Section 21 | Surplus business accommodation

(1)This section applies if—

(a)a person (“the trader”) carrying on a trade obtains receipts from a letting of business accommodation that is temporarily surplus to requirements (see subsections (3) and (4)),

(b)the accommodation is not held as trading stock,

(c)the receipts are in respect of part of a building of which another part is used to carry on the trade,

(d)the receipts are relatively small, and

(e)the receipts, and the expenses of the letting, would otherwise be brought into account in calculating the profits of a property business of the trader.

(2)The trader may instead bring both the receipts and expenses into account in calculating the profits of the trade.

(3)Accommodation is temporarily surplus to requirements only if—

(a)it has been used within the last 3 years to carry on the trade or acquired within the last 3 years,

(b)the trader intends to use it to carry on the trade at a later date, and

(c)the letting is for a term of not more than 3 years.

(4)If accommodation is temporarily surplus to requirements at the beginning of a period of account, it continues to be temporarily surplus to requirements until the end of that period.

(5)If under this section any of the receipts from and expenses of a letting are brought into account in calculating the profits of the trade, all subsequent receipts from and expenses of the letting must be dealt with in the same way (but only so long as this section continues to apply).

(6)In this section “letting” includes a licence to occupy.

(7)This section applies to professions and vocations as it applies to trades.