Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

CHAPTER IV TAX CREDITS

231 Tax credits for certain recipients of qualifying distributions

(1) Subject to sections 95(1)(b) and 247, where a company resident in the United Kingdom makes a qualifying distribution and the person receiving the distribution is another such company or a person resident in the United Kingdom, not being a company, the recipient of the distribution shall be entitled to a tax credit equal to such proportion of the amount or value of the distribution as corresponds to the rate of advance corporation tax in force for the financial year in which the distribution is made.

(2) Subject to section 241(5), a company resident in the United Kingdom which is entitled to a tax credit in respect of a distribution may claim to have the amount of the credit paid to it if—

(a) the company is wholly exempt from corporation tax or is only not exempt in respect of trading income; or

(b) the distribution is one in relation to which express exemption is given (otherwise than by section 208), whether specifically or by virtue of a more general exemption from tax, under any provision of the Tax Acts.

(3) A person, not being a company resident in the United Kingdom, who is entitled to a tax credit in respect of a distribution may claim to have the credit set against the income tax chargeable on his income under section 3 or on his total income for the year of assessment in which the distribution is made and where the credit exceeds that income tax, to have the excess paid to him.

(4) Where a distribution mentioned in subsection (1) above is, or falls to be treated as, or under any provision of the Tax Acts is deemed to be, the income of a person other than the recipient, that person shall be treated for the purposes of this section as receiving the distribution (and accordingly the question whether he is entitled to a tax credit in respect of it shall be determined by reference to where he, and not the actual recipient, is resident); and where any such distribution is income of a United Kingdom trust the trustees shall be entitled to a tax credit in respect of it if no other person falls to be treated for the purposes of this section as receiving the distribution.

(5) In subsection (4) above “United Kingdom trust” means a trust administered under the law of any part of the United Kingdom, not being a trust the general administration of which is ordinarily carried on outside the United Kingdom and the trustees, or a majority of the trustees, of which are resident or ordinarily resident outside the United Kingdom.

232 Tax credits for non-U.K. residents

(1) An individual who, having made a claim in that behalf, is entitled to relief under Chapter I of Part VII by virtue of section 278(2) in respect of any year of assessment shall be entitled to a tax credit in respect of any qualifying distribution received by him in that year to the same extent as if he were resident in the United Kingdom.

(2) Where a qualifying distribution is income of a fund to which section 615(2)(b) or (c) applies the persons entitled to receive the income shall be entitled to a tax credit in respect of the distribution to the same extent as a recipient mentioned in section 231(1).

(3) Where a qualifying distribution is income of, or of the government of, any sovereign power or of any international organisation, that power, government or organisation shall be entitled to a tax credit in respect of the distribution to the same extent as a recipient mentioned in section 231(1).

In this subsection “international organisation” means an organisation of which two or more sovereign powers, or the governments of two or more sovereign powers, are members; and if in any proceedings a question arises whether a person is within this subsection, a certificate issued by or under the authority of the Secretary of State stating any fact relevant to that question shall be conclusive evidence of that fact.

233 Taxation of certain recipients of distributions and in respect of non-qualifying distributions

(1) Where in any year of assessment the income of any person, not being a company resident in the United Kingdom, includes a distribution in respect of which that person is not entitled to a tax credit—

(a) no assessment shall be made on that person in respect of income tax at the basic rate on the amount or value of the distribution;

(b) that person’s liability under any assessment made in respect of income tax at a higher rate on the amount or value of the distribution or on any part of the distribution shall be reduced by a sum equal to income tax at the basic rate on so much of the distribution as is assessed at that higher rate;

(c) the amount or value of the distribution shall be treated for the purposes of sections 348 and 349(1) as not brought into charge to income tax.

(2) Where a person has paid tax (“the tax paid”) in respect of excess liability on, or on any part of, a non-qualifying distribution, then if, apart from this subsection, he would be liable to pay an amount of tax in respect of excess liability on, or on any part of, a repayment of the share capital or of the principal of the security which constituted that non-qualifying distribution, he shall be so liable only to the extent (if any) to which that amount exceeds the amount of the tax paid.

In this subsection—

• “excess liability” means the excess of liability to income tax over what it would be if all income tax were charged at the basic rate to the exclusion of any higher rate;

• “non-qualifying distribution” means a distribution which is not a qualifying distribution.

