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 132 and 135 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 132 and 135 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 either section 132 or 135) 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)Where the original creditor is a trustee and the debt, when created, is settled property, 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, as against the trustee, to the debt on its ceasing to be settled property, and to that person’s personal representative or legatee.
[F1(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 unaffected by section 137 where one or more of the conditions mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (c) of section 135(1) is satisfied in relation to the exchange;
(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.]
Textual Amendments
F1S. 251(6) inserted (27.7.1993 with effect as mentioned in s. 84(3)) by 1993 c. 34, s. 84(2)(3)