BIM56520 - Film and audio products: avoidance: reinvestments

The provisions at FA02/S100 ( BIM56385) and FA05/SCH3 ( BIM56340) restrict the amount that can be claimed as production expenditure to sums actually paid during production of the film or, if not paid by completion, are unconditionally payable within four months thereafter. These changes have made it impossible to use deferments and participations as a means of avoiding tax.

We have seen some cases where tax avoiders have attempted to mimic the effect of deferments and participations through reinvestments of money paid by a producer in making the film. Typically, in a reinvestment scheme a payment is made to a person who provides goods or services in the production of the film and that person then ‘reinvests’ money in the film in return for a share in profits from the film. The net effect of this is economically the same as if the person had been paid the net amount with the right to share in any profits from the film – that is, just like a deferment or participation.

A reinvestment would rarely occur commercially as an alternative to a deferment or participation because the person receiving the payment receives taxable income greater than he would with a deferment or participation but will not get a tax deduction for the reinvestment in the film – and therefore ends up with a higher tax liability on the same net income. Reinvestments therefore tend only to be seen where the payee is not subject to tax on his receipt (for example, because he is based in an offshore tax haven or has losses to shelter income).

Reinvestments are highly artificial structures involving circulation of money. Some cases have been seen where money goes through a circle involving more than one payee/service provider. Where identified we think we have strong grounds for challenging these schemes. Care needs to be taken when examining accounts of production companies in particular to identify payments which appear unusual or particularly large, or are made offshore and where investments are made from an associated, or the same, source.

A report should be made to Anti-Avoidance Group (see BIM56505) in any case where sums that are claimed to have been paid are returned, either directly or indirectly, to the payer.