CA23780 - PMA: Long life assets: Industry wide agreements

You should be prepared to enter into industry wide agreements about which assets are or are not long-life. For industries largely dealt with in the Large Business Service or Energy Group (Oil Taxation Office), the agreement should be handled there with one office taking the lead where the industry is dealt with in different offices. In any other case, a request from the industry for an agreement should be sent to CT&VAT (Technical). Copies of all agreements made should be sent to CT&VAT (Technical).

The approach for the agreement should come from the bodies representing the industrial sector. Where there is more than one representative body for the sector, it should be made jointly by all the bodies. The body or bodies should put forward only proposals agreed by them as setting out the generally accepted views of businesses in that sector on which assets are or are not long-life.

Any claim based on an industry wide agreement that an asset is, or is not, long-life should be accepted. But the agreement cannot bind taxpayers. Any claim that an asset should be treated otherwise than in accordance with the agreement should be dealt with on its own merits.