Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992

77 Charge on settlor with interest in settlement

(1) Subject to subsections (6), (7) and (8) below, subsection (2) below applies where—

(a) in a year of assessment chargeable gains accrue to the trustees of a settlement from the disposal of any or all of the settled property,

(b) after making any deductions provided for by section 2(2) in respect of disposals of the settled property there remains an amount on which the trustees would, disregarding section 3 (and apart from this section), be chargeable to tax for the year in respect of those gains, and

(c) at any time during the year the settlor has an interest in the settlement.

(2) Where this subsection applies, the trustees shall not be chargeable to tax in respect of the gains concerned but instead chargeable gains of an amount equal to that referred to in subsection (1)(b) above shall be treated as accruing to the settlor in the year.

(3) Subject to subsections (4) and (5) below, for the purposes of subsection (1)(c) above a settlor has an interest in a settlement if—

(a) any property which may at any time be comprised in the settlement or any income which may arise under the settlement is, or will or may become, applicable for the benefit of or payable to the settlor or the spouse of the settlor in any circumstances whatsoever, or

(b) the settlor, or the spouse of the settlor, enjoys a benefit deriving directly or indirectly from any property which is comprised in the settlement or any income arising under the settlement.

(4) A settlor does not have an interest in a settlement by virtue of subsection (3)(a) above if and so long as none of the property which may at any time be comprised in the settlement and none of the income which may arise under the settlement can become applicable or payable as mentioned in that subsection except in the event of—

(a) the bankruptcy of some person who is or may become beneficially entitled to that property or income;

(b) any assignment of or charge on that property or income being made or given by some such person;

(c) in the case of a marriage settlement, the death of both the parties to the marriage and of all or any of the children of the marriage; or

(d) the death under the age of 25 or some lower age of some person who would be beneficially entitled to that property or income on attaining that age.

(5) A settlor does not have an interest in a settlement by virtue of subsection (3)(a) above if and so long as some person is alive and under the age of 25 during whose life none of the property which may at any time be comprised in the settlement and none of the income which may arise under the settlement can become applicable or payable as mentioned in subsection (3)(a) above except in the event of that person becoming bankrupt or assigning or charging his interest in that property or income.

(6) Subsection (2) above does not apply where the settlor dies during the year.

(7) In a case where the settlor has an interest in the settlement only for either or both of the following reasons, namely—

(a) that property or income is, or will or may become, applicable for the benefit of or payable to the settlor’s spouse, and

(b) that the settlor’s spouse enjoys a benefit from property or income,

subsection (2) above does not apply where the spouse dies, or the settlor and the spouse cease to be married, during the year.

(8) Subsection (2) above does not apply unless the settlor is, and the trustees are, either resident in the United Kingdom during any part of the year or ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom during the year.