234 Information relating to distributions

(1) Without prejudice to subsections (3) and (4) below but subject to section 95(1)(c), a company which makes a qualifying distribution shall, if the recipient so requests in writing, furnish to him a statement in writing showing the amount or value of the distribution and (whether or not the recipient is a person entitled to a tax credit in respect of the distribution) the amount of the tax credit to which a recipient who is such a person is entitled in respect of that distribution.

(2) The duty imposed by subsection (1) above shall be enforceable at the suit or instance of the person requesting the information.

(3) Every warrant or cheque or other order drawn or made, or purporting to be drawn or made, in payment of any dividend or interest distributed by any company, being a company within the meaning of the [1985 c. 6.] Companies Act 1985 or the [S.I. 1986/1032 (N.I. 6).] Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, or a company created by letters patent or by or in pursuance of an Act, shall have annexed to itself or be accompanied by a statement in writing showing—

(a) in the case of interest which is not a qualifying distribution—

(i) the gross amount which, after deduction of the income tax appropriate thereto, corresponds to the net amount actually paid;

(ii) the rate and the amount of income tax appropriate to such gross amount, and

(iii) the net amount actually paid;

(b) in the case of a dividend or interest which is a qualifying distribution, each of the following amounts—

(i) the amount of the dividend or interest paid, and

(ii) (whether or not the recipient is a person entitled to a tax credit in respect of that distribution) the amount of the tax credit to which a recipient who is such a person is entitled in respect of that distribution.

(4) If a company fails to comply with the provisions of subsection (3) above, the company shall in respect of each offence incur a penalty of £10 except that the aggregate amount of any penalties imposed under this subsection on any company in respect of offences connected with any one distribution of dividends or interest shall not exceed £100.

(5) Where a company makes a distribution which is not a qualifying distribution it shall make a return to the inspector—

(a) within 14 days from the end of the accounting period in which the distribution is made; or

(b) if the distribution is made on a date not falling in an accounting period, within 14 days from that date.

(6) A return under subsection (5) above shall contain—

(a) particulars of the transaction giving rise to the distribution; and

(b) the name and address of the person, or each of the persons, receiving the distribution, and the amount or value of the distribution received by him or by each of them.

(7) Where it is not in the circumstances apparent whether a transaction gives rise to a distribution in respect of which a return is required to be made under subsection (5) above, the company shall—

(a) within the time within which such a return would be required to be made if the transaction did give rise to such a distribution, make a return to the inspector containing particulars of the transaction in question; and

(b) if required by a notice served on the company by the inspector, furnish him within the time specified in the notice with such further information in relation to the transaction as he may reasonably require.

(8) If it appears to the inspector that particulars of any transaction ought to have been and have not been included in a return under subsection (5) or (7) above, he may by a notice served on the company require the company to furnish him within the time specified in the notice with such information relating thereto as he may reasonably require.

(9) Any power which the inspector may exercise under paragraph 17 of Schedule 19 for the purposes of that Schedule may be exercised by him for the purposes of subsections (5) to (8) above.

235 Distributions of exempt funds etc

(1) Where a person entitled to a tax credit in respect of a distribution to which this section applies is, by reason of any exemption from tax, entitled to recover tax and his holding (together with any associated holding) of any one class of the shares, securities or rights by virtue of which he is entitled to the distribution amounts to not less than 10 per cent. thereof, subsection (3) below shall apply to the income represented by any part of the distribution which is not a part—

(a) to which profits arising after the date of acquisition are attributable in accordance with section 236; or

(b) in relation to which the date of acquisition is earlier than 6th April 1965.

(2) For the purposes of this section and section 236, the date of acquisition, in relation to any part of a distribution or profits attributable to it, is the date on which the shares, securities or rights by virtue of which a person is entitled to that part were acquired by him.

(3) Where this subsection applies to any income—

(a) the exemption from tax shall not extend to that income; and

(b) it shall be treated for the purposes of sections 348 and 349(1) as not brought into charge to income tax; and

(c) no amount of interest shall be deducted from or set off against it under section 353.

(4) Where, by virtue of this section, an exemption from tax does not apply to any income represented by a distribution or part of a distribution, the person entitled to the income shall be liable to tax or, as the case may be, additional tax, on it at a rate equal to the additional rate in force at the time the distribution is made and shall be assessable to income tax or corporation tax accordingly.

(5) This section applies to any qualifying distribution except any amount which is treated as such in accordance with section 209(3) or sections 210 and 211.

236 Provisions supplementary to section 235

(1) Section 235 shall be construed in accordance with the following provisions of this section.

(2) Two or more holdings are associated if they were acquired by persons acting in concert or under arrangements made by any person.

