Finance (No. 2) Act 2023

Dealing with transparency and entities subject to qualifying dividend regime U.K.

167 Underlying profits of hybrids U.K.

(1) This section applies where a member of a multinational group (“M”)—

(a) is not regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which it is located, and

(b) is regarded as tax transparent in a territory in which a member of the group with an ownership interest in it (“G”) is located.

(2) Where—

(a) the adjusted profits of G reflect profits of M, and

(b) the basis for the profits of M being so reflected is that M (along with any other entities through which G holds that interest) is regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which G is located,

such profits as are reflected on that basis are to be allocated to M (and included in the adjusted profits of M to the extent not already included) and excluded from the adjusted profits of G.

168 Underlying profits of transparent and reverse hybrid entities U.K.

(1) This section applies where a member of a multinational group (“M”) is a flow-through entity.

(2) An entity is a flow-through entity if—

(a) it is regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which it is created, and

(b) it is not subject to a covered tax on its profits in another territory.

(3) A proportion of the underlying profits of M is to be allocated to each entity (“O”) with an ownership interest in M in relation to which condition A or B is met.

(4) The proportion to be allocated to O is equal to the proportional ownership interest O has in M in relation to which condition A or B is met (subject to subsection (7)).

(5) Condition A is that—

(a) O is not regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which O is located,

(b) M is regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which O is located, and

(c) if O’s ownership interest in M is an indirect ownership interest in M—

(i) each entity through which O holds that interest is regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which O is located, and

(ii) this condition is not met in relation to any other entity through which O’s indirect ownership interest in M is held.

(6) Condition B is that—

(a) O is a reverse hybrid entity,

(b) M is regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which O is located, and

(c) if O’s ownership interest in M is an indirect ownership interest—

(i) each entity through which it is held is regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which O is located, and

(ii) neither condition A nor this condition is met in relation to any other entity through which O’s indirect ownership interest in M is held.

(7) Where—

(a) underlying profits of M are allocated to an entity (“H”) as a result of it meeting condition B, and

(b) underlying profits of M are allocated to an entity (“J”) as a result of it meeting condition A in relation to an ownership interest it holds through H,

the underlying profits to be allocated to H are to be reduced by the profits allocated to J.

(8) Where underlying profits of M are allocated to a member of the group of which M is a member, those profits are to be included in the member’s adjusted profits and excluded from the adjusted profits of M.

(9) Where underlying profits of M are allocated to an entity which is not a member of the group of which M is a member, those profits are to be excluded from the adjusted profits of M.

(10) Any amount of M’s underlying profits not allocated to an entity in accordance with this section is to be included in the adjusted profits of M.

(11) For the purposes of this section, an entity (“R”) is a “reverse hybrid entity” if R is regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which it is located and there is a territory—

(a) in which an entity with a direct ownership interest in R is located, and R is regarded in that territory as not being tax transparent, or

(b) in which an entity with an indirect ownership interest in R is located, and—

(i) R is regarded in that territory as not being tax transparent, and

(ii) each entity through which that ownership interest is held is regarded in that territory as tax transparent.

169 Certain non tax resident entities to be treated as flow-through entities U.K.

(1) This section applies to a member of a multinational group that—

(a) is not tax resident in any territory,

(b) is not subject to covered taxes,

(c) does not have a place of business in the territory where it is created, and

(d) is not regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which it is created.

(2) A member of a multinational group to which this section applies is to be treated as being regarded as tax transparent in the territory it is created to the extent that—

(a) it is tax transparent in the territory in which its owners are located, and

(b) its income, expenditure, profits and losses are not attributable to a permanent establishment.

(3) Accordingly, such a member is to be treated as a flow-through entity.

170 Adjustments for ultimate parent that is a flow-through entity U.K.

(1) Where—

(a) the ultimate parent of a multinational group is a flow-through entity, and

(b) on determining its adjusted profits for an accounting period (ignoring this section), it has made a profit for that period,

those profits are to be further adjusted so as to exclude any amount of its profits that is qualifying.

(2) An amount of profits is qualifying if—

(a) it represents an amount of the ultimate parent’s profits to which the holder of an ownership interest (direct or indirect) in the ultimate parent is entitled as a result of that interest, and

(b) condition A, B or C is met.

