From 26 February 2026, three locations in the North East of Scotland become designated Investment Zone special tax sites: Aberdeen Energy Transition Zone, Peterhead Port and Peterhead Upperton. HMRC’s published maps confirm the boundaries and activation date, which is when reliefs switch on for eligible spending. (gov.uk)

For companies on the quayside and across the energy supply chain, the tax package is straightforward. Qualifying new plant and machinery used primarily in the tax site can be written off at 100% in year one, while non‑residential structures and buildings can be relieved at 10% a year for 10 years. The guidance is explicit that the 10% rate is higher than the standard 3% SBA available elsewhere. (gov.uk)

There is time discipline built in. HMRC says you can claim enhanced capital allowances and the 10% structures and buildings allowance on qualifying expenditure incurred up to 30 September 2034 for Investment Zone tax sites. That window matters for multi‑year projects common in ports, offshore wind and hydrogen. (gov.uk)

Hiring brings its own lever. Employers based in a special tax site can apply a zero rate of secondary Class 1 National Insurance contributions on eligible new employees’ earnings up to £25,000 a year for 36 months per hire, provided the employee spends at least 60% of their working time in the site. The eligibility window runs to 30 September 2034 for Investment Zones. (gov.uk)

How this lands in boardrooms is best seen through the numbers. Take a £4 million package of integral features for a new cold‑chain warehouse at Peterhead Port - grid upgrades, refrigeration and lighting count as special‑rate assets. In the tax site, a 100% first‑year allowance is available; nationally, full expensing would allow only 50% upfront for special‑rate spend. At a 25% corporation tax rate that’s roughly an extra £500,000 of cash tax saved in year one at the port. (gov.uk)

Buildings tilt the calculus too. A £20 million nacelle‑assembly hall in the Aberdeen Energy Transition Zone could claim a £2 million annual deduction under the 10% SBA; outside a tax site the 3% rate would give £600,000. At a 25% tax rate, the zone delivers an additional c.£350,000 of tax relief in year one, with improved cashflow over the decade. HMRC’s SBA guidance also allows apportionment if part of a structure sits outside the red‑hatched boundary. (gov.uk)

Upperton’s roadside site near the A90 lends itself to modular fabrication or hydrogen kit testing. Here, the five‑year “primary use” rule on plant matters: if assets stop being used primarily in the tax site within that period, the enhanced capital allowance can be clawed back. Project plans should lock operating footprints inside the mapped area for at least five years. (gov.uk)

Reliefs sit within a wider offer. In Scotland, the Investment Zone package includes 100% non‑domestic rates relief on newly occupied premises in tax sites for up to five years and LBTT relief for qualifying commercial acquisitions, alongside the capital allowances and NICs already noted. That combination is designed to compress payback periods for brownfield regeneration around the harbour and at Peterhead. (gov.uk)

The activation date leaves a 20‑day planning window. Finance directors should double‑check that plots, leases and build lines fall inside the HMRC maps, get allowance statements prepared for SBA claims, and coordinate procurement so assets are “primarily for use” in the tax site when expenditure is incurred. HMRC’s map release for Aberdeen ETZ, Peterhead Port and Upperton is the reference document locally. (gov.uk)

Context matters for investors. The North East of Scotland Investment Zone has been profiled by both governments as a 10‑year push to crowd‑in green‑energy and digital investment, with up to £160 million of programme funding alongside the tax reliefs - a signal that port, energy and supply‑chain projects have policy momentum as the zone goes live. (gov.scot)