Finance Act 1990

Paired shares

112 Stamp duty reserve tax

(1) In section 143 of the [1988 c. 39.] Finance Act 1988 (paired shares) in subsection (1)(b) for the words “an equal number of” there shall be substituted the word “other”.

(2) Subsection (1) above applies where—

(a) the offers referred to in section 143(1) are made, or are to be made, on or after the day on which this Act is passed, and

(b) before the offers are made, or are to be made, units comprising shares in the two companies concerned were offered (whether before or on or after the day on which this Act is passed) in circumstances where section 143 applied without the amendment made by subsection (1) above.

113 Stamp duty reserve tax

(1) Section 99 of the [1986 c. 41.] Finance Act 1986 (stamp duty reserve tax: interpretation) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (6A) (paired shares) in paragraph (b) for the words “an equal number of” there shall be substituted the word “other”.

(3) The following subsection shall be inserted after subsection (6A)—

“(6B) For the purposes of subsection (4) above, shares issued by a body corporate which is not incorporated in the United Kingdom (“the foreign company”) are paired with shares issued by a body corporate which is so incorporated (“the UK company”) where—

(a) the articles of association of the UK company and the equivalent instruments governing the foreign company each provide that no share in the company to which they relate may be transferred otherwise than as part of a unit comprising one share in that company and one share in the other, and

(b) the shares issued by the foreign company, and the shares issued by the UK company, are issued to give effect to an allotment of the shares (as part of such units) as fully or partly paid bonus shares.”

(4) In subsection (9) for the words “subsection (6A)” there shall be substituted the words “subsections (6A) and (6B)”.

(5) Subsection (2) above applies where—

(a) the offers referred to in section 99(6A) are made on or after the day on which this Act is passed, and

(b) before the offers are made, units comprising shares in the two companies concerned were offered (whether before or on or after the day on which this Act is passed) in circumstances where section 99(6A) applied without the amendment made by subsection (2) above.

(6) Subsections (3) and (4) above apply where—

(a) the shares referred to in section 99(6B) are issued on or after the day on which this Act is passed, and

(b) before they are issued, units comprising shares in the two companies concerned were offered (whether before or on or after the day on which this Act is passed) in circumstances where section 99(6A) applied without the amendment made by subsection (2) above.