Finance Act 1997

8 (1) In section 95 of the Taxes Act 1988 (taxation of distributions received by dealers on purchase by a company of its own shares), for subsections (1) to (3) there shall be substituted the following subsections—

“(1) Each of the following, that is to say—

(a) any qualifying distribution to which Schedule 7 to the Finance Act 1997 (special treatment for certain distributions) applies which is received by a dealer, and

(b) any payment by a dealer which is representative of a qualifying distribution to which that Schedule applies,

shall be taken into account in computing the profits of the dealer which are chargeable to tax in accordance with the provisions of this Act applicable to Case I or II of Schedule D.

(1A) Accordingly, where a dealer receives a qualifying distribution to which Schedule 7 to the Finance Act 1997 applies—

(a) tax shall not be charged under Schedule F in respect of that distribution;

(b) that distribution shall not be treated for the purposes of sections 246D and 246F as a foreign income dividend received by the dealer;

(c) sections 208 and 234(1) shall not apply to that distribution; and

(d) paragraph 2A(2) of Schedule 23A shall not apply to the payment by the dealer of an amount which is representative of that distribution and is paid by him on or after the date appointed under paragraph 16(1) of Schedule 10 to the Finance Act 1997.

(1B) Where the result of any transaction is that a qualifying distribution to which Schedule 7 to the Finance Act 1997 applies is receivable by a dealer, that distribution shall not, in relation to that transaction, be treated as interest for the purposes of determining whether section 732 applies by virtue of section 731.

(2) For the purposes of this section a person is a dealer in relation to any qualifying distribution if—

(a) were there a sale by that person of the shares in respect of which the distribution is made, and

(b) the circumstances of that sale were such that the price would not fall to be treated as a qualifying distribution,

the price would be taken into account in computing the profits of that person which are chargeable to tax in accordance with the provisions of this Act applicable to Case I or II of Schedule D.”

(2) In that Act—

(a) in section 20(1), in paragraph 1 of Schedule F, for “95(1)(a)” there shall be substituted “95(1A)(a)”; and

(b) in section 234(1) (information relating to distributions), for “95(1)(c)” there shall be substituted “95(1A)(c)”.

(3) This paragraph has effect in relation to distributions made on or after 26th November 1996.