Finance Act 2001

Insurance companies: treatment of income or gains arising from property investment LLP

5 In Chapter 1 of Part 12 of the Taxes Act 1988 (insurance companies, &c.), after section 438A insert—

“438B Income or gains arising from property investment LLP

(1) Where an asset held by an insurance company as an asset of its long term business fund is held by the company as a member of a property investment LLP, the policy holders' share of any income arising from, or chargeable gains accruing on the disposal of, the asset which—

(a) is attributable to the company, and

(b) would otherwise be referable by virtue of section 432A to pension business,

shall be treated for the purposes of the Corporation Tax Acts as referable to basic life assurance and general annuity business.

(2) For the purposes of this section the property business of the insurance company for the purposes of which the asset is held shall be treated as a separate business.

• “Property business” means a Schedule A business or overseas property business.

(3) Where (apart from this subsection) an insurance company would not be carrying on basic life assurance and general annuity business, it shall be treated as carrying on such business if any income or chargeable gains of the company are treated as referable to the business by virtue of subsection (1) above.

(4) A company may be charged to tax by virtue of this section—

(a) notwithstanding section 439A, and

(b) whether or not the income or chargeable gains to which subsection (1) above applies is taken into account in computing the profits of the company for the purposes of any charge to tax in accordance with Case I of Schedule D.

(5) The policy holders' share of income or chargeable gains to which subsection (1) above applies—

(a) shall not be treated as relevant profits for the purposes of section 88 of the Finance Act 1989 (corporation tax on policy holders' fraction of profits), and

(b) shall not be treated as part of the BLAGAB profits for the purposes of section 88A of that Act (lower corporation tax rate on certain profits);

but the whole of the income or gains to which that subsection applies shall be chargeable to tax at the rate provided by section 88 of that Act.

(6) So far as income is brought into account as mentioned in section 83(2) of the Finance Act 1989, sections 432B to 432F (apportionment of receipts brought into account) have effect as if subsection (1) above did not apply.

438C Determination of policy holders' share for purposes of s.438B

(1) For the purposes of section 438B the policy holders' share of any income or chargeable gains to which subsection (1) of that section applies is what remains after deducting the shareholders' share.

(2) The shareholders' share is found by applying to the whole the fraction—

where—

• A is the amount of the profits of the company for the period which are chargeable to tax under section 436; and

• B is an amount equal to the excess of—

  (a)

  the amount taken into account as receipts of the company in computing those profits (apart from premiums and sums received by virtue of a claim under a reinsurance contract), over

  (b)

  the amounts taken into account as expenses in computing those profits.

(3) Where there is no such excess as is mentioned in subsection (2) above, or where the profits are greater than any excess, the whole of the income or gains is treated as the shareholders' share.

(4) Subject to that, where there are no profits none of the income or gains is treated as the shareholders' share.”.