Finance Act 2002

Part 2 Subsequent conveyance or transfer

Introduction

4 (1) This Part of this Schedule has effect for affording relief where ad valorem duty is chargeable both—

(a) under section 115 on a contract or agreement (“the original sale”), and

(b) on a subsequent conveyance or transfer by the original seller to the purchaser, or a sub-purchaser, in conformity with that contract or agreement.

(2) References in this Part to the purchaser under the original sale, or a sub-purchaser under a subsale, include a person by whom the rights of the purchaser, or a sub-purchaser, are exercisable by virtue of any assignment (in Scotland, assignation) or agreement (other than a subsale).

Conveyance or transfer of property contracted to be sold

5 (1) Where the original seller conveys the whole of the property contracted to be sold—

(a) to the purchaser, or

(b) to a sub-purchaser in circumstances in which section 58(4) of the Stamp Act 1891 (c. 39) applies (conveyance chargeable only on consideration moving from sub-purchaser),

the conveyance or transfer is chargeable with duty only to the extent (if any) that the ad valorem duty chargeable on it (apart from this sub-paragraph) exceeds the duty paid under section 115 on the original sale together with the amount of any such duty paid on an intervening subsale.

(2) Where—

(a) the original seller conveys the property contracted to be sold to different sub-purchasers in parts or parcels, and

(b) section 58(5) of the Stamp Act 1891 (c. 39) applies (conveyance chargeable only on consideration moving from sub-purchaser),

the conveyance or transfer of each part or parcel is chargeable with duty only to the extent (if any) that the ad valorem duty chargeable on it (apart from this sub-paragraph) exceeds an appropriate proportion of the ad valorem duty paid on the original sale together with an appropriate proportion of any such duty paid on an intervening subsale.

(3) What is an appropriate proportion shall be determined on a just and reasonable basis having regard to the subject matter of the conveyance or transfer and of the earlier transaction.

(4) Where sub-paragraph (1) or (2) applies to reduce or extinguish the duty payable on a conveyance or transfer, the Commissioners shall, upon application and upon production of the earlier instrument or instruments, duly stamped, either—

(a) denote the payment of the whole of the ad valorem duty upon the conveyance or transfer, or

(b) transfer to the conveyance or transfer the ad valorem duty paid on the earlier instrument or instruments.

Repayment of duty in certain cases

6 (1) Where—

(a) duty is paid under section 115 on the original sale,

(b) one or more conveyances or transfers are executed in conformity with that contract or agreement so that the whole of the property contracted to be sold is duly conveyed to a purchaser or to one or more sub-purchasers,

(c) those conveyances or transfers are all duly stamped, and

(d) the aggregate amount of the duty that would have been paid on those conveyances or transfers but for duty having been previously paid on the original sale is less than the duty paid on the original sale,

the Commissioners shall repay the difference to the person by whom the duty was paid on the original sale.

(2) If duty has been paid under section 115 on one or more intervening subsales, sub-paragraph (1) has effect with the following modifications—

(a) the reference to duty having been paid on the original sale shall be read as a reference to duty having been paid either on the original sale or on an intervening subsale;

(b) the reference to the amount of duty paid on the original sale shall be read as a reference to the aggregate of the amounts paid on the original sale and any intervening subsales, and

(c) any repayment shall be apportioned among the persons by whom those amounts were paid.

(3) The apportionment mentioned in sub-paragraph (2)(c) shall be made on a just and reasonable basis having regard to the subject matter of the original sale and of the subsale or subsales in question.