Section 55 | Assets owned on 31st March 1982 or acquired on a no gain/no loss disposal.

(1)For the purpose of computing the indexation allowance on a disposal of an asset where, on 31st March 1982, the asset was held by the person making the disposal, it shall be assumed that on that date the asset was sold by the person making the disposal and immediately reacquired by him at its market value on that date.

(2)Except where an election under section 35(5) has effect, neither subsection (1) above nor section 35(2) shall apply for the purpose of computing the indexation allowance in a case where that allowance would be greater if they did not apply.

(3)If under subsection (1) above it is to be assumed that any asset was on 31st March 1982 sold by the person making the disposal and immediately reacquired by him, sections 41 and 47 shall apply in relation to any capital allowance or renewals allowance made in respect of the expenditure actually incurred by him in providing the asset as if it were made in respect of expenditure which, on that assumption, was incurred by him in reacquiring the asset on 31st March 1982.

(4)Where, after 31st March 1982, an asset which was held on that date has been merged or divided or has changed its nature or rights in or over the asset have been created, then, subject to subsection (2) above, subsection (1) above shall have effect to determine for the purposes of section 43 the amount of the consideration for the acquisition of the asset which was so held.

(5)Subsection (6) below applies to a disposal of an asset which is not a no gain/no loss disposal if—^F1

(a)the person making the disposal acquired the asset after 31st March 1982; and

(b)the disposal by which he acquired the asset and any previous disposal of the asset after 31st March 1982 was a no gain/no loss disposal;

and for the purposes of this subsection a no gain/no loss disposal is one on which, by virtue of section 257(2) or 259(2) or any of the no gain/no loss provisions, neither a gain nor a loss accrues (or accrued) to the person making the disposal.

(5A)For the purposes of subsection (5), a disposal is also a no gain/no loss disposal if it is one on which, by virtue of section 195B, 195C or 195E, neither a gain nor a loss accrues to the person making the disposal; but, in such a case, subsection (6)(b) below does not apply.^F2

(6)Where this subsection applies to a disposal of an asset—

(a)the person making the disposal shall be treated for the purpose of computing the indexation allowance on the disposal as having held the asset on 31st March 1982; ...^F3

(aa)in the case of a disposal to which paragraph 1A of Schedule 3 applies (certain holdings of shares or securities), the market value of the asset on that date is to be determined in accordance with that paragraph; and^F4

(b)for the purpose of determining any gain or loss on the disposal, the consideration which, apart from this subsection, that person would be treated as having given for the asset shall be taken to be reduced by deducting therefrom any indexation allowance brought into account by virtue of section 56(2) on any disposal falling within subsection (5)(b) above.

(7)The rules in subsection (8) below apply (after the application of section 53 but before the application of section 35(3) or (4)) to give the gain or loss for the purposes of this Act where—^F5

(a)subsection (6) above applies to the disposal (the “disposal in question”) of an asset by any person (the “transferor”), and^F5

(b)but for paragraph (b) of that subsection, the consideration the transferor would be treated as having given for the asset would include an amount or amounts of indexation allowance brought into account by virtue of section 56(2) on any disposal made before 30th November 1993.^F5

(8)The rules are as follows—^F5

(a)where (apart from this subsection) there would be a loss, an amount equal to the rolled-up indexation shall be added to it so as to increase it,^F5

(b)where (apart from this subsection) the unindexed gain or loss would be nil, there shall be a loss of an amount equal to the rolled-up indexation, and^F5

(c)where (apart from this subsection)—^F5

(i)there would be an unindexed gain, and^F5

(ii)the gain or loss would be nil but the amount of the indexation allowance used to extinguish the gain would be less than the rolled-up indexation,^F5

the difference shall constitute a loss.

(9)In this section the “rolled-up indexation” means, subject to subsections (10) and (11) below, the amount or, as the case may be, the aggregate of the amounts referred to in subsection (7)(b) above; and subsections (10) and (11) below shall, as well as applying on the disposal in question, be treated as having applied on any previous part disposal by the transferor.^F5

(10)Where, for the purposes of any disposal of the asset by the transferor, any amount falling within any, or any combination of, paragraphs (a) to (c) of section 38(1) is required by any enactment to be excluded, reduced or written down, the amount or aggregate referred to in subsection (9) above (or so much of it as remains after the application of this subsection and subsection (11) below on a previous part disposal) shall be reduced in proportion to any reduction made in the amount falling within the paragraph, or the combination of paragraphs, in question.^F5

(11)Where the transferor makes a part disposal of the asset at any time, then, for the purposes of that and any subsequent disposal, the amount or aggregate referred to in subsection (9) above (or so much of it as remains after the application of this subsection and subsection (10) above on a previous part disposal by him or after the application of subsection (10) above on the part disposal) shall be apportioned between the property disposed of and the property which remains in the same proportions as the sums falling within section 38(1)(a) and (b).^F5