Structures and buildings allowance

Produced by Tolley
  • (Updated for Budget 2020)
Structures and buildings allowance

The following Owner-Managed Businesses guidance note Produced by Tolley provides comprehensive and up to date tax information covering:

  • Structures and buildings allowance
  • What is structures and buildings allowance (SBA)?
  • What expenditure qualifies for SBA?
  • SBA’s on the acquisition of building
  • Renovations, conversions and repairs
  • Plant and machinery and SBA
  • Who can claim SBA?
  • SBA ― qualifying activity
  • SBA and meaning of residential use
  • Amount of SBA
    • More...

What is structures and buildings allowance (SBA)?

From 29 October 2018, expenditure on constructing a non-residential building or structure, or in certain cases, expenditure on acquiring such a building or structure, qualifies for an SBA. The following note has been updated for the changes announced in the Spring Budget 2020 but is subject to confirmation in the final legislation.

SBA is given at an annual rate of 3% (from 1 April 2020 for corporation tax and 6 April 2020 for income tax, prior to April 2020 the rate was 2%), of the qualifying expenditure on a straight-line basis over 33 and 1/3 years, as a deduction in calculating the taxable profits of a trade or other qualifying activity.

The 3% rate can be claimed on all expenditure, even where the building or structure was bought into use before April 2020. Where a chargeable period spans 1 April 2020 (corporation tax) or 6 April 2020 (income tax) the rate of 2% will apply for days before the relevant date and 3% for the days after that date. Any shortfall in allowances due to a business claiming 2% prior to April 2020 can be claimed in the last chargeable period in which an allowance is available, ie when the period of 33 and 1/3 years ends, but only if the business which held the building on 1 April 2020 (corporation tax) or 6 April 2020 (income tax) still holds the same interest in the building at the end of the 33 and 1/3 years.

Unlike other capital allowances, there is no system of balancing charges or balancing allowances on a subsequent disposal of the building or structure; instead, adjustments may be made to the capital gains computation on the disposal, then the purchaser can continue to claim the annual allowance of the original cost for the rest of the eligible period.

As with other capital allowances, the SBA must normally be claimed in the tax return. A claim to

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