Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

677 Sums paid to settlor otherwise than as income

(1) Any capital sum paid directly or indirectly in any year of assessment by the trustees of a settlement to which this section applies to the settlor shall—

(a) to the extent to which the amount of that sum falls within the amount of income available up to the end of that year, be treated for all the purposes of the Income Tax Acts as the income of the settlor for that year;

(b) to the extent to which the amount of that sum is not by virtue of this subsection treated as his income for that year and falls within the amount of the income available up to the end of the next following year, be treated for those purposes as the income of the settlor for the next following year;

and so on for each subsequent year up to a maximum of ten subsequent years, taking the reference in paragraph (b) to the year mentioned in paragraph (a) as a reference to that and any other year before the subsequent year in question.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) above, the amount of income available up to the end of any year shall, in relation to any capital sum paid as mentioned in that subsection, be taken to be the aggregate amount of income arising under the settlement in that year and any previous year which has not been distributed, less—

(a) the amount of that income taken into account under that subsection in relation to that sum in any previous year or years; and

(b) the amount of any other capital sums paid to the settlor in any year before that sum was paid; and

(c) so much of any income arising under the settlement in that year and any previous year which has not been distributed as is shown to consist of income which has been treated as income of the settlor by virtue of section 671, 672, 674 or 683; and

(d) any income arising under the settlement in that year and any previous year which has been treated as the income of the settlor by virtue of section 673; and

(e) any sums paid by virtue or in consequence of the settlement, to the extent that they are not allowable, by virtue of section 676, as deductions in computing the settlor’s income for that year or any previous year; and

(f) any sums paid by virtue or in consequence of the settlement in that year or any previous year which have been treated as the income of the settlor by virtue of section 664(2)(b); and

(g) any sums included in the income arising under the settlement as amounts which have been or could have been apportioned to a beneficiary as mentioned in section 681(1)(b); and

(h) an amount equal to the sum of tax at the basic rate and tax at the additional rate on—

(i) the aggregate amount of income arising under the settlement in that year and any previous year which has not been distributed, less

(ii) the aggregate amount of the income and sums referred to in paragraphs (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) above.

(3) Where any amount is included in a person’s income by virtue of section 421 in respect of any loan or advance, there shall be a corresponding reduction in the amount (if any) afterwards falling to be so included in respect of it by virtue of this section.

(4) Where the capital sum paid to the settlor is a sum paid by way of loan, then—

(a) if the whole of it is repaid, no part of that sum shall by virtue of subsection (1) above be treated as the settlor’s income for any year of assessment after that in which the repayment occurs; and

(b) if one or more capital sums have previously been paid to him by way of loan and wholly repaid, the amount of that capital sum shall be treated as equal to its excess, if any, over so much of the sum or sums previously paid as has already fallen to be treated as his income by virtue of that subsection.

(5) Where the capital sum paid to the settlor is a sum paid by way of complete repayment of a loan, then, if an amount not less than that sum is thereafter lent by the settlor to the trustees of the settlement, no part of that sum shall by virtue of subsection (1) above be treated as his income for any year of assessment after that in which the further loan is made.

(6) Where the whole or any part of any sum is treated by virtue of this section as income of the settlor for any year, it shall be treated as income of such an amount as, after deduction of both tax at the basic rate and tax at the additional rate for that year, would be equal to that sum or that part of that sum.

(7) Tax chargeable by virtue of this section shall be charged under Case VI of Schedule D; and there shall be set off against the tax charged on any amount treated by virtue of this section as income of the settlor for any year an amount equal to—

(a) the sum of tax at the basic rate and tax at the additional rate for that year on the amount so treated as his income; or

(b) so much of that sum as is equal to the tax charged,

whichever is the less.

(8) In computing the liability to income tax of a settlor chargeable by virtue of this section, the same deductions and reliefs shall be allowed as would have been allowed if the amount treated as his income by virtue of this section had been received by him as income.

(9) This section applies to any settlement wherever made, and whether made before or after the passing of this Act, and in this section—

(a) “capital sum” means, subject to subsection (10) below—

(i) any sum paid by way of loan or repayment of a loan; and

(ii) any other sum paid otherwise than as income, being a sum which is not paid for full consideration in money or money’s worth,

but does not include any sum which could not have become payable to the settlor except in one of the events specified in section 673(3); and

(b) references to sums paid to the settlor include references to sums paid to the wife or husband of the settlor or to the settlor (or the husband or wife of the settlor) jointly with another person.

(10) For the purposes of this section there shall be treated as a capital sum paid to the settlor by the trustees of the settlement any sum which—

(a) is paid by them to a third party at the settlor’s direction or by virtue of the assignment by him of his right to receive it where the direction or assignment was given or made on or after 6th April 1981; or

(b) is otherwise paid or applied by them for the benefit of the settlor,

and which would not apart from this subsection be treated as a capital sum paid to him.