1U.K.After section 510 of the Taxes Act 1988 there shall be inserted—
(1)In this section “grouping” means a European Economic Interest Grouping formed in pursuance of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2137/85 of 25th July 1985, whether registered in Great Britain, in Northern Ireland, or elsewhere.
(2)Subject to the following provisions of this section, for the purposes of charging tax in respect of income and gains a grouping shall be regarded as acting as the agent of its members.
(3)In accordance with subsection (2) above—
(a)for the purposes mentioned in that subsection the activities of the grouping shall be regarded as those of its members acting jointly and each member shall be regarded as having a share of its property, rights and liabilities; and
(b)for the purposes of charging tax in respect of gains a person shall be regarded as acquiring or disposing of a share of the assets of the grouping not only where there is an acquisition or disposal of assets by the grouping while he is a member of it, but also where he becomes or ceases to be a member of a grouping or there is a change in his share of the property of the grouping.
(4)Subject to subsection (5) below, for the purposes of this section a member’s share of any property, rights or liabilities of a grouping shall be determined in accordance with the contract under which the grouping is established.
(5)Where the contract does not make provision as to the shares of members in the property, rights or liabilities in question a member’s share shall be determined by reference to the share of the profits of the grouping to which he is entitled under the contract (and if the contract makes no provision as to that, the members shall be regarded as having equal shares).
(6)Subject to subsection (7) below, where any trade or profession is carried on by a grouping it shall be regarded for the purposes of charging tax in respect of income and gains as carried on in partnership by the members of the grouping.
(7)Sections 111 and 114(4) shall not apply to the members of a grouping and section 112 shall have effect in relation to the members of a grouping as if the second reference in subsection (2) to the firm were a reference to the members and subsection (3) were omitted.
(8)Notwithstanding subsection (7) above, where a trade or profession is carried on by a grouping, the amount on which the members are chargeable to income tax in respect of it shall be computed (but not assessed) jointly.”