Companies Act 2006 (c. 46)

Part 23 U.K. Distributions

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Pts. 1-39 modified (31.12.2020) by Regulation (EC) No. 2157/2001, Art. AAA1(3) (as inserted by The European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1298), regs. 1, 97 (with regs. 140-145) (as amended by S.I. 2020/523, regs. 1(2), 5(a)-(f)); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1))

C2 Pts. 1-39 (except for Pt. 7 and ss. 662-669), 45-47 extended (12.5.2011) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/1265), art. 5(1), Sch. 1 para. 2

C3 Pt. 23 excluded (1.10.2011) by Postal Services Act 2011 (c. 5), ss. 8, 93, Sch. 1 para. 18(a); S.I. 2011/2329, art. 3

Chapter 1 U.K. Restrictions on when distributions may be made

Distributions by investment companies [F1 or Solvency 2 insurance companies] U.K.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 832 cross-heading inserted (30.12.2016) by The Companies Act 2006 (Distributions of Insurance Companies) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/1194), regs. 1(2), 2(3)

832 Distributions by investment companies out of accumulated revenue profits U.K.

(1) An investment company may make a distribution out of its accumulated, realised revenue profits if the following conditions are met.

(2) It may make such a distribution only if, and to the extent that, its accumulated, realised revenue profits, so far as not previously utilised by a distribution or capitalisation, exceed its accumulated revenue losses (whether realised or unrealised), so far as not previously written off in a reduction or reorganisation of capital duly made.

(3) It may make such a distribution only—

(a) if the amount of its assets is at least equal to one and a half times the aggregate of its liabilities to creditors, and

(b) if, and to the extent that, the distribution does not reduce that amount to less than one and a half times that aggregate.

(4) For this purpose a company's liabilities to creditors include—

(a) in the case of Companies Act accounts, provisions of a kind specified for the purposes of this subsection by regulations under section 396;

(b) in the case of IAS accounts, provisions for liabilities to creditors.

(5) The following conditions must also be met—

[F2 (a) the company's shares must be shares admitted to trading on a [F3 UK regulated market];]

(b) during the relevant period it must not have—

(i) F4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(ii) applied any unrealised profits F5 . . . in paying up debentures or amounts unpaid on its issued shares;

(c) it must have given notice to the registrar under section 833(1) (notice of intention to carry on business as an investment company)—

(i) before the beginning of the relevant period, or

(ii) as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of its incorporation.

(6) For the purposes of this section—

(a) F6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) the “relevant period” is the period beginning with—

(i) the first day of the accounting reference period immediately preceding that in which the proposed distribution is to be made, or

(ii) where the distribution is to be made in the company's first accounting reference period, the first day of that period,

and ending with the date of the distribution.

(7) The company must not include any uncalled share capital as an asset in any accounts relevant for purposes of this section.

Textual Amendments

F2 S. 832(5)(a) substituted (6.4.2012) by The Companies Act 2006 (Amendment of Part 23) (Investment Companies) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/952), regs. 1, 2(2)(a)

F3 Words in s. 832(5)(a) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Companies, Limited Liability Partnerships and Partnerships (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/348), reg. 2, Sch. 1 para. 12 (with Sch. 4 para. 3) (as amended by S.I. 2020/523, regs. 1(2), 20); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F4 S. 832(5)(b)(i) and following word omitted (6.4.2012) by virtue of The Companies Act 2006 (Amendment of Part 23) (Investment Companies) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/952), regs. 1, 2(2)(b)

F5 Words in s. 832(5)(b)(ii) omitted (6.4.2012) by virtue of The Companies Act 2006 (Amendment of Part 23) (Investment Companies) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/952), regs. 1, 2(2)(c)

F6 S. 832(6)(a) and following word omitted (6.4.2012) by virtue of The Companies Act 2006 (Amendment of Part 23) (Investment Companies) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/952), regs. 1, 2(3)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 832 wholly in force at 6.4.2008; s. 832 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 1300; s. 832 in force at 6.4.2008 by S.I. 2007/3495, art. 3(1)(k) (with savings in arts. 7, 12 and subject to transitional adaptations in Sch. 1 paras. 14-20 and with savings in Sch. 4 paras. 33-35)