This guidance note examines in detail the relief available to groups for carried-forward losses. The scope excludes the treatment of specialist businesses such as banks, insurance companies and oil and gas companies.

From 1 April 2017, companies can surrender certain types of carried-forward losses to another company in the same group relief group. The rules are subject to several conditions and numerous anti-avoidance provisions, which are discussed below.

Prior to 1 April 2017, it was not possible to surrender brought forward losses of any description against profits of any other companies within the group relief group. This meant that certain types of losses could be ‘trapped’ within individual legal entities with little or no prospect of relief, particularly in cases where the company was not expected to make profits in the future against which the losses could be relieved.