(3) Condition A is that the holder of the ownership interest is subject to tax on the amount for a taxable period that ends within 12 months of the accounting period of the group and—

(a) the holder is subject to tax on the full amount of the ultimate parent’s profits to which it is entitled at a nominal rate equal to, or in excess of, 15%, or

(b) it is reasonable to expect that the sum of—

(i) the covered taxes payable by the ultimate parent in respect of the amount of the ultimate parent’s profits to which the holder is entitled, and

(ii) taxes payable by the holder of the ownership interest in respect of the amount of the ultimate parent’s profits to which the holder is entitled,

is equal to, or more than, 15% of the amount of the profits of the ultimate parent to which the holder of the interest is entitled.

(4) Condition B is that the holder of the ownership interest is an individual that—

(a) is tax resident in the territory of the ultimate parent, and

(b) does not hold ownership interests that together entitle the person to more than 5% of the profits and assets of the ultimate parent.

(5) Condition C is that the holder of the ownership interest is a governmental entity, an international organisation, a non-profit organisation or a pension fund that—

(a) is located in the territory of the ultimate parent, and

(b) does not hold ownership interests that together entitle that entity to more than 5% of the profits and assets of the ultimate parent.

(6) Where the adjusted profits of the ultimate parent of a multinational group for an accounting period are reduced as a result of subsection (1), its covered tax balance (see section 174) is—

(a) in the case of a positive covered tax balance, to be reduced by the same proportion that the underlying profits were reduced, or

(b) in the case of a negative covered tax balance, to be increased by that same proportion.

(7) Where—

(a) the ultimate parent of a multinational group is a flow-through entity,

(b) on determining its adjusted profits for an accounting period (ignoring this section), it has made a loss for that period,

those profits are to be further adjusted so as to exclude any disqualified amount of that loss.

(8) An amount of that loss is disqualified if the holder of an ownership interest in the ultimate parent is allowed to use that amount in computing the holder’s taxable income.

(9) This section applies to a member of a multinational group as it applies to the ultimate parent if the member is—

(a) a permanent establishment through which the ultimate parent wholly or partly carries out its business, if the ultimate parent is a flow-through entity, or

(b) a permanent establishment through which the business of a flow-through entity is carried out, if the ultimate parent’s interest in that entity is held directly or through one or more entities all of which are regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which the ultimate parent is located.

171 Ultimate parent subject to qualifying dividend regime U.K.

(1) Where—

(a) the ultimate parent of a multinational group that is subject to a qualifying dividend regime distributes a qualifying dividend within 12 months of the end of its accounting period, and

(b) on determination of its adjusted profits for the period, it has made a profit,

its adjusted profits for that period are to be reduced (but not below nil) by the amount of that dividend if any one of conditions A to C is met.

(2) Condition A is that the qualifying dividend is subject to tax in the hands of the dividend recipient for a taxable period that ends within 12 months of the end of the ultimate parent’s accounting period and—

(a) its recipient is subject to tax on the full amount of the dividend at a nominal rate equal to, or in excess of, 15%,

(b) it is reasonable to expect that the sum of the adjusted covered taxes payable by the ultimate parent in respect of the profits represented by the dividend and taxes payable by the dividend recipient in respect of the dividend income is at least the amount given by multiplying the amount of that income by 15%, or

(c) the ultimate parent is a supply cooperative and the recipient is an individual.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2) patronage dividends made by a supply cooperative are subject to tax to the extent they reduce an expense or cost that is deductible in the computation of the recipient’s taxable income.

(4) Condition B is that the recipient of the qualifying dividend is an individual that—

(a) is tax resident in the territory of the ultimate parent, and

(b) does not hold ownership interests in the ultimate parent held directly, or through entities that are regarded as tax transparent in the territory in which the individual is tax resident, that together entitle the individual to more than 5% of the profits and assets of the ultimate parent.

(5) Condition C is that the recipient of the qualifying dividend is located in the territory of the ultimate parent and is—

(a) a governmental entity,

(b) an international organisation,

(c) a non-profit organisation, or

(d) a pension fund that is not a pension services entity.

(6) Where the underlying profits of the ultimate parent of a multinational group for an accounting period are reduced as a result of subsection (1)—

(a) its covered tax balance, excluding any tax in respect of which a deduction for the dividend was allowed, is—

(i) in the case of a positive covered tax balance, to be reduced by the same proportion that underlying profits were reduced, or

(ii) in the case of a negative covered tax balance, to be increased by that same proportion, and

(b) its adjusted profits are to be further reduced by an amount equal to the amount by which its covered tax balance was adjusted under paragraph (a).

