Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970

393 Introductory

(1) This Chapter shall have effect for the purpose of imposing, in the manner and to the extent therein provided, charges to surtax and to tax under section 289 of this Act (shortfall in distributions of close company) in respect of gains to be treated in accordance with this Chapter as arising in connection with policies of life insurance, contracts for life annuities, and capital redemption policies.

(2) Nothing in this Chapter shall apply—

(a) to any policy of life insurance having as its sole object the provision on an individual's death or disability of a sum substantially the same as any amount then outstanding under a mortgage of his residence, or of any premises occupied by him for the purposes of a business, being a mortgage the principal amount secured by which is repayable by instalments payable annually or at shorter regular intervals, or

(b) to any policy of life insurance issued in connection with a sponsored superannuation scheme as defined in section 226(11) of this Act if one-half at least of the cost of the scheme is borne by the person or persons under whom the relevant offices or employments are held.

In the application of this subsection to Scotland, for the reference to a mortgage there shall be substituted a reference to a heritable security within the meaning of the [1924 c. 27.] Conveyancing (Scotland) Act 1924 (but including a security constituted by ex facie absolute disposition or assignation).

(3) In this Chapter—

• " life annuity " means any annuity to which section 230 of this Act (purchased life annuities) applies,

• " capital redemption policy " means any insurance effected in the course of a capital redemption business as defined in section 324(3) of this Act,

• " assignment ", in relation to Scotland, means an assignation.

(4) This Chapter shall have effect only as respects policies of life insurance issued in respect of insurances made after 19th March 1968, contracts for life annuities entered into after that date, and capital redemption policies effected after that date.

(5) A policy of life insurance issued in respect of an insurance made on or before 19th March 1968 shall be treated for the purposes of subsection (4) above and the following provisions of this Chapter as issued in respect of one made after that date if it is varied after that date so as to increase the benefits secured or to extend the term of the insurance:

Provided that a variation effected before the end of the year 1968 shall be disregarded for the purposes of this subsection if its only effect was to bring into conformity with paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 to this Act (qualifying conditions for endowment policies) a policy previously conforming therewith except as respects the amount guaranteed on death, and no increase was made in the premiums payable under the policy.