced in the event of the results of the company’s business or any part of it improving, and

(b)shall not be treated as depending to any extent on the value of any of the company’s assets by reason only of the fact that the terms of the loan provide for the rate of interest to be reduced in the event of the value of any of the company’s assets increasing.

(5F)Sub-paragraph (5H) below applies where—

(a)a person makes a loan to a company on the basis mentioned in sub-paragraph (5G) below for the purpose of facilitating the acquisition of land, and

(b)none of the land which the loan is used to acquire is acquired with a view to resale at a profit.

(5G)The basis referred to above is that—

(a)the whole of the loan is to be applied in the acquisition of land by the company or in meeting the incidental costs of obtaining the loan,

(b)the payment of any amount due in connection with the loan to the person making it is to be secured on the land which the loan is to be used to acquire, and

(c)no other security is to be required for the payment of any such amount.

(5H)For the purposes of sub-paragraph (5)(b) above, the amount to which the loan creditor is entitled by way of interest shall not be treated as depending to any extent on the value of any of the company’s assets by reason only of the fact that the terms of the loan are such that the only way the loan creditor can enforce payment of an amount due is by exercising rights granted by way of security over the land which the loan is used to acquire.

(5I)In sub-paragraph (5G)(a) above the reference to the incidental costs of obtaining the loan is to any expenditure on fees, commissions, advertising, printing or other incidental matters wholly and exclusively incurred for the purpose of obtaining the loan or of providing security for it.

(2)Repealed^F1

(3)Except as provided by subsection (2) above, this section shall be deemed to have come into force on 1st April 1991.