VAT

Regarding VATA72 s4, 21 AC 2000

VAT Act 1972 Section 4(3)

Regulation 19 of 1979.

Taxpayer company developed a number of apartments and leased them to a hotel operating company for use in its hotel business. The agreements contained two option clauses.

(a) After two years and nine months the tenant could exercise an option to extend the lease for a further twelve months, and

(b) after the expiration of the additional twelve months the lessee could exercise a further option to extend the lease for a period of years which would bring the total letting up to twenty years.

 

The lettings were treated, in accordance with Revenue practice, as being long term and there was a disagreement between the taxpayer and the Revenue as to whether and, if so, how Regulation 19(2)(b) of the Value Added Tax Regulations 1979 applied in relation to valuing the reversionary interests under the leases.

 

Decision

By virtue of Section 4(3) the original leases should be treated as "self-supplies" by the taxpayer. The lessee's option to extend the term did not affect this conclusion.  The standard Revenue practice was not in accordance with the legislation. Accordingly, the difference of opinion between the Taxpayer and the Revenue in relation to the regulations was not a matter on which the Appeal Commissioners needed to express an opinion.

 

 

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