Finance Act 1994

Authorised unit trusts

111 Rate of corporation tax

(1) In section 468E of the Taxes Act 1988 (authorised unit trusts: corporation tax), for subsection (2) (deemed rate of corporation tax) there shall be substituted—

“(2) The rate of corporation tax—

(a) for the financial year 1993, shall be deemed to be 22.5 per cent; and

(b) subject to subsection (3) below and section 468EE, for any other financial year shall be deemed to be the rate at which income tax at the basic rate is charged for the year of assessment which begins on 6th April in the financial year concerned.”

(2) After that section there shall be inserted—

“468EE Corporation tax: cases where lower rate applies

(1) Where this subsection applies, the rate of corporation tax for the financial year shall be deemed to be the rate at which income tax at the lower rate is charged for the year of assessment which begins on 6th April in that financial year.

(2) Subsection (1) above only applies—

(a) for the financial year 1994 and subsequent financial years; and

(b) where, on a claim made within the period of twelve months from the end of the accounting period which or part of which falls in the financial year concerned, it is shown to the satisfaction of the inspector that throughout that accounting period the condition in subsection (3) below is fulfilled by the investments subject to the trusts of the authorised unit trust.

(3) The condition in this subsection is fulfilled by the investments if the market value of such of those investments as are qualifying investments does not exceed 60 per cent. of the market value of all those investments.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3) above “qualifying investments” means any of the following investments—

(a) any money placed at interest;

(b) any security—

(i) including any loan stock or similar security whether of the Government of the United Kingdom or of any other government or of any public or local authority in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, or of any company, and whether secured or unsecured, but

(ii) excluding shares in a company;

(c) any shares in a building society; and

(d) an entitlement to a share in the investments subject to the trusts of another authorised unit trust, unless, throughout the relevant period, the condition in subsection (5) below is fulfilled by the investments subject to the trusts of that other authorised unit trust.

(5) The condition in this subsection is fulfilled by the investments if the market value of such of the investments as fall within paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (4) above does not exceed 60 per cent. of the market value of all those investments.

(6) In subsection (4)(d) above “the relevant period” means the accounting period in relation to which by virtue of subsection (2)(b) above the question whether the entitlement is a “qualifying investment” falls to be determined.

(7) For the purposes of this section “investment” does not include cash awaiting investment.

(8) The Treasury may by order amend this section so as to extend or restrict the meaning of qualifying investments for the purposes of subsection (3) above.

(9) An order under subsection (8) above may contain such transitional provision as the Treasury think necessary or expedient.”

112 Distributions of authorised unit trusts

Schedule 14 to this Act (distributions of authorised unit trusts) shall have effect.

113 Umbrella schemes

(1) In section 468 of the Taxes Act 1988 (authorised unit trusts), in subsection (6) (definitions) at the beginning there shall be inserted “Subject to subsections (7) to (9) below”.

(2) After that subsection there shall be added—

“(7) Each of the parts of an umbrella scheme shall be regarded for the purposes of this Chapter as an authorised unit trust and the scheme as a whole shall not be so regarded.

(8) In this section, “umbrella scheme” means a unit trust scheme—

(a) which provides arrangements for separate pooling of the contributions of the participants and the profits or income out of which payments are to be made to them;

(b) under which the participants are entitled to exchange rights in one pool for rights in another; and

(c) in the case of which an order under section 78 of the [1986 c. 60.] Financial Services Act 1986 is in force;

and any reference to a part of an umbrella scheme is a reference to such of the arrangements as relate to a separate pool.

(9) In relation to a part of an umbrella scheme, any reference—

(a) to investments subject to the trusts of an authorised unit trust, shall have effect as a reference to such of the investments as under the arrangements form part of the separate pool to which the part of the umbrella scheme relates; and

(b) to a unit holder, shall have effect as a reference to a person for the time being having rights in that separate pool.”

(3) In section 469 of the Taxes Act 1988 (other unit trusts)—

(a) in subsection (1)(a) (application of section) for the words “that is not an authorised unit trust” there shall be substituted “that is neither an authorised unit trust nor an umbrella scheme”; and

(b) after subsection (6) there shall be inserted—

“(6A) In this section “umbrella scheme” has the same meaning as in section 468.”

(4) Subject to what follows, the amendments made by subsections (1) to (3) above shall have effect on and after 1st April 1994 in relation to unit trust schemes and their participants.

(5) Nothing in those amendments shall have effect before the relevant date in relation to a unit trust scheme which immediately before 1st April 1994 falls within the definition of an umbrella scheme contained in those amendments.

(6) In this section “the relevant date”, means, in relation to a unit trust scheme, the day after the end of the last distribution period of the scheme which commences before 1st April 1994.

(7) On and after the relevant date, the amendments made by subsections (1) to (3) above shall have effect in relation to a scheme—

(a) to which subsection (5) above applies, and

(b) which immediately before the relevant date falls within the definition of an umbrella scheme contained in those amendments,

subject to subsections (8) to (10) below.

(8) The amendments made by subsections (1) to (3) above shall not prevent the trustees of the scheme on and after the relevant date—

(a) making a claim under section 239(3) of the Taxes Act 1988 (carry back of surplus advance corporation tax) in respect of accounting periods of the scheme ending before the relevant date; or

(b) continuing anything which immediately before that date was in the process of being done for the purposes of tax in relation to such accounting periods.

(9) Where immediately before the relevant date the trustees of the scheme are entitled to carry forward an excess under—

(a) section 75(3) of the Taxes Act 1988 (carry forward of management expenses and sums treated as management expenses), or

(b) section 241 of that Act (carry forward of franked investment income),

then, on the relevant date, that right shall be translated into a right in each successor company to carry forward a proportionate part of that excess.

(10) Where immediately before the relevant date the trustees of the scheme have an amount of surplus advance corporation tax which—

(a) has not been dealt with under subsection (3) of section 239 of the Taxes Act 1988, and

(b) is due to be treated under subsection (4) of that section as if it were advance corporation tax paid by them in their next accounting period,

then, on and after the relevant date, a proportionate part of that amount shall be treated as paid under subsection (4) of that section by each successor company in its first accounting period.

(11) In subsections (9) and (10) above “successor company” means, in relation to a scheme, each part of the scheme which on the relevant date becomes an authorised unit trust.