CG64125 - Entrepreneurs’ Relief: calculation of the relief - general

TCGA92/S169N

Where a claim for Entrepreneurs’ Relief has been made, the aggregate figure of “relevant losses” in respect of the qualifying business disposal is deducted from the aggregate figure of “relevant gains” in respect of that disposal – TCGA92S169N(1).

The aggregate “relevant losses” and aggregate “relevant gains” in respect of the qualifying business disposal are explained below.

If the aggregate losses exceed the aggregate gains, Entrepreneurs’ Relief cannot be claimed (TCGA92/S169M (4) - see CG63970).

If however, upon a claim being made for Entrepreneurs’ Relief, the aggregate gains exceed the aggregate losses the resulting net gain is reduced by 4/9ths. The reduced figure is then the “chargeable gain” which is potentially chargeable at the single (18% for 2008-9) rate of CGT – TCGA92/S169N (4).

Other allowable losses can be deducted from this TCGA92/S169N (4) chargeable gain, and the Annual Exempt Amount can be set against it.


Over-riding Limit

Chargeable Gain

“Relevant gains”

“Relevant losses”

Relevant business assets

“Earlier relevant qualifying business disposals”

Same day disposals

Example

Over-riding Limit

The maximum gains which may benefit from Entrepreneurs’ Relief is subject to a lifetime limit for all qualifying disposals of £1 million of net gains (the aggregate “relevant gains” and aggregate “relevant losses”. in respect of qualifying business disposals) to which the 4/9ths reduction can be applied.

That amount of net gains plus the total amounts of net gains to which the Entrepreneurs’ Relief 4/9th reduction has been applied in relation to any “earlier relevant qualifying business disposals” may not exceed £1 million – TCGA92/S169N(3).

A person may be entitled to Entrepreneurs’ Relief on more than one occasion. For example an individual may dispose of a second business, or his or her shares in several instalments, or they may sell part of their business at one time and then sell the rest of it later. Each disposal may meet the qualifying conditions for relief but as only a lifetime limit of £1,000,000 gains is available for relief it is necessary to take into account earlier qualifying gains which have been the subject of a reduction.

Chargeable Gain

The net figure after Entrepreneurs’ Relief (that is, the aggregate “relevant gains” and aggregate “relevant losses” in respect of the qualifying business disposal in question, less the 4/9ths reduction) is treated as a chargeable gain arising to the claimant at the time of the qualifying business disposal, and the various gains and losses aggregated are then not brought into account separately for CGT purposes – TCGA92/S169N(4) & (9).

“Relevant gains”

These are gains on the disposals that comprise the qualifying business disposal, but do not include gains on disposals of assets that are not “relevant business assets” (see below). The “relevant gains” are computed in accordance with the normal rules for chargeable gains and determined by TCGA – TCGA92/S169N(5).

“Relevant losses”

These are similar to “relevant gains”, being losses on the disposals that comprise the qualifying business disposal, but do not include losses on disposals of assets that are not “relevant business assets” (see below). Again these losses are computed in accordance with the normal rules for allowable losses – TCGA92/S169N(6). In making a claim for Entrepreneurs’ Relief, which may include “relevant losses” on qualifying business disposals it is assumed that the necessary notice under TCGA92/S16(2A) has been given to make those losses ‘allowable losses’.

The aggregate “relevant gains” and aggregate “relevant losses” are simply the sums of the various gains and losses in respect of a qualifying business disposal.

Relevant business assets

‘Relevant business asset’ is defined at TCGA92/S169L as an asset, or an interest in an asset, used for the purposes of a business but excludes shares and securities and assets which are held as investments – see CG64005.

“Earlier relevant qualifying business disposals”

“Earlier relevant qualifying business disposals” as referred to above – TCGA92/S169N(3) are:


  • where the qualifying business disposal to which the current claim relates is made by an individual, earlier qualifying disposals made by that individual (see CG63975) or earlier disposals of trust business assets where that individual was the qualifying beneficiary (see CG63985).
  • where the qualifying business disposal to which the current claim relates is a disposal of trust business assets, earlier qualifying business disposals made by the relevant qualifying beneficiary (see CG63985) and earlier disposals of trust business assets by trustees which qualified for relief by reference to that individual being the qualifying beneficiary (whether they are the trustees of the same settlement or a different one).
You should note that the combined effect of these rules is that where there is adisposal of trust business assets, the gains in respect of which Entrepreneurs’ Reliefis claimed forms part of the relevant qualifying beneficiary’s lifetime limit of gains of£1 million that can qualify for the relief

– TCGA92/S169N(3) & (7).

Same day disposals

Where on the same day a disposal is made of:


  • trust business assets, and
  • by the individual who is the qualifying beneficiary, a disposal of qualifying disposal of business assets

then in applying the lifetime limit of £1 million to the gains on these transactions, the disposal by the individual who is the qualifying beneficiary is treated as having taken place before the disposal of trust business assets – TCGA92/S169N(8).

The effect of this is that if the qualifying beneficiary’s limit of £1 million (after taking account of any earlier relevant qualifying business disposals) is not sufficient for Entrepreneurs’ Relief to be available on the whole of the gains on the disposals taking place on the same day, the relief that is available goes first to the qualifying beneficiary, with only any balance remaining being available to the trustees.

Example

T is a beneficiary of a settlement and carries on a trade of farming for a period of 4 years until he disposes of his business in 2010 (at a gain of £900,000) and claims Entrepreneurs’ Relief. Part of the land T farms belongs to a settlement of which he is tenant for life (this being the sole interest in possession). When T disposes of his farming business, the trustees also sell the land giving rise to a gain of £200,000. The beneficiary and trustees jointly claim, see CG63970, for Entrepreneurs’ Relief in respect of the trustees’ gain.

Assuming there have been no earlier disposals by either the qualifying beneficiary or the trustees which qualified for Entrepreneurs’ Relief the amount of relief available is –


MaximumGain eligible forChargeable
lifetimeEntrepreneurs’gain
limitRelief
Qualifying disposal by
beneficiary as individual£900,000£1,000,000£900,000
(This is the relief due
on T’s personal gain)
     
4/9th Reduction£400,000
     
Chargeable gain on T’s
personal gain£500,000
     
Unused relief £100,000
     
Qualifying disposal by
trustees£200,000 £100,000£100,000
(This is the relief due
on the trustees’ gain)
     
4/9th Reduction£44,445£55,555
     
Total chargeable gains
therefore£655,555