7U.K.The following sections shall be inserted after section 461—
(1)For the purposes of sections 461B and 461C, a “qualifying society” is an incorporated friendly society which—
(a)immediately before its incorporation, was a registered friendly society to which section 461(2) did not apply,
(b)was formed otherwise than by the incorporation of a registered friendly society or the amalgamation of two or more friendly societies and satisfies subsection (2) below, or
(c)was formed by the amalgamation of two or more friendly societies and satisfies subsection (3) below,
and in respect of which no direction under section 461C(5) is in force.
(2)A society satisfies this subsection if its business is limited to the provision, in accordance with the rules of the society, of benefits for or in respect of employees of a particular employer or such other group of persons as is for the time being approved for the purposes of this section by the Friendly Societies Commission.
(3)If at the time of the amalgamation referred to in subsection (1)(c) above—
(a)section 461(2) applied to none of the registered friendly societies being amalgamated (if any), and
(b)all of the incorporated friendly societies being amalgamated (if any) were qualifying societies,
the society formed by the amalgamation satisfies this subsection.
(1)Subject to the following provisions of this section, a qualifying society shall, on making a claim, be entitled to exemption from income tax and corporation tax (whether on income or chargeable gains) on its profits other than those arising from life or endowment business.
(2)Subsection (1) above shall not apply to any profits arising or accruing to the society from, or by reason of its interest in, a body corporate which is a subsidiary (within the meaning of the Friendly Societies Act 1992) of the society or of which the society has joint control (within the meaning of that Act).
(3)If an incorporated friendly society which is not a qualifying society makes a payment to a member in respect of his interest in the society and the payment is made otherwise than in the course of life or endowment business and exceeds the aggregate of any sums paid by him to the society by way of contributions or deposits, after deducting from that aggregate the amount of—
(a)any previous payment so made to him by the society, and
(b)any earlier repayment of such sums paid by him,
the excess shall be treated for the purposes of corporation tax and income tax as a qualifying distribution.
(4)In relation to an incorporated friendly society which, immediately before its incorporation, was a registered friendly society to which section 461(2) applied—
(a)the references in subsection (3) above to sums paid to the society shall include sums paid to the registered friendly society,
(b)the reference in subsection (3)(a) above to any payment made by the society shall include any payment made by the registered friendly society after 26 March 1974 or such later date as was specified in any direction under section 461(8) relating to it, and
(c)the reference in subsection (3)(b) above to any repayment shall include any repayment made by the registered friendly society.
(5)Where a qualifying society at any time ceases by virtue of section 91 of the Friendly Societies Act 1992 (conversion into company) to be registered under that Act, the company into which the society is converted shall be exempt from income tax or corporation tax on its profits arising from any part of its business, other than life or endowment business, which relates to contracts made before that time.
(6)Subsection (5) above shall apply so long as there is no increase in the scale of benefits which the company undertakes to provide in the course of carrying on the relevant part of its business.
(7)Any part of a company’s business to which an exemption under subsection (5) above relates shall be treated for the purposes of the Corporation Tax Acts as a separate business from any other business carried on by the company.
(1)Subject to subsection (2) below, subsections (3) to (5) below apply where a qualifying society—
(a)begins to carry on business other than life or endowment business, or
(b)in the opinion of the Friendly Societies Commission, begins to carry on business other than life or endowment business on an enlarged scale or of a new character.
(2)Subsections (3) to (5) below do not apply if—
(a)the society’s business is limited to the provision, in accordance with the rules of the society, of benefits for or in respect of employees of a particular employer or such other group of persons as is for the time being approved for the purposes of section 461 or 461A by the Friendly Societies Commission, or
(b)the society’s rules limit the aggregate amount which may be paid by a member by way of contributions and deposits to not more than £1 per month or such greater amount as is authorised for the purposes of section 461.
(3)If it appears to the Commission, having regard to the restrictions imposed by section 461 on registered friendly societies registered after 31st May 1973, that for the protection of the revenue it is expedient to do so, the Commission may serve a notice on the society—
(a)referring to the provisions of this section, and
(b)stating that the Commission is considering the question whether, for the protection of the revenue, it is expedient to give a direction that the society shall cease to be a qualifying society as from the date of the notice.
(4)The Commission shall consider any representations or undertakings made or offered to the Commission by the society within the period of one month from service of the notice and, if the society so requests, shall afford it an opportunity of being heard by the Commission not later than three weeks after the end of that period.
(5)If, after consideration of any such representations or undertakings, the Commission remains of the opinion that it is expedient to do so, the Commission shall direct that the society shall cease to be a qualifying society as from the date of the notice, but subject to any further direction given by the Commission cancelling that direction.
(6)A friendly society may, within one month from the giving of a direction under subsection (5) above, appeal against it to a tribunal constituted in accordance with section 59(2) of the Friendly Societies Act 1992.
(7)The Treasury may by regulations provide for sections 58 to 61 of that Act to have effect in relation to appeals under subsection (6) above subject to such modifications as may be prescribed by the regulations.”