Finance Act 2003

Transfer of business within a group

23 (1) This paragraph applies where—

(a) between the time when an award of shares, or the grant of an option to acquire shares, is made and the time of the relief-triggering event for those shares, there is a transfer of the whole, or substantially the whole, of the business for the purposes of which the award or grant was made (“the relevant business”),

(b) the transfer, or each of them if there is more than one, is a qualifying transfer, and

(c) as a result of the transfer or transfers, the whole or substantially the whole of the relevant business is carried on at the time of the relief-triggering event by a different company (“the successor company”) or by different companies (“the successor companies”) from the one by which it was carried on at the time of the award or grant.

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)—

(a) the “relief-triggering event” for shares is the event that, in accordance with paragraph 10, 17 or 22, determines the accounting period for which relief under this Schedule is given in respect of them;

(b) there is a “qualifying transfer” of a business (or a part of one) where the business (or part) is transferred from one company to another company that is, or to two or more companies that are, members of the same group.

(3) Where this paragraph applies—

(a) relief under this Schedule in respect of the shares is given to the successor company or, as the case may be, to whichever one of the successor companies is jointly nominated by them, and

(b) the reference in paragraph 1(1)(a) or (b) to “that company” shall be read as a reference to the company by which the relevant business was carried on at the time of the award or grant.