(7) References in this section to “the recipient” of a qualifying dividend means—

(a) the direct recipient of the qualifying dividend, or

(b) an entity or individual with ownership interests in the direct recipient if—

(i) in the case of an entity, it is located in a territory in which the direct recipient, and every entity through which that ownership interest is held, is regarded as tax transparent, or

(ii) in the case of an individual, they are tax resident in a territory in which the direct recipient, and every entity through which that ownership interest is held, is regarded as tax transparent.

(8) Where there is more than one recipient of a dividend as a result of paragraph (b) of subsection (7)—

(a) this section is to be applied separately in relation to each recipient,

(b) where a recipient falls within that paragraph, references to the dividend is to so much of the dividend to which that recipient is entitled to as a result of its ownership interests in the direct recipient.

But a reduction of adjusted profits may not be made more than once in respect of a dividend or a part of it (where more than one individual or entity can be regarded as a recipient of the whole dividend or a part of it).

(9) For the purposes of this section and section 172—

• “qualifying dividend regime” means a tax regime designed to result in a single level of taxation on the owners of an entity through—

  (a)

  a deduction from the income of the entity for distributions of profits to the owners,

  (b)

  a regime where certain of the profits (“the relevant profits”) of a UK REIT or overseas REIT equivalent are not taxed provided a sufficient proportion of the relevant profits is distributed, or

  (c)

  a regime applicable to a supply cooperative that exempts the cooperative from taxation on profits in connection with its distribution of patronage dividends;

• “qualifying dividend” means—

  (a)

  in the case of a qualifying dividend regime falling within paragraph (a) of the definition of qualifying dividend regime, a dividend or other distribution made to an owner of the entity,

  (b)

  in the case of a qualifying dividend regime falling within paragraph (b) of the definition of qualifying dividend regime, a dividend or other distribution which would count towards satisfying the condition that a sufficient proportion of the relevant profits of the UK REIT or overseas REIT equivalent have been distributed (assuming that condition had not already been met), or

  (c)

  in the case of a qualifying dividend regime falling within paragraph (c) of the definition of qualifying dividend regime, a patronage dividend;

• “supply cooperative” means a cooperative that acquires goods or services and sells them to its members or patrons;

• “cooperative” means an entity that collectively markets or acquires goods or services on behalf of its members and that is subject to a tax regime in the territory in which it is located that is designed to ensure tax neutrality in respect of—

  (a)

  property or services of the members sold through the cooperative, or

  (b)

  property or services acquired by members through the cooperative;

• “patronage dividend” means a distribution by a cooperative to its members.

172 Application of section 171 to members in the same territory as the ultimate parent U.K.

(1) Subsection (2) applies to a distribution of a qualifying dividend by a member of a multinational group where conditions X and Y are met.

(2) Where this subsection applies, subsections (1) and (6) of section 171 apply to the distribution made by the member as it applies to a distribution by the ultimate parent in relation to which one of conditions A to C in that section apply.

(3) Condition X is that the member—

(a) is located in the same territory as the ultimate parent,

(b) the member and the ultimate parent are subject to the same qualifying dividend regime,

(c) all of the ultimate parent’s ownership interests in the member are—

(i) direct, or

(ii) held solely through other members of the group who are located in that territory and subject to the regime.

(4) Condition Y is that—

(a) the distribution of the qualifying dividend is made—

(i) to the ultimate parent, or

(ii) to one of the members referred to in subsection (3)(c)(ii),

(b) in the case of a distribution made to the ultimate parent, the whole of the qualifying dividend is distributed by the ultimate parent and one of the conditions A to C in section 171 applies to each of the distributions made from the qualifying dividend, and

(c) in the case of a distribution made to one of the members referred to in subsection (3)(c)(ii)—

(i) the whole of the dividend is distributed to the ultimate parent, or to one of the members referred to in that subsection provided the whole amount is eventually distributed to the ultimate parent via one or more further distributions to members referred to in that subsection, and

(ii) the ultimate parent distributes the whole of the dividend and one of conditions A to C in section 171 applies to each of the distributions made from the qualifying dividend.

(5) For the purposes of this section, it is to be assumed that —

(a) where the ultimate parent, or a member referred to in subsection (3)(c)(ii), has received the whole of the qualifying dividend, but has also received other distributions or has other income, any subsequent distribution by the ultimate parent or member is funded first by the qualifying dividend and then by any other amounts, and

(b) where the ultimate parent receives amounts from members referred to in subsection (3)(c)(ii), those amounts fund distributions that meet one of conditions A to C in section 171 before distributions that do not.