Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

731 Application and interpretation of sections 732 to 734. U.K.

M1 (1) In this section “the relevant provisions” means sections 732, 733, 734 and this section.

(2) [F1 Subject to subsections (2A) to (10) below], the relevant provisions [F2 apply] to cases of a purchase by a person (“the first buyer”) of any securities and their subsequent sale by him, the result of the transaction being that interest becoming payable in respect of the securities (“the interest”) is receivable by the first buyer.

[F3 (2A) The relevant provisions do not apply where the first buyer is required under the arrangements for the purchase of the securities to make to the person from whom he purchased the securities, not later than the date on which he subsequently sells the securities, a payment of an amount representative of the interest, or is treated by virtue of section 737A(5) as required to make such a payment.]

(3) The relevant provisions do not [F4 apply] where—

(a) the time elapsing between the purchase by the first buyer and his taking steps to dispose of the securities exceeded six months, or

(b) that time exceeded one month and [F5 the purchase and sale were each effected at the current market price, and] the sale was not effected in pursuance of an agreement or arrangement made before or at the time of the purchase.

F6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) The reference in subsection (3) above to the first buyer taking steps to dispose of the securities shall be construed—

(a) if he sold them in the exercise of an option he had acquired, as a reference to his acquisition of the option,

(b) in any other case, as a reference to his selling them.

[F7 (4A) For the purposes of subsection (3) above, where a purchase or sale is effected as a direct result of the exercise of a qualifying option, it shall be treated as effected at the current market price if the terms under which the first buyer acquired the option, or, as the case may be, became subject to it, were arm’s length terms.

(4B) For the purposes of subsection (4A) above an option is a “qualifying option” if it would be a traded option or financial option as defined in subsection [F8 (8) of section 144 of the 1992 Act]] were the reference in paragraph (b) of that subsection to the time of the abandonment or other disposal a reference to the time of exercise.

(4C) In subsection (4A) above the reference to arm’s length terms is to terms—

(a) agreed between persons dealing at arm’s length, or

(b) not so agreed, but nonetheless such as might reasonably be expected to have been agreed between persons so dealing.

(5) For the purposes of the relevant provisions, a sale of securities similar to, and of the like nominal amount as, securities previously bought (“the original securities”) shall be equivalent to a sale of the original securities, and subsection (4) above shall apply accordingly; and where the first buyer bought parcels of similar securities at different times a subsequent sale of any of the securities shall, so far as may be, be related to the last to be bought of the parcels, and then to the last but one, and so on.

(6) A person shall be under no greater liability to tax by virtue of subsection (5) above than he would have been under if instead of selling the similar securities he had sold the original securities.

(7) Where at the time when a trade is, or is deemed to be, set up and commenced any securities form part of the trading stock belonging to the trade, those securities shall be treated for the purposes of this section—

(a) as having been sold at that time in the open market by the person to whom they belonged immediately before that time, and

(b) as having been purchased at that time in the open market by the person thereafter engaged in carrying on the trade.

(8) Subject to subsection (7) above, where there is a change in the persons engaged in carrying on a trade which is not a change on which the trade is deemed to be discontinued, the provisions of this section shall apply in relation to the person so engaged after the change as if anything done to or by his predecessor had been done to or by him.

(9) M2 For the purposes of the relevant provisions—

• “interest” includes a qualifying distribution and any dividend which is not a qualifying distribution, F9 . . .

• “person” includes any body of persons, and references to a person entitled to any exemption from tax include, in a case of an exemption expressed to apply to income of a trust or fund, references to the persons entitled to make claims for the granting of that exemption;

• “securities” includes stocks and shares, except securities which are securities for the purposes of sections 710 to 728.

[F10 (9A) In applying references in the relevant provisions to interest in relation to a qualifying distribution other than a foreign income dividend—

(a) “gross interest” means the qualifying distribution together with the tax credit to which the recipient of the distribution is entitled in respect of it, and

(b) “net interest” means the qualifying distribution exclusive of any such tax credit.

(9B) In applying references in the relevant provisions to interest in relation to a foreign income dividend paid in circumstances where section 246D(1), (3) or (4) applies—

(a) “gross interest” means the amount of the income arrived at under section 246D(1) by reference to the dividend, and

(b) “net interest” means the dividend.

(9C) Where a foreign income dividend is paid in circumstances other than those where section 246D(1), (3) or (4) applies—

(a) in applying section 735(2) in relation to the dividend the words “the gross amount corresponding with” shall be disregarded, and

(b) in applying references in the relevant provisions (including section 735(2)) to interest in relation to the dividend “net interest” means the dividend.

(9D) In this section “foreign income dividend” shall be construed in accordance with Chapter VA of Part VI.]

(10) For the purposes of the relevant provisions, securities shall be deemed to be similar if they entitle their holders to the same rights against the same persons as to capital and interest and the same remedies for the enforcement of those rights, notwithstanding any difference in the total nominal amounts of the respective securities or in the form in which they are held or the manner in which they can be transferred; and for the purposes of this subsection, rights guaranteed by the Treasury shall be treated as rights against the Treasury.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 731(2) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 81(4) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 81(3)(a)

F2 Word in s. 731(2) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 81(4) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 81(3)(a)

F3 S. 731(2A) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 81(4) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 81(2)

F4 Word in s. 731(3) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 81(4) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1995 (c. 4), s. 81(3)(b)

F5 Words in s. 731(3)(b) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 134(2) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1996 (c. 8), Sch. 20 para. 36(a)

F6 Words in s. 731(3) repealed (with effect in accordance with s. 134(2) of the repealing Act) by Finance Act 1996 (c. 8), Sch. 20 para. 36(b), Sch. 41 Pt. 5(10), Note

F7 S. 731(4A)(4B)(4C) inserted by Finance Act 1991 (c. 31, SIF 63:1), s. 55(1)(2)

F8 Words in s. 731(4B) substituted (6.3.1992 with effect as mentioned in s. 289(1)(2) of the amending Act) by Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 (c. 12), ss. 289, 290, Sch. 10 para. 14(40) (with ss. 60, 101(1), 171, 201(3))

F9 S. 731(9): words in definition of "interest" repealed (3.5.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), Sch. 16 para. 17(2), Sch. 26 Pt. 5(16)

F10 S. 731(9A)-(9D) inserted (3.5.1994) by Finance Act 1994 (c. 9), Sch. 16 para. 17(3)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 See s.343—company reconstruction without change of ownership.

Marginal Citations

M1 Source—1970 s.471(1)-(5)

M2 Source—1970 s.471(6); 1973 sch.11 6; 1986 Sch.18 2(1)