Costs incurred on the improvement or expansion of the business are often capital in nature and are therefore disallowable (see cases in B2.406, B2.407, B2.409). It is necessary to distinguish between expenditure which enhances, expands or improves (capital) and that which preserves, maintains or repairs the existing fabric of the business (repairs) (see cases in B2.408, B2.443, B2.466), to ascertain whether there are in fact any deductible costs.
In some cases it will be necessary to obtain some statutory authority, consent or power to alter the existing business fabric. In Savill Brothers Ltd1, a brewery made payments for the 'call of licences'. These are payments made to the owners of public houses for the right to call for a surrender of the licences in certain circumstances, before the grant of a new licence for a new house. When the application was successful the brewery added the expense to the cost of the house, but when the application was unsuccessful the brewery charged the cost to the 'licence expenses' of the year. The costs,
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