BIM37000 - Wholly & exclusively: contents


ICTA88/S74 (1)(a) says that expenditure cannot be deducted in computing trading profits unless it is incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the trade, profession or vocation. The guidance that follows describes this statutory restriction.

A full list of the contents of the guidance on wholly & exclusively is shown below. The guidance is subdivided into sections, the opening page of each section being bold in the list below. Please click on the page number alongside to go direct to each section.


BIM37005 Topics covered
BIM37007 Overview
BIM37010 Statutory background: what the guidance covers
BIM37020 Statutory background: legislative starting point
BIM37025 Statutory background: expenses rule for employees
BIM37030 Statutory background: tax is charged on the full amount of profits
BIM37035 Statutory background: the statutory prohibition
BIM37040 Statutory background: computation to accord with GAAP
BIM37045 Statutory background: appeal to be on a point of law
BIM37050 How to establish purpose
BIM37055 How to establish purpose: whose purpose
BIM37060 How to establish purpose: purpose is a question of fact
BIM37065 How to establish purpose: a question of fact to be decided by examining the evidence
BIM37070 How to establish purpose: objective or subjective test
BIM37075 How to establish purpose: distinction between purpose and motive
BIM37100 Case law
BIM37200 Case law: remoteness
BIM37300 Case law: the 'capacity' test
BIM37400 Case law: incidental benefit
BIM37500 Case law: subscriptions and donations
BIM37510 Case law: subscriptions and donations: charitable gift to hospital
BIM37600 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: travel costs
BIM37605 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: travel costs: home to work
BIM37610 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: travel costs: overseas conference plus holiday
BIM37615 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: travel costs: overseas conference
BIM37620 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: travel costs: to and between sites
BIM37625 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: travel costs: overseas visit
BIM37630 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: travel costs: home to work by way of a supplier
BIM37635 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: travel costs: home to work: recent developments
BIM37650 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: non travel topics
BIM37660 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: non travel topics: subsistence
BIM37665 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: non travel topics: accommodation and subsistence
BIM37670 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: non travel topics: accommodation and subsistence: 'itinerant' trades
BIM37675 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: non travel topics: accommodation and subsistence: sub-contractors
BIM37680 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: non travel topics: interest payments
BIM37690 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: non travel topics: building society demutualisation
BIM37700 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: remuneration, etc
BIM37705 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: remuneration, etc: claim to deduct dividends paid to directors
BIM37707 Duality of, or non-trade: remuneration, etc: ‘excessive’ remuneration: establish the purpose
BIM37715 Duality of, or non-trade: remuneration, etc: paid to daughter
BIM37717 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: remuneration, etc: payment to retiring director following dispute
BIM37720 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: remuneration, etc: payment to director for changing duties because of ill-health
BIM37725 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: remuneration, etc: loss on sale of property used as a temporary residence by employee
BIM37730 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: remuneration, etc: payment of share of profits following sale of shares
BIM37735 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: remuneration, etc: wife or civil partner's wages
BIM37737 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: remuneration, etc: whether payments to minor children were allowable remuneration
BIM37740 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: remuneration, etc: 'excessive' remuneration: disallow the excess
BIM37745 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: remuneration, etc: premium to secure directors’ pension
BIM37750 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: whose trade purpose?
BIM37753 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: temporary loans made by brewer
BIM37755 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: advances to secure supply of raw material
BIM37760 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: advance to secure a 10-year supply of raw material
BIM37765 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: architect buying shares in client companies
BIM37770 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: loans by a firm of solicitors
BIM37775 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: solicitor guaranteeing client's borrowing
BIM37780 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: payment under guarantee given to exhibition
BIM37785 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: by film writer to company to produce a film
BIM37790 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: to allow subsidiaries to meet their obligations
BIM37795 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: to secure sale of subsidiary?
BIM37797 Duality of, or non-trade, purpose: loans/advances to others: or own trade or for subsidiary's?
BIM37800 Expense of earning or application of profits?
BIM37810 Expense of earning or application of profits?: defalcations by controlling director
BIM37820 Expense of earning or application of profits?: rent subject to abatement of profits
BIM37830 Expense of earning or application of profits?: technical assistance in return for a share of profits
BIM37840 Expense of earning or application of profits?: legal costs in connection with an appeal
BIM37850 Expense of earning or application of profits?: accountancy fees in connection with an appeal
BIM37860 Expense of earning or application of profits?: ‘compensation for loss of office’ on share sale
BIM37900 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose
BIM37910 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: clothing
BIM37920 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: food and drink
BIM37925 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: food and drink consumed at solicitors' annual conference and other matters
BIM37928 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: living accommodation
BIM37930 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: domestic accommodation
BIM37935 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: travel between home and work
BIM37940 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: health
BIM37945 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: surgery
BIM37950 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: cost of restoring health and fitness
BIM37955 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: avoiding a conviction
BIM37960 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: fines, penalties and damages
BIM37965 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: costs of defending against a charge of gross misconduct
BIM37970 Expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: natural love and affection
BIM38100 Partnerships
BIM38110 Partnerships: paying a partner a commercial rate for goods or services
BIM38120 Partnerships: meeting a partner's personal expenditure
BIM38200 Companies
BIM38210 Companies: establishing a company's purpose
BIM38220 Companies: cancellation of trade agreement
BIM38230 Companies: group service company
BIM38240 Companies: flotation costs
BIM38250 Companies: helping a subsidiary
BIM38260 Companies: take-over bids: introduction
BIM38265 Companies: take-over bids: general approach
BIM38270 Companies: take-over bids: nature of company incurring expenditure
BIM38275 Companies: take-over bids: trading companies
BIM38280 Companies: take-over bids: evidence
BIM38285 Companies: take-over bids: group situations
BIM38290 Companies: take-over bids: expenses recharged to trading subsidiaries
BIM38295 Companies: take-over bids: other grounds for disallowance
BIM38297 Companies: take-over bids: investment companies
BIM38300 Commencement, cessation or sale of business
BIM38310 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: costs of going out of business
BIM38315 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: severance payments
BIM38320 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: payment to effect orderly shut-down of trade
BIM38330 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: cost of meeting former owner's obligations
BIM38340 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: compensation for loss of office at time of share sale
BIM38350 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: compensation for cancellation of service agreements linked to share sale
BIM38360 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: compensation for loss of office at time of takeover
BIM38370 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: cost of hiring and firing employees
BIM38380 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: compensation to directors following dispute
BIM38385 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: redundancy payments on takeover
BIM38390 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: payment in lieu of notice
BIM38395 Commencement, cessation or sale of business: liability for future leaving payments to employees
BIM38400 Artificial prices
BIM38500 Fines, penalties and damages
BIM38510 Fines, penalties and damages: compensation for injury to customer
BIM38515 Fines, penalties and damages: penalties for infractions of the law are not allowable
BIM38520 Fines, penalties and damages: penalty for breach of wartime regulations
BIM38525 Fines, penalties and damages: costs incurred in compromising an action for breach of the law
BIM38530 Fines, penalties and damages: cost of libel action
BIM38535 Fines, penalties and damages: payment to get director to withdraw legal action
BIM38540 Fines, penalties and damages: cost of settling civil action, trade purpose?
BIM38545 Fines, penalties and damages: cost of defending charge of breach of contract
BIM38550 Fines, penalties and damages: compromise settlement of action by former director
BIM38555 Fines, penalties and damages: provision for compensation where liability not formally admitted
BIM38560 Fines, penalties and damages: application of hindsight
BIM38600 Tax cases referred to in the guidance