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A private sector operator, whose trade is running a prison, enters into a PFI contract with a public sector purchaser, to provide a specific number of prison places for 30 years. The operator builds a prison on land acquired for the purpose. The trade commences when the prison is completed and ready to receive its first prisoner (see BIM64065). In return the operator receives an annual service payment, the unitary charge, which commences after the trade has started.

Accounting period 1

The prison is completed at the end of the first accounting period.

For tax purposes the design and construction costs are capital expenditure. The prison is a fixed capital asset of the operator’s trade (see BIM64025 onwards). For accounting purposes the example assumes that it is reported as a finance debtor on the operator’s balance sheet, under FRS5 Application Note F, at a figure of £90³¾ representing cost (see BIM64070 onwards).

-	-	Amount	-	-	Amount
Dr	Finance debtor	£90³¾	Cr	Bank	£90³¾

No income is receivable in the first accounting period.

Accounting period 2

In the second accounting period the trade commences and a unitary payment of £15³¾ is receivable.

For tax purposes the £15³¾ is trading income for the provision of services. For accounting purposes, £7³¾ represents a part payment of the finance debtor and £8³¾ represents operating income for the provision of services.

For accounting purposes, a figure representing accrued finance income, i.e. notional interest, on the finance debtor is calculated at £4³¾ and credited to the profit and loss account. The corresponding debit is to the finance debtor.

-	-	Amount	-	-	Amount
Dr	Finance debtor	£4³¾	Cr	P&L account (notional interest)	£4³¾

The part payment of £7³¾ is then credited to the finance debtor and the operating income of £8³¾ is credited to the profit and loss account.

-	-	Amount	-	-	Amount
Dr	Cash	£15³¾	Cr	P&L account (operating income)	£8³¾
-	-	-	Cr	Finance debtor (part payment)	£7³¾

For tax purposes we follow the accounting recognition of income in the profit and loss account, subject to any relevant over-riding statutory or case law principle.

The £8³¾ operating income and the £4³¾ notional interest are the recognition of trading income of the accounting period for tax purposes.

However, £3m of the £7³¾ part payment credited to the finance debtor will never be reflected in a profit and loss account. For tax purposes, the £3m is a trading receipt for the provision of services and it is, therefore, included as an addition in the trading profits computation (see BIM64125).

The proportion of the finance debtor, against which the £3m income is credited, represents capital construction costs. Therefore no matching adjustment is required in the trading profits computation (see BIM64130). Capital allowances can be claimed on qualifying expenditure (see BIM64375).

-	Amount
Trading income computation	-
Income (recognised in P&L)	£12³¾
Plus part payment	£ 3m
Profit (before overheads)	£15³¾