§ 19D — Writing‑down allowance for IRU

19D.—(1) Subject to this section, where a person carrying on a trade, business or profession has incurred capital expenditure during or after the basis period for the year of assessment 2004 for the acquisition of an indefeasible right to use any international telecommunications submarine cable system (called in this section Indefeasible Right of Use or IRU) for the purposes of that trade, business or profession (called in this section the relevant trade, business or profession), writing‑down allowances computed in accordance with subsection (3) are to be made to the person, on due claim, in respect of that capital expenditure during the writing‑down period.(2) The writing‑down period in respect of an IRU is the number of years for which the IRU is acquired commencing with the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the capital expenditure for the acquisition of the IRU is incurred.

(3) For the purposes of this section, the writing‑down allowances in respect of an IRU are determined by the formula

where A

is the amount of capital expenditure incurred for the acquisition of the IRU; and

B

is the writing‑down period for the IRU.

(4) Despite anything in this section, no writing‑down allowance may be granted to any person under subsection (1) in any year of assessment if the international telecommunications submarine cable system is not in use at the end of the basis period for that year of assessment by that person in the trade, business or profession carried on by the person.

(4A) No writing‑down allowance is to be made under subsection (1) for any capital expenditure incurred after 31 December 2028.[2/2016; 41/2020]

[Act 30 of 2023 wef 30/10/2023]

(5) Any capital expenditure incurred for the acquisition of any IRU by a person before the commencement of the person’s trade, business or profession is treated for the purpose of this section as if it had been incurred by the person on the first day the person commences that trade, business or profession.

(6) Where writing‑down allowances in respect of any IRU have been made to any person under this section and, before or at the end of the writing‑down period for the IRU, any of the following events occurs:(a)

the IRU comes to an end without subsequent renewal by the person;

(b)

the person permanently ceases to carry on the relevant trade, business or profession;

(c)

the person sells, transfers or assigns all the IRU or so much of it as the person still owns;

(d)

the person sells, transfers or assigns part of the IRU and the amount or value of any consideration less any decommissioning cost (called in this section the consideration) for the sale, transfer or assignment is not less than the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU,

no writing‑down allowance in respect of the IRU may be made to the person for the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the event occurs or for any subsequent year of assessment.

(7) Where an IRU remains with any person after the date on which it permanently ceases to be used by the person for the relevant trade, business or profession, the IRU is deemed to have been sold by the person at the open‑market price on the date of permanent cessation of use.

(8) Where writing‑down allowances in respect of any IRU have been made to any person under this section and, before or at the end of the writing‑down period for the IRU, any of the following events occurs:(a)

the IRU comes to an end without subsequent renewal by the person;

(b)

the person permanently ceases to carry on the relevant trade, business or profession;

(c)

the person sells, transfers or assigns all the IRU or so much of it as the person still owns and the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment is less than the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU,

there is to be made to the person for the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the event occurs, a balancing allowance equal to —

(d)

in the case where the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU exceeds the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU, the excess; or

(e)

in any other case, the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU.

(9) Where writing‑down allowances in respect of any IRU have been made to any person under this section and the person sells, transfers or assigns all or any part of the IRU and the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU exceeds the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU (if any) there is to be made on the person, a balancing charge, which is based on an amount equal to —(a)

the excess of the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU over the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU; or

(b)

the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU, where the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU is nil,

and the balancing charge is deemed as income for the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU occurs.

(10) Where writing‑down allowances in respect of any IRU have been made to any person under this section and the person sells, transfers or assigns any part of the IRU, and the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU is less than the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU, the amount of any writing‑down allowances made in respect of the IRU for the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU occurs or any subsequent year of assessment is the amount determined by the formula

where C

is the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed at the time of the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU;

D

is the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of that part of the IRU; and

E

is the number of complete years of the writing‑down period remaining at the beginning of the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU occurs,

and so on for any subsequent sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU.

(11) Despite subsections (9) and (10), the total amount on which a balancing charge is made in respect of any capital expenditure incurred for the acquisition of an IRU must not exceed the total writing‑down allowances actually made for the IRU in respect of that capital expenditure, less, if a balancing charge has previously been made in respect of that capital expenditure, the amount on which that balancing charge was made.

(12) Where the sale, transfer or assignment of all or part of any IRU is made at less than the open‑market price, then for the purpose of determining the amount of any balancing allowance or balancing charge, the event is treated as if it had given rise to sale, transfer or assignment moneys of an amount equal to the open‑market price of the IRU.

