Note 9 – Taxation

 
 
2005
£m
2004
£m
2003
£m
United Kingdom    
Corporation tax at 30%123 19312
Adjustment in respect of prior years (i)(19) (35)
Deferred tax4 (15)107
 108 143119
Overseas    
Corporate tax33 1627
Adjustment in respect of prior years(21)
Deferred tax123 9994
 135 115121
 243 258240
Joint ventures2 35
Taxation245 261245
Comprising:    
Taxation - excluding exceptional items324 350373
Taxation - exceptional items (note 4(d))(79) (89)(128)
 245 261245
(i) The UK corporation tax adjustment in respect of prior years includes £10m (2004: £29m; 2003: £nil) that relates to exceptional items.

A reconciliation of the UK corporation tax rate to the effective tax rate of the Group is as follows:

  % of profit before taxation
 
 
2005
 
2004
(restated)
2003
(restated)
UK corporation tax rate30.030.030.0
Effect on tax charge of:   
- Origination and reversal of timing differences(11.2)(9.6)(12.7)
- Permanent differences(3.9)(7.0)3.1
- Overseas income taxed at other than UK statutory rate3.3(2.5)
- Other(0.1)(0.1)0.3
Current tax charge14.816.618.2
Deferred taxation10.09.012.7
Effective tax rate before goodwill amortisation, prior year adjustments in respect of
 current tax and exceptional items
24.825.630.9
Effect of goodwill amortisation2.02.02.8
Effective tax rate before prior year adjustments in respect of current tax and  exceptional items26.827.633.7
Current tax adjustment in respect of prior years(2.3)(0.5)
Effective tax rate after adjustments in respect of prior years and before
 exceptional items
24.527.133.7
Exceptional items(3.2)(7.5)5.3
Effective tax rate after exceptional items21.319.639.0
Factors that may affect future tax charges

The Group has brought forward non-trading debits of £39m (2004: £75m; 2003: £75m), which may reduce taxable profits in future years.

No provision has been made for deferred tax arising on gains recognised in respect of the sale of properties where potentially taxable gains have been rolled over into replacement assets. Such tax would become payable only if the replacement assets were sold without it being possible to claim roll-over relief. The total amount unprovided for at 31 March 2005 was £73m (2004: £58m; 2003: £58m). At present, it is not envisaged that any tax on amounts rolled over will become payable in the foreseeable future.

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