HC Deb 21 January 2004 vol 416 c1264W
Mr. Tynan

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what types of expenses accrued by a company campaigning against a trade union recognition ballot would be(a) tax deductible and (b) able to be offset against other tax liabilities; what the total amount of tax not paid in respect of such expenses has been in each of the last five years; and what plans he has to change the tax rules applying to such expenses. [149577]

Dawn Primarolo

(a) Expenses which are deductible in computing a company's trading profits are those revenue expenses which are incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the company's trade and which are not subject to a specific statutory prohibition. (b) Such expenses cannot be set against other tax liabilities as such, but a trading loss created or augmented by such expenses may be set against other liabilities as permitted by statute.

We have no centrally available information on this matter.

Tax policy is kept under continuous review and any changes are announced by the Chancellor, usually at the time of the Budget.