(13) Unless otherwise provided in this Act or the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) Act 1967, where, in the basis period for any year of assessment, the relevant trade, business or profession produces income that is exempt from tax as well as income chargeable with tax, the allowances for that year of assessment are to be made against each income in that year of assessment in such proportion as appears reasonable to the Comptroller in the circumstances.

(14) Unless otherwise provided in this Act or the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) Act 1967, where, in the basis period for any year of assessment, the relevant trade, business or profession produces income that is exempt from tax as well as income chargeable with tax, and any balancing allowance or balancing charge arises to be made —(a)

the balancing allowance is to be made against each income for that year of assessment in such proportion as appears reasonable to the Comptroller in the circumstances; and

(b)

such proportion of the balancing charge is exempt from tax as appears reasonable to the Comptroller in the circumstances.

(15) In this section —“capital expenditure” does not include legal fees, registration fees, stamp duty and other costs related to the acquisition of any IRU;

“capital expenditure remaining unallowed”, in relation to any IRU, means the amount of capital expenditure incurred for the acquisition of the IRU less —(a)

any writing‑down allowances made in respect of that capital expenditure for the years of assessment before the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which any event referred to in subsection (6), (8), (9) or (10) occurs; and

(b)

the consideration for any prior sale, transfer or assignment by the person who incurred the capital expenditure of any part of the IRU acquired by the capital expenditure;

“international telecommunications submarine cable system” means an international submarine cable that is laid in the sea and includes its cable landing station and any other equipment ancillary to the submarine cable system;

“open‑market price”, in relation to any IRU, means —(a)

the price which the IRU would have fetched if sold in the open market at the time any event referred to in subsection (6), (8), (9) or (10) occurs; or

(b)

where the Comptroller is satisfied by reason of the special nature of any IRU that it is not practicable to determine the open‑market price, such other value as appears to the Comptroller to be reasonable in the circumstances.

(16) For the purposes of this section, any sale, transfer or assignment of any IRU which occurs after the date on which a relevant trade, business or profession permanently ceases is deemed to have occurred immediately before the cessation.

—(1) Subject to this section, where a person carrying on a trade, business or profession has incurred capital expenditure during or after the basis period for the year of assessment 2004 for the acquisition of an indefeasible right to use any international telecommunications submarine cable system (called in this section Indefeasible Right of Use or IRU) for the purposes of that trade, business or profession (called in this section the relevant trade, business or profession), writing‑down allowances computed in accordance with subsection (3) are to be made to the person, on due claim, in respect of that capital expenditure during the writing‑down period.

(2) The writing‑down period in respect of an IRU is the number of years for which the IRU is acquired commencing with the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the capital expenditure for the acquisition of the IRU is incurred.

(3) For the purposes of this section, the writing‑down allowances in respect of an IRU are determined by the formula

where A

is the amount of capital expenditure incurred for the acquisition of the IRU; and

B

is the writing‑down period for the IRU.

(4) Despite anything in this section, no writing‑down allowance may be granted to any person under subsection (1) in any year of assessment if the international telecommunications submarine cable system is not in use at the end of the basis period for that year of assessment by that person in the trade, business or profession carried on by the person.

(4A) No writing‑down allowance is to be made under subsection (1) for any capital expenditure incurred after 31 December 2028.[2/2016; 41/2020]

[Act 30 of 2023 wef 30/10/2023]

(5) Any capital expenditure incurred for the acquisition of any IRU by a person before the commencement of the person’s trade, business or profession is treated for the purpose of this section as if it had been incurred by the person on the first day the person commences that trade, business or profession.

(6) Where writing‑down allowances in respect of any IRU have been made to any person under this section and, before or at the end of the writing‑down period for the IRU, any of the following events occurs:(a)

the IRU comes to an end without subsequent renewal by the person;

(b)

the person permanently ceases to carry on the relevant trade, business or profession;

(c)

the person sells, transfers or assigns all the IRU or so much of it as the person still owns;

(d)

the person sells, transfers or assigns part of the IRU and the amount or value of any consideration less any decommissioning cost (called in this section the consideration) for the sale, transfer or assignment is not less than the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU,

no writing‑down allowance in respect of the IRU may be made to the person for the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the event occurs or for any subsequent year of assessment.

