Finance Act 2003

Acquisition relief

8 (1) Where—

(a) a company (“the acquiring company”) acquires the whole or part of the undertaking of another company (“the target company”), and

(b) the first and second conditions specified below are met,

the rate of tax chargeable on a land transaction entered into for the purposes of or in connection with the transfer of the undertaking or part is limited to 0.5%.

Relief under this paragraph is referred to in this Part as “acquisition relief”.

(2) The first condition is that the consideration for the acquisition consists wholly or partly of the issue of non-redeemable shares in the acquiring company to—

(a) the target company, or

(b) all or any of the target company’s shareholders.

• “Non-redeemable shares” means shares that are not redeemable shares.

(3) Where the consideration for the acquisition consists partly of the issue of non-redeemable shares as mentioned in the first condition, that condition is met only if the rest of the consideration consists wholly of—

(a) cash not exceeding 10% of the nominal value of the non-redeemable shares so issued, or

(b) the assumption or discharge by the acquiring company of liabilities of the target company, or

(c) both of those things.

(4) The second condition is that the acquiring company is not associated with another company that is a party to arrangements with the target company relating to shares of the acquiring company issued in connection with the transfer of the undertaking or part.

(5) For this purpose—

(a) companies are associated if one has control of the other or both are controlled by the same person or persons, and

(b) “arrangements” includes any scheme, agreement or understanding, whether or not legally enforceable.

The reference in paragraph (a) to control shall be construed in accordance with section 416 of the Taxes Act 1988.

(6) This paragraph is subject to paragraph 9 (withdrawal of reconstruction or acquisition relief).