Finance Act 1995

80 Treatment of price differential on sale and repurchase of securities

(1) After section 730 of the Taxes Act 1988 there shall be inserted the following sections—

“730A Treatment of price differential on sale and repurchase of securities

(1) Subject to subsection (8) below, this section applies where—

(a) a person (“the original owner”) has transferred any securities to another person (“the interim holder”) under an agreement to sell them;

(b) the original owner or a person connected with him is required to buy them back either—

(i) in pursuance of an obligation to do so imposed by that agreement or by any related agreement, or

(ii) in consequence of the exercise of an option acquired under that agreement or any related agreement;

and

(c) the sale price and the repurchase price are different.

(2) The difference between the sale price and the repurchase price shall be treated for the purposes of the Tax Acts—

(a) where the repurchase price is more than the sale price, as a payment of interest made by the repurchaser on a deemed loan from the interim holder of an amount equal to the sale price; and

(b) where the sale price is more than the repurchase price, as a payment of interest made by the interim holder on a deemed loan from the repurchaser of an amount equal to the repurchase price.

(3) Where any amount is deemed under subsection (2) above to be a payment of interest, that payment shall be deemed for the purposes of the Tax Acts to be one that becomes due at the time when the repurchase price becomes due and, accordingly, is treated as paid when that price is paid.

(4) Where any amount is deemed under subsection (2) above to be a payment of interest, the repurchase price shall be treated for the purposes of the Tax Acts (other than this section and sections 737A and 737C) and (in cases where section 263A of the 1992 Act does not apply) for the purposes of the 1992 Act—

(a) in a case falling within paragraph (a) of that subsection, as reduced by the amount of the deemed payment; and

(b) in a case falling within paragraph (b) of that subsection, as increased by the amount of the deemed payment.

(5) For the purposes of section 209(2)(d) and (da) any amount which is deemed under subsection (2)(a) above to be a payment of interest shall be deemed to be interest in respect of securities issued by the repurchaser and held by the interim holder.

(6) Any amount which—

(a) is deemed under subsection (2) above to be a payment of interest, and

(b) does not fall (apart from this subsection) to be treated as yearly interest,

shall be treated for the purposes of section 338 as if the reference to yearly interest in subsection (3)(a) of that section included a reference to that amount.

(7) The Treasury may by regulations provide for any amount which is deemed under subsection (2) above to be received as a payment of interest to be treated, in such circumstances and to such extent as may be described in the regulations, as comprised in income that is eligible for relief from tax by virtue of section 438, 592(2), 608(2)(a), 613(4), 614(2), (3) or (4), 620(6) or 643(2).

(8) Except where regulations under section 737E otherwise provide, this section does not apply if—

(a) the agreement or agreements under which provision is made for the sale and repurchase are not such as would be entered into by persons dealing with each other at arm’s length; or

(b) all of the benefits or risks arising from fluctuations, before the repurchase takes place, in the market value of the securities sold accrue to, or fall on, the interim holder.

(9) In this section references to the repurchase price are to be construed—

(a) in cases where section 737A applies, and

(b) in cases where section 737A would apply if it were in force in relation to the securities in question,

as references to the repurchase price which is or, as the case may be, would be applicable by virtue of section 737C(3)(b), (9) or (11)(c).

730B Interpretation of section 730A

(1) For the purposes of section 730A agreements are related if they are entered into in pursuance of the same arrangement (regardless of the date on which either agreement is entered into).

(2) References in section 730A to buying back securities—

(a) shall include references to buying similar securities; and

(b) in relation to a person connected with the original owner, shall include references to buying securities sold by the original owner or similar securities,

notwithstanding (in each case) that the securities bought have not previously been held by the purchaser; and references in that section to repurchase or to a repurchaser shall be construed accordingly.

(3) In section 730A and this section “securities” has the same meaning as in section 737A.

(4) For the purposes of this section securities are similar if they entitle their holders—

(a) to the same rights against the same persons as to capital, interest and dividends, and

(b) to the same remedies for the enforcement of those rights,

notwithstanding any difference in the total nominal amounts of the respective securities or in the form in which they are held or the manner in which they can be transferred.

(5) Section 839 (connected persons) applies for the purposes of section 730A.”

(2) In section 729 of that Act (sale and repurchase of securities), after subsection (5) there shall be inserted the following subsection—

“(5A) This section shall not apply where section 737A applies; and this section shall be disregarded in determining whether the condition in subsection (2)(b) of that section is fulfilled in any case.”

(3) In subsections (3)(b), (9) and (11)(c) of section 737C of that Act (adjustment of repurchase price), for “the Tax Acts other than section 737A and of the 1992 Act” there shall be substituted, in each case, “section 730A”; and after subsection (11) of that section there shall be inserted the following subsection—

“(11A) The deemed increase of the repurchase price which is made for the purposes of section 730A by subsection (3)(b), (9) or (11)(c) above shall also have effect—

(a) for all the purposes of the Tax Acts, other than section 737A, and

(b) in cases where section 263A of the 1992 Act does not apply, for the purposes of the 1992 Act,

wherever in consequence of that increase there is for the purposes of section 730A no difference between the sale price and the repurchase price.”

(4) After section 263 of the [1992 c. 12.] Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 there shall be inserted the following section—

“263A Agreements for sale and repurchase of securities

(1) Subject to subsections (2) to (4) below, in any case falling within subsection (1) of section 730A of the Taxes Act (treatment of price differential on sale and repurchase of securities) and in any case which would fall within that subsection if the sale price and the repurchase price were different—

(a) the acquisition of the securities in question by the interim holder and the disposal of those securities by him to the repurchaser, and

(b) except where the repurchaser is or may be different from the original owner, the disposal of those securities by the original owner and any acquisition of those securities by the original owner as the repurchaser,

shall be disregarded for the purposes of capital gains tax.

(2) Subsection (1) above does not apply in any case where the repurchase price of the securities in question falls to be calculated for the purposes of section 730A of the Taxes Act by reference to provisions of section 737C of that Act that are not in force in relation to those securities when the repurchase price becomes due.

(3) Subsection (1) above does not apply if—

(a) the agreement or agreements under which provision is made for the sale and repurchase are not such as would be entered into by persons dealing with each other at arm’s length; or

(b) any of the benefits or risks arising from fluctuations, before the repurchase takes place, in the market value of the securities sold accrues to, or falls on, the interim holder.

(4) Subsection (1) above does not apply in relation to any disposal or acquisition of qualifying corporate bonds in a case where the securities disposed of by the original owner or those acquired by him, or by any other person, as the repurchaser are not such bonds.

(5) Expressions used in this section and in section 730A of the Taxes Act have the same meanings in this section as in that section.”

(5) This section shall have effect where the agreement to sell the securities is entered into on or after the date on which this Act is passed.