Finance (No. 2) Act 1992

48 Transfer of a non-UK trade: amendment of 1970 Act. U.K.

Subject to the repeals made by the M1 Taxation M2 of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, in relation to transfers taking effect on or after 1st January 1992 the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970 shall have effect, and be deemed to have had effect, with the insertion of the following sections after section 269B—

“269C Transfer of a non-UK trade.

(1) This section applies where—

(a) a qualifying company resident in the United Kingdom (company A)

transfers to a qualifying company resident in another member State (company B) the whole or part of a trade which, immediately before the time of the transfer, company A carried on in a member State other than the United Kingdom through a branch or agency,

(b) the transfer includes the whole of the assets of company A used for the purposes of the trade or part (or the whole of those assets other than cash),

(c) the transfer is wholly or partly in exchange for securities issued by company B to company A,

(d) the aggregate of the chargeable gains accruing to company A on the transfer exceeds the aggregate of the allowable losses so accruing,

(e) a claim is made under this section by company A, and

(f) section 269D below does not prevent this section applying.

(2) The Capital Gains Tax Act 1979 shall have effect in accordance with subsection (3) below.

(3) The allowable losses accruing to company A on the transfer shall be set off against the chargeable gains so accruing and the transfer shall be treated as giving rise to a single chargeable gain equal to the aggregate of those gains after deducting the aggregate of those losses.

(4) No claim may be made under this section as regards a transfer in relation to which a claim is made under section 268A above.

(5) In a case where this section applies, section 815A of the Taxes Act 1988 shall also apply.

(6) For the purposes of subsection (1)(a) above—

(a) a company shall not be regarded as resident in the United Kingdom if it falls to be regarded for the purposes of any double taxation relief arrangements to which the United Kingdom is a party as resident in a territory which is not within any of the member States;

(b) a company shall be regarded as resident in another member State if it is within a charge to tax under the law of the State because it is regarded as resident for the purposes of the charge.

(7) For the purposes of subsection (6)(b) above, a company shall be treated as not within a charge to tax under the law of a member State if it falls to be regarded for the purposes of any double taxation relief arrangements to which the State is a party as resident in a territory which is not within any of the member States.

(8) Section 442(3) of the Taxes Act 1988 (overseas business of UK insurance companies) shall be ignored in arriving at the chargeable gains accruing to company A on the transfer, and the allowable losses so accruing, for the purposes of subsections (1)(d) and (3) above.

(9) In this section—

• “qualifying company” means a body incorporated under the law of a member State;

• “securities” includes shares.

269D Section 269C: anti-avoidance.

(1) Section 269C above shall not apply unless the transfer of the trade or part is effected for bona fide commercial reasons and does not form part of a scheme or arrangements of which the main purpose, or one of the main purposes, is avoidance of liability to income tax, corporation tax or capital gains tax.

(2) Subsection (1) above shall not apply where, before the transfer, the Board have on the application of company A notified that company that the Board are satisfied that the transfer will be effected for bona fide commercial reasons and will not form part of any such scheme or arrangements as are mentioned in that subsection.

(3) Subsections (2) to (5) of section 88 of the Capital Gains Tax Act 1979 shall have effect in relation to subsection (2) above as they have effect in relation to subsection (1) of that section.”

Marginal Citations

M1 1992 c. 12.

M2 1970 c. 10.