Finance Act 1986

99 Interpretation U.K.

(1) This section applies for the purposes of this Part of this Act.

[F1 (1A) “Bearer instrument” has the same meaning as in Schedule 15 to the Finance Act 1999.

• An instrument is a “UK bearer instrument” or “non-UK bearer instrument” according to whether it is issued by or on behalf of a UK company or a non-UK company within the meaning of that Schedule.]

(2) “The Board” means the Commissioners of Inland Revenue.

[F2 (3) Subject to the following provisions of this section, “chargeable securities” means —

(a) stocks, shares or loan capital,

(b) interests in, or in dividends or other rights arising out of, stocks, shares or loan capital,

(c) rights to allotments of or to subscribe for, or options to acquire, stocks, shares or loan capital, and

(d) units under a unit trust scheme.

(4) “Chargeable securities” does not include securities falling within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subsection (3) above which are issued or raised by a body corporate not incorporated in the United Kingdom unless —

(a) they are registered in a register kept in the United Kingdom by or on behalf of the body corporate by which they are issued or raised, or

(b) in the case of shares, they are paired with shares issued by a body corporate incorporated in the United Kingdom, or

(c) in the case of securities falling within paragraph (b) or (c) of subsection (3) above, paragraph (a) or (b) above applies to the stocks, shares or loan capital to which they relate.

(5) “Chargeable securities” does not include —

(a) securities [F3 falling within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subsection (3) above] the transfer of which is exempt from all stamp duties, or

(b) securities falling within paragraph (b) or (c) of subsection (3) above which relate to stocks, shares or loan capital the transfer of which is exempt from all stamp duties.

[F4 (5A) “Chargeable securities” does not include a unit under a unit trust scheme if—

(a) all the trustees under the scheme are resident outside the United Kingdom and the unit is not registered in a register kept in the United Kingdom by or on behalf of the trustees under the scheme; or

(b) under the terms of the scheme the trust property can only be invested in exempt investments.

(5B) For the purposes of subsection (5A)(b)—

(a) an investment other than an interest under a collective investment scheme is an exempt investment if, and only if—

(i) it is not an investment on the transfer of whichad valorem stamp duty would be chargeable, and

(ii) it is not a chargeable security;

(b) an interest under a collective investment scheme is an exempt investment if, and only if, the scheme is an authorised unit trust scheme or an open-ended investment company and under the terms of the scheme the property subject to the scheme—

(i) cannot be invested in such a way that income can arise to the trustees or the company that will be chargeable to tax in their hands otherwise than under Case III of Schedule D, and

(ii) can only be invested in exempt investments;

(c) a derivative is an exempt investment if, and only if, it relates wholly to one or more exempt investments; and

(d) funds held for the purposes of the day to day management of the unit trust scheme are not regarded as investments.

[F5 In this subsection “an authorised unit trust scheme”, “collective investment scheme” and “an open-ended investment company” have the same meanings as in Part 17 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.]]

(6) “Chargeable securities” does not include interests in depositary receipts for stocks or shares.

(6A) For the purposes of subsection (4) above, shares issued by a body corporate which is not incorporated in the United Kingdom (“the foreign company”) are paired with shares issued by a body corporate which is so incorporated (“the UK company”) where —

(a) the articles of association of the UK company and the equivalent instruments governing the foreign company each provide that no share in the company to which they relate may be transferred otherwise than as part of a unit comprising one share in that company and one share in the other, and

(b) such units have been offered for sale to the public in the United Kingdom and, at the same time, an equal number of such units have been offered for sale to the public at a broadly equivalent price in the country in which the foreign company is incorporated.]

(7) A depositary receipt for stocks or shares is an instrument acknowledging —

(a) that a person holds stocks or shares or evidence of the right to receive them, and

(b) that another person is entitled to rights, whether expressed as units or otherwise, in or in relation to stocks or shares of the same kind, including the right to receive such stocks or shares (or evidence of the right to receive them) from the person mentioned in paragraph (a) above,

except that a depositary receipt for stocks or shares does not include an instrument acknowledging rights in or in relation to stocks or shares if they are issued or sold under terms providing for payment in instalments and for the issue of the instrument as evidence that an instalment has been paid.

