Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992

251 General provisions. U.K.

(1) Where a person incurs a debt to another, whether in sterling or in some other currency, no chargeable gain shall accrue to that (that is the original) creditor or his personal representative or legatee on a disposal of the debt, except in the case of the debt on a security (as defined in section 132).

(2) Subject to the provisions of sections [F1 132, 135 and 136] and subject to subsection (1) above, the satisfaction of a debt or part of it (including a debt on a security as defined in section 132) shall be treated as a disposal of the debt or of that part by the creditor made at the time when the debt or that part is satisfied.

(3) Where property is acquired by a creditor in satisfaction of his debt or part of it, then subject to the provisions of sections [F2 132, 135 and 136] the property shall not be treated as disposed of by the debtor or acquired by the creditor for a consideration greater than its market value at the time of the creditor’s acquisition of it; but if under subsection (1) above (and in a case not falling within [F3 section 132, 135 or 136]) no chargeable gain is to accrue on a disposal of the debt by the creditor (that is the original creditor), and a chargeable gain accrues to him on a disposal by him of the property, the amount of the chargeable gain shall (where necessary) be reduced so as not to exceed the chargeable gain which would have accrued if he had acquired the property for a consideration equal to the amount of the debt or that part of it.

(4) A loss accruing on the disposal of a debt acquired by the person making the disposal from the original creditor or his personal representative or legatee at a time when the creditor or his personal representative or legatee is a person connected with the person making the disposal, and so acquired either directly or by one or more purchases through persons all of whom are connected with the person making the disposal, shall not be an allowable loss.

(5) [F4 Where the trustees of a settlement are the original creditor], subsections (1) and (4) above shall apply as if for the references to the original creditor’s personal representative or legatee there were substituted references to any person becoming absolutely entitled, [F5 as against the trustees], to the debt on its ceasing to be settled property, and to that person’s personal representative or legatee.

[F6 (5A) References in this section to the disposal of a debt include the disposal of an interest in a debt (and, in the case of an interest in a debt, the reference in subsection (3) to the amount of the debt is to the amount of the person's interest in the debt).]

[F7 (6) For the purposes of this section a debenture issued by any company on or after 16th March 1993 shall be deemed to be a security (as defined in section 132) if—

(a) it is issued on a reorganisation (as defined in section 126(1)) or in pursuance of its allotment on any such reorganisation;

(b) it is issued in exchange for shares in or debentures of another company and in a case [F8 to which section 135 applies and which is unaffected by section 137(1)];

(c) it is issued under any such arrangements as are mentioned in subsection (1)(a) of section 136 and in a case unaffected by section 137 where section 136 requires shares or debentures in another company to be treated as exchanged for, or for anything that includes, that debenture; or

(d) it is issued in pursuance of rights attached to any debenture issued on or after 16th March 1993 and falling within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above

[F9 and any debenture which results from a conversion of securities within the meaning of section 132, or is issued in pursuance of rights attached to such a debenture, shall be deemed for the purposes of this section to be a security (as defined in that section).]]

[F10 (7) Where any instrument specified in subsection (8) below is not a security (as defined in section 132), that instrument shall be deemed to be such a security for the purposes of this section, other than the purposes of determining what is or is not an allowable loss in any case.

(8) The instruments mentioned in subsection (7) above are—

F11 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) any instrument which F12 ... is not a loan relationship of a company but which would be a [F13 deeply discounted security for the purposes of Chapter 8 of Part 4 of ITTOIA 2005 if section 432(2) of that Act] (excluded indexed securities) were omitted.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 251(2) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 9 paras. 7, 8 of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2002 (c. 23), Sch. 9 para. 5(12)(a)

F2 Words in s. 251(3) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 9 paras. 7, 8 of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2002 (c. 23), Sch. 9 para. 5(12)(b)(i)

F3 Words in s. 251(3) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 9 paras. 7, 8 of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2002 (c. 23), Sch. 9 para. 5(12)(b)(ii)

F4 Words in s. 251(5) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 12 para. 23(2) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2006 (c. 25), Sch. 12 para. 23(1)(a)

F5 Words in s. 251(5) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 12 para. 23(2) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2006 (c. 25), Sch. 12 para. 23(1)(b)

F6 S. 251(5A) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 34(6) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2012 (c. 14), s. 35(3)

F7 S. 251(6) inserted (27.7.1993 with effect as mentioned in s. 84(3)) by 1993 c. 34, s. 84(2)(3)

F8 Words in s. 251(6)(b) substituted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 9 paras. 7, 8 of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2002 (c. 23), Sch. 9 para. 5(12)(c)

F9 Words in s. 251(6) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 88(6) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1997 (c. 16), s. 88(5)

F10 S. 251(7)(8) inserted (with effect in accordance with s. 105(1) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1996 (c. 8), Sch. 14 para. 64 (with Sch. 15)

F11 S. 251(8)(a) repealed (with effect in accordance with s. 1329(1) of the amending Act) by Corporation Tax Act 2009 (c. 4), s. 1329(1), Sch. 1 para. 381(a), Sch. 3 Pt. 1 (with Sch. 2 Pts. 1, 2)

F12 Words in s. 251(8)(b) repealed (with effect in accordance with s. 1329(1) of the amending Act) by Corporation Tax Act 2009 (c. 4), s. 1329(1), Sch. 1 para. 381(b), Sch. 3 Pt. 1 (with Sch. 2 Pts. 1, 2)

F13 Words in s. 251(8)(b) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 883(1) of the amending Act) by Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Act 2005 (c. 5), s. 883(1), Sch. 1 para. 442 (with Sch. 2)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 251(8) modified (27.7.1999) by Finance Act 1999 (c. 16), s. 65(11)