(7) Where an IRU remains with any person after the date on which it permanently ceases to be used by the person for the relevant trade, business or profession, the IRU is deemed to have been sold by the person at the open‑market price on the date of permanent cessation of use.

(8) Where writing‑down allowances in respect of any IRU have been made to any person under this section and, before or at the end of the writing‑down period for the IRU, any of the following events occurs:(a)

the IRU comes to an end without subsequent renewal by the person;

(b)

the person permanently ceases to carry on the relevant trade, business or profession;

(c)

the person sells, transfers or assigns all the IRU or so much of it as the person still owns and the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment is less than the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU,

there is to be made to the person for the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the event occurs, a balancing allowance equal to —

(d)

in the case where the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU exceeds the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU, the excess; or

(e)

in any other case, the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU.

(9) Where writing‑down allowances in respect of any IRU have been made to any person under this section and the person sells, transfers or assigns all or any part of the IRU and the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU exceeds the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU (if any) there is to be made on the person, a balancing charge, which is based on an amount equal to —(a)

the excess of the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU over the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU; or

(b)

the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU, where the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU is nil,

and the balancing charge is deemed as income for the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU occurs.

(10) Where writing‑down allowances in respect of any IRU have been made to any person under this section and the person sells, transfers or assigns any part of the IRU, and the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU is less than the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed for the IRU, the amount of any writing‑down allowances made in respect of the IRU for the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU occurs or any subsequent year of assessment is the amount determined by the formula

where C

is the amount of capital expenditure remaining unallowed at the time of the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU;

D

is the consideration for the sale, transfer or assignment of that part of the IRU; and

E

is the number of complete years of the writing‑down period remaining at the beginning of the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which the sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU occurs,

and so on for any subsequent sale, transfer or assignment of the IRU.

(11) Despite subsections (9) and (10), the total amount on which a balancing charge is made in respect of any capital expenditure incurred for the acquisition of an IRU must not exceed the total writing‑down allowances actually made for the IRU in respect of that capital expenditure, less, if a balancing charge has previously been made in respect of that capital expenditure, the amount on which that balancing charge was made.

(12) Where the sale, transfer or assignment of all or part of any IRU is made at less than the open‑market price, then for the purpose of determining the amount of any balancing allowance or balancing charge, the event is treated as if it had given rise to sale, transfer or assignment moneys of an amount equal to the open‑market price of the IRU.

(13) Unless otherwise provided in this Act or the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) Act 1967, where, in the basis period for any year of assessment, the relevant trade, business or profession produces income that is exempt from tax as well as income chargeable with tax, the allowances for that year of assessment are to be made against each income in that year of assessment in such proportion as appears reasonable to the Comptroller in the circumstances.

(14) Unless otherwise provided in this Act or the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) Act 1967, where, in the basis period for any year of assessment, the relevant trade, business or profession produces income that is exempt from tax as well as income chargeable with tax, and any balancing allowance or balancing charge arises to be made —(a)

the balancing allowance is to be made against each income for that year of assessment in such proportion as appears reasonable to the Comptroller in the circumstances; and

(b)

such proportion of the balancing charge is exempt from tax as appears reasonable to the Comptroller in the circumstances.

(15) In this section —“capital expenditure” does not include legal fees, registration fees, stamp duty and other costs related to the acquisition of any IRU;

“capital expenditure remaining unallowed”, in relation to any IRU, means the amount of capital expenditure incurred for the acquisition of the IRU less —(a)

any writing‑down allowances made in respect of that capital expenditure for the years of assessment before the year of assessment relating to the basis period in which any event referred to in subsection (6), (8), (9) or (10) occurs; and

(b)

the consideration for any prior sale, transfer or assignment by the person who incurred the capital expenditure of any part of the IRU acquired by the capital expenditure;

“international telecommunications submarine cable system” means an international submarine cable that is laid in the sea and includes its cable landing station and any other equipment ancillary to the submarine cable system;

“open‑market price”, in relation to any IRU, means —(a)

the price which the IRU would have fetched if sold in the open market at the time any event referred to in subsection (6), (8), (9) or (10) occurs; or

(b)

where the Comptroller is satisfied by reason of the special nature of any IRU that it is not practicable to determine the open‑market price, such other value as appears to the Comptroller to be reasonable in the circumstances.

(16) For the purposes of this section, any sale, transfer or assignment of any IRU which occurs after the date on which a relevant trade, business or profession permanently ceases is deemed to have occurred immediately before the cessation.