§ Mr. Buchanasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if money donated by firms in relation to the referendum campaign can be written off for tax purposes as being a business expense; and if he will make a statement in the light of information supplied to him by the hon. Member for Renfrewshire, West.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 17th March 1975; Vol 888, c. 322–3], gave the following information:
Expenditure can be written off for tax only if it is incurred wholly and exclusively for business purposes. The treatment of donations, of whatever sort, depends on the facts of each individual case in the light of this general rule.