Finance Act 2006

166 Unit trust schemes

(1) Part 4 of FA 2003 (stamp duty land tax) is amended as follows.

(2) Omit section 64A (initial transfer of assets to trustees of unit trust scheme).

(3) In section 101 (unit trust schemes)—

(a) in subsection (1) (application of Part (except for provisions mentioned in subsection (7)) to unit trust schemes) for “provisions” substitute “provision”, and

(b) in subsection (7) (provisions for the purposes of which unit trust schemes not to be treated as companies) omit from “section 53” to “companies), or”.

(4) This section has effect in relation to any land transaction of which the effective date is, or is after, 22nd March 2006 (but see subsections (5) and (6)).

(5) This section does not have effect in relation to—

(a) any land transaction which is effected in pursuance of a contract entered into and substantially performed before 2 p.m. on 22nd March 2006 (“the relevant time”), or

(b) any other land transaction which is effected in pursuance of a contract entered into before the relevant time and which is not an excluded transaction.

(6) For this purpose, a land transaction effected in pursuance of a contract is an excluded transaction if—

(a) any provision of the contract has effect by reference to a unit trust scheme and the scheme is not established before the relevant time,

(b) at or after the relevant time the contract is varied in a way that significantly affects the land transaction (see subsection (7)),

(c) the subject-matter of the land transaction is not identified in the contract in a way that would have enabled its acquisition before the relevant time,

(d) rights under the contract are assigned at or after the relevant time,

(e) the land transaction is effected in consequence of the exercise, at or after the relevant time, of any option, right of pre-emption or similar right, or

(f) at or after the relevant time there is an assignment, subsale or other transaction (relating to the whole or part of the contract’s subject-matter) as a result of which a person other than the purchaser under the contract becomes entitled to call for a conveyance to him.

(7) For the purposes of subsection (6)(b) the contract is varied in a way that significantly affects the land transaction if (and only if)—

(a) it is varied so as to substitute a different purchaser in relation to the land transaction,

(b) it is varied so as to alter the subject-matter of the land transaction, or

(c) it is varied so as to alter the consideration for the land transaction.

(8) Expressions which are used in Part 4 of FA 2003 and in this section have the same meaning in this section as in that Part.