Finance Act 2007

77 SDLT: shared ownership trusts U.K.

(1) In Schedule 9 to FA 2003 (right to buy and shared ownership leases), insert at the end—

“Shared ownership trust: introduction

7 (1) In this Schedule “shared ownership trust” means a trust of land, within the meaning of section 1 of the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, which satisfies the following conditions.

(2) Condition 1 is that the trust property is—

(a) a dwelling, and

(b) in England or Wales.

(3) Condition 2 is that one of the beneficiaries (“the social landlord”) is a qualifying body (within the meaning of paragraph 5(2)).

(4) Condition 3 is that the terms of the trust—

(a) provide for one or more of the individual beneficiaries (“the purchaser”) to have exclusive use of the trust property as the only or main residence of the purchaser,

(b) require the purchaser to make an initial payment to the social landlord (“the initial capital”),

(c) require the purchaser to make additional payments to the social landlord by way of compensation under section 13(6)(a) of the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (“rent-equivalent payments”),

(d) enable the purchaser to make other additional payments to the social landlord (“equity-acquisition payments”),

(e) determine the initial beneficial interests of the social landlord and of the purchaser by reference to the initial capital,

(f) specify a sum, equating or relating to the market value of the dwelling, by reference to which the initial capital was calculated, and

(g) provide for the purchaser's beneficial interest in the trust property to increase, and the social landlord's to diminish (or to be extinguished), as equity-acquisition payments are made.

(5) Section 118 (meaning of “market value”) does not apply to this paragraph.

(6) In Condition 1 “dwelling” includes—

(a) a building which is being constructed or adapted for use as a dwelling,

(b) land which is to be used for the purpose of the construction of a dwelling, and

(c) land which is, or is to become, the garden or grounds of a dwelling.

Shared ownership trust: “purchaser”

8 For the purposes of the application of stamp duty land tax in relation to a shared ownership trust, the person (or persons) identified as the purchaser in accordance with paragraph 7, and not the social landlord or any other beneficiary, is (or are) to be treated as the purchaser of the trust property.

Shared ownership trust: election for market value treatment

9 (1) This paragraph applies where—

(a) a shared ownership trust is declared, and

(b) the purchaser elects for tax to be charged in accordance with this paragraph.

(2) An election must be included in—

(a) the land transaction return for the declaration of the shared ownership trust, or

(b) an amendment of that return.

(3) An election may not be revoked.

(4) Where this paragraph applies—

(a) the chargeable consideration for the declaration of the shared ownership trust shall be taken to be the amount stated in accordance with paragraph 7(4)(f), and

(b) no account shall be taken for the purposes of stamp duty land tax of rent-equivalent payments.

(5) The transfer to the purchaser of an interest in the trust property upon the termination of the trust is exempt from charge if—

(a) an election was made under this paragraph, and

(b) any tax chargeable in respect of the declaration of the shared ownership trust has been paid.

Shared ownership trust: treatment of staircasing transaction

10 (1) An equity-acquisition additional payment under a shared ownership trust, and the consequent increase in the purchaser's beneficial interest, shall be exempt from charge if—

(a) an election was made under paragraph 9, and

(b) any tax chargeable in respect of the declaration of trust has been paid.

(2) An equity-acquisition additional payment under a shared ownership trust, and the consequent increase in the purchaser's beneficial interest, shall also be exempt from charge if following the increase the purchaser's beneficial interest does not exceed 80% of the total beneficial interest in the trust property.

Shared ownership trust: treatment of additional payments where no election made

11 Where no election has been made under paragraph 9 in respect of a shared ownership trust—

(a) the initial capital shall be treated for the purposes of stamp duty land tax as chargeable consideration other than rent, and

(b) any rent-equivalent additional payment by the purchaser shall be treated for the purposes of stamp duty land tax as a payment of rent.”

(2) The amendment made by subsection (1) has effect in relation to land transactions with an effective date on or after the day on which this Act is passed.