Section 310 — Companies Act 1993: Mutual credit and set-off

310 Mutual credit and set-off (1) Where there have been mutual credits, mutual debts, or other mutual dealings between a company and a person who seeks or, but for the operation of this section, would seek to have a claim admitted in the liquidation of the company,— (a) An account must be taken of what is due from the one party to the other in respect of those credits, debts, or dealings; and (b) An amount due from one party must be set off against an amount due from the other party; and (c) Only the balance of the account may be claimed in the liquidation, or is payable to the company, as the case may be. (2) A person, other than a related person, is not entitled under this section to claim the benefit of a set-off arising from— (a) A transaction made within the specified period, being a transaction by which the person gave credit to the company or the company gave credit to the person; or (b) The assignment within the specified period to that person of a debt owed by the company to another person— unless the person proves that, at the time of the transaction or assignment, the person did not have reason to suspect that the company was unable to pay its debts as they became due. (3) A related person is not entitled under this section to claim the benefit of a set-off arising from— (a) A transaction made within the restricted period, being a transaction by which the related person gave credit to the company or the company gave credit to the related person; or (b) The assignment within the restricted period to that person of a debt owed by the company to another person— unless the related person proves that, at the time of the transaction or assignment, the related person did not have reason to suspect that the company was unable to pay its debts as they became due. (4) This section does not apply to an amount paid or payable by a shareholder— (a) As the consideration, or part of the consideration, for the issue of a share; or (b) In satisfaction of a call in respect of an outstanding liability of the shareholder made by the board of directors or by the liquidator. (5) In this section, related person means a related company and includes a director of the company in liquidation. (6) For the purposes of subsection (2) of this section, specified period means— (a) The period of 6 months before the date of commencement of the liquidation together with the period commencing on that date and ending at the time at which the liquidator is appointed; and (b) In the case of a company that was put into liquidation by the Court, the period of 6 months before the making of the application to the Court together with the period commencing on the date of the making of that application and ending on the date on which, and at the time at which, the order of the Court was made; and (c) If— (i) An application was made to the Court to put a company into liquidation; and (ii) After the making of the application to the Court a liquidator was appointed under paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of section 241(2) ,— the period of 6 months before the making of the application to the Court together with the period commencing on the date of the making of that application and ending on the date and at the time of the commencement of the liquidation. (7) For the purposes of subsection (3) of this section, restricted period means— (a) The period of 2 years before the date of commencement of the liquidation together with the period commencing on that date and ending at the time at which the liquidator is appointed; and (b) In the case of a company that was put into liquidation by the Court, the period of 2 years before the making of the application to the Court together with the period commencing on the date of the making of that application and ending on the date on which, and at the time at which, the order of the Court was made; and (c) If— (i) An application was made to the Court to put a company into liquidation; and (ii) After the making of the application to the Court a liquidator was appointed under paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of section 241(2),— the period of 2 years before the making of the application to the Court together with the period commencing on the date of the making of that application and ending on the date and at the time of the commencement of the liquidation. Subsection (6)(a) was substituted, as from 26 April 1999, by section 14(1) Companies Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 19). Subsection (6)(b) was amended, as from 3 June 1998, by section 16(1) Companies Amendment Act 1998 (1998 No 31) by inserting the word “ ; and ” . Subsection (6)(b) was further amended, as from 26 April 1999, by section 14(2)(a) Companies Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 19) by inserting the words “ , and at the time at which, ” . Subsection (6)(c) was inserted, as from 3 June 1998, by section 16(1) Companies Amendment Act 1998 (1998 No 31). Subsection (6)(c) was amended, as from 26 April 1999, by section 14(2)(b) Companies Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 19) by inserting the words “ and at the time ” . Subsection (7)(a) was substituted, as from 26 April 1999, by section 14(3) Companies Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 19). Subsection (7)(b) was amended, as from 3 June 1998, by section 16(2) Companies Amendment Act 1998 (1998 No 31) by inserting the word “ ; and ” . Subsection (7)(b) was further amended, as from 26 April 1999, by section 14(4)(a) Companies Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 19) by inserting the words “ , and at the time at which, ” . Subsection (7)(c) was inserted, as from 3 June 1998, by section 16(2) Companies Amendment Act 1998 (1998 No 31). Subsection (7)(c) was amended, as from 26 April 1999, by section 14(4)(b) Companies Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 19) by inserting the words “ and at the time ” .