(3) There shall be attributed—

(a) to the distributions made by a company at any time (whether before or after the passing of this Act) in respect of any class of shares, securities or rights such of its relevant profits arising after the date of acquisition and before that time as remain after allowing for earlier distributions made in respect of that or any other class of shares, securities or rights, and for distributions made at or to be made after that time in respect of other classes of shares, securities or rights; and

(b) to any part of a distribution made at any time to which a person is entitled by virtue of any part of his holding of any class of shares, securities or rights, such proportion of the profits attributable under paragraph (a) above to the distributions made at that time in respect of that class as corresponds to that part of his holding.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3) above profits arising in part of an accounting period shall be taken to be a proportionate part of the profits arising in the whole of the accounting period except where a different method of arriving at the profits arising in that part can be shown to be fair and reasonable.

(5) For the purposes of this section the relevant profits of a company are, subject to subsection (6) below, its profits computed on a commercial basis after allowing for any provision properly made for corporation tax; and the computation shall be made without regard to any capital gains or losses or to any such amount as is mentioned in section 235(5), and—

(a) shall include franked investment income received from any company not related to the first-mentioned company; and

(b) shall exclude group income and franked investment income received from a company related to the first-mentioned company.

(6) There shall be treated as included in the relevant profits of a company the appropriate portion of the relevant profits of any company related to it.

(7) For the purposes of this section a company (“the owned company”) is related to another company (“the owning company”) if—

(a) the owning company owns not less than 10 per cent. of any one class of shares in the owned company; or

(b) any company related to the owning company owns not less than 10 per cent. of any one class of shares in the owned company;

and the appropriate proportion of the relevant profits of a related company is that proportion of those profits which the owning company would receive by virtue of the shares, securities or rights owned by it, if all the relevant profits of the owned company were distributed and, so far as received directly or indirectly by a company related to the owning company, were distributed by that related company, no account being taken of any profits arising at a time when the owned company was not related to the owning company.

237 Disallowance of reliefs in respect of bonus issues

(1) This section has effect where any person (“the recipient”) receives an amount treated as a distribution by virtue of section 209(3) or 210 or 211(1); and in this section—

(a) any such distribution is referred to as a bonus issue; and

(b) “relevant tax credit” in relation to a bonus issue means the tax credit to which the recipient becomes entitled in respect of the bonus issue.

(2) Subject to subsection (6) below, if the recipient is entitled by reason of—

(a) any exemption from tax, or

(b) the setting-off of losses against profits or income,

to recover tax in respect of any distribution received by him, no account shall be taken for the purposes of any such exemption or set-off of any bonus issue or relevant tax credit received by him.

(3) Subject to subsection (6) below, where, by virtue of this section, no account is to be taken for the purposes of any exemption from tax of any bonus issue and the relevant tax credit, the person entitled to that issue and that credit shall be liable to tax or, as the case may be, additional tax, on them at a rate equal to the additional rate in force at the time the bonus issue is made and shall be assessable to income tax or corporation tax accordingly.

(4) Subject to subsection (6) below, a bonus issue and the relevant tax credit shall be treated for the purposes of sections 241 and 244 as not being franked investment income.

(5) Subject to subsection (6) below—

(a) the relevant tax credit relating to a bonus issue shall not be available to set against any income tax which the recipient is entitled to deduct under section 348 or with which he is chargeable by virtue of section 349(1), and

(b) no interest may be deducted or set off under section 353 from or against so much of a person’s income as consists of bonus issues and relevant tax credits.

(6) Nothing in subsections (2) to (5) above shall affect the proportion (if any) of any bonus issue made in respect of any shares or securities which, if it were declared as a dividend, would represent a normal return to the recipient on the consideration provided by him for the relevant shares or securities, that is to say, those in respect of which the bonus issue was made and, if those securities are derived from shares or securities previously acquired by the recipient, the shares or securities which were previously acquired; nor shall anything in those subsections affect the like proportion of the relevant tax credit relating to that bonus issue.

(7) For the purposes of subsection (6) above—

(a) if the consideration provided by the recipient for any of the relevant shares or securities was in excess of their market value at the time he acquired them, or if no consideration was provided by him for any of the relevant shares or securities, the recipient shall be taken to have provided for those shares or securities consideration equal to their market value at the time he acquired them; and

(b) in determining whether an amount received by way of dividend exceeds a normal return, regard shall be had to the length of time previous to the receipt of that amount since the recipient first acquired any of the relevant shares or securities and to any dividends and other distributions made in respect of them during that time.