(8) The Treasury may by regulations provide that for subsection (7) above (as it has effect for the time being) there shall be substituted a subsection containing a different definition of a depositary receipt; and the power to make regulations under this subsection shall be exercisable by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of the House of Commons.

(9) “Unit” [F6 (except in subsection (6A) above)] and “unit trust scheme” have the same meanings as in Part VII of the Finance Act 1946 M1 .

(10) In interpreting “chargeable securities” in sections 93, 94 [F7 95,][F8 , 96 [F9 , 97] and 97A][F10 , 97AA] above —

[F11 (a) paragraph (a) of subsection (4) above and the reference to that paragraph in paragraph (c) of that subsection shall be ignored, and]

(b) the effect of paragraph 8 of Schedule 14 to the Companies Act 1985 M2 (share registered overseas) and of section 118 of the Companies Act (Northern Ireland) 1960 M3 and paragraph 7 of Schedule 14 to the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 M4 (equivalent provision for Northern Ireland) shall be ignored for the purposes of subsection (5) above.

[F12 (11) In interpreting “chargeable securities” in section 93 or 96 above in a case where —

(a) newly subscribed shares, or

(b) securities falling within paragraph (b) or (c) of subsection (3) above which relate to newly subscribed shares,

are issued in pursuance of an arrangement such as is mentioned in that section (or an arrangement which would be such an arrangement if the securities issued were chargeable securities), paragraph (b) of subsection (4) above and the reference to that paragraph in paragraph (c) of that subsection shall be ignored.

(12) In subsection (11) above, “newly subscribed shares” means shares issued wholly for new consideration in pursuance of an offer for sale to the public.]

[F13 (13) Where the calculation of any tax in accordance with the provisions of this Part results in an amount which is not a multiple of one penny, the amount so calculated shall be rounded to the nearest penny, taking any½p as nearest to the next whole penny above.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 99(1A) inserted (with application as mentioned in s. 113(4) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1999 (c. 16), s. 113(3),{Sch. 16 para. 9} (with s. 123(4))

F2 S. 99(3)-(6) substituted (with application as mentioned in s. 144(6) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1988 (c. 39) {s. 144(2)}

F3 Words in s. 99(5) inserted (6.2.2000) by Finance Act 1999 (c. 16), s. 112(4), Sch. 19 para. 12(2)

F4 S. 99(5A)(5B) inserted (6.2.2000) by Finance Act 1999 (c. 16), s. 112(4), Sch. 19 para. 12(3)

F5 Words in s. 99(5B) substituted (with effect as mentioned in art. 10(2) of the amending S.I.) by S.I. 2001/3629, arts. 1(2)(a), 10(1)

F6 Words in s. 99(9) inserted (with application as mentioned in s. 144(6) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1988 (c. 39), s. 144(3)

F7 Words in s. 99(10) inserted (with application as mentioned in s. 151(6)) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1998 (c. 36), s. 151(5)(a)

F8 Words in s. 99(10) substituted (1.7.1996) by Finance Act 1996 (c. 8), s. 196(5)(6)

F9 Words in s. 99(10) inserted (with application as mentioned in s. 151(6)) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1998 (c. 36), s. 151(5)(b)

F10 Words in s. 99(10) inserted (with application as mentioned in s. 118(5) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1999 (c. 16), s. 118(4) (with s. 123(4))

F11 S. 99(10)(a) substituted (with application in accordance with s. 144(6) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1988 (c. 39), s. 144(4)

F12 S. 99(11)(12) added (with application as mentioned in s. 144(6) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1988 (c. 39), s. 144(5)

F13 S. 99(13) added (29.4.1996) by Finance Act 1996 (c. 8), s. 194(6)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 99 modified by S.I. 1997/1156, reg. 4 (as substituted (6.2.2000) by S.I. 1999/3261, reg. 5)

Marginal Citations

M1 1946 c. 64.

M2 1985 c. 6.

M3 1960 c. 22 (N.I.)

M4 S. I. 1986/1032 (N. I. 6).