Law of Property Act 1922

181 Protection of purchasers from claims for death duties.

Section thirteen of the Act of 1897 and all other provisions of the Acts relating to the death duties are hereby repealed, and the following section shall be substituted therefor:—

(1) A registered disposition in favour of a purchaser shall operate to vest in him the estate or interest transferred or created by the disposition free from all claims of His Majesty for death duties, notwithstanding that notice of a claim for duties may be noted on the register under this section, but the person making the disposition and the funds and other property derived therefrom, shall be and remain liable for all such duties and claims for which he was liable:

(2) A disposition to any person, other than a purchaser, shall take effect subject to any charge for payment of death duties and the interest thereon, whether notice of a claim for the duties is entered on the register or not:

(3) A personal representative, in whom the registered estate vests on a death, shall be accountable for all death duties which may become leviable or payable on the death of the deceased in respect of the registered land or any interest therein:

(4) In every other case the proprietor of a registered estate (other than a purchaser who acquires a registered estate free from the charge for duties) shall be accountable for all the death duties which become leviable or payable in respect of that estate or of any minor interest capable of being overridden by a registered disposition made by him:

(5) The personal representative or other proprietor who disposes of a registered estate to a purchaser by a disposition which is registered or protected on the register and the proceeds of sale, funds and other property (if any) derived from the disposition and the income thereof shall (subject as herein-after provided) be and remain liable in respect of and stand charged with the payment of the duties which are overridden by the disposition, together with any interest payable in respect of the same :

(6) Notwithstanding that any duties may be payable by instalments, on a disposition of a registered estate by way of sale, exchange, or charge, all death duties payable in respect of the land dealt with remaining unpaid which are overridden by such disposition, shall immediately become payable and carry interest at the rate of four pounds per centum per annum from the date of the disposition :

Provided that where, by reason of this subsection, an amount is paid or becomes payable for duties and interest in excess of the amount which would have been payable if the duties had continued to be paid by instalments, then such excess shall be repaid or allowed as a deduction by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue :

(7) Where, on the death of a registered proprietor, a charge for death duties has been registered as a land charge under the Land Charges Registration and Searches Act, 1888, and Part I. of this Act, the registrar shall enter notice on the register in the prescribed manner of the charge :

(8) When any such notice is entered, the registrar shall, before registering or entering notice of any disposition which would operate to override the charge for duties, give notice of the intended registration or entry to the said Commissioners, and cancel the notice of the claim for duties so far as it relates to the land or interest therein comprised in the disposition :

(9) When all claims for duties have been satisfied, or no such claims arise, or the said Commissioners are satisfied that the duties will be paid or commuted, they shall notify the fact to the registrar, who shall thereupon cancel the notice (if any) of the claim :

(10) For the purpose of raising the duty, and the costs of raising the same, the personal representative or other registered proprietor accountable as aforesaid shall have all the powers which are by any statute conferred on any person for raising the duty:

(11) Notwithstanding that any duties are by this section made payable by the personal representative or registered proprietor of the land, nothing herein contained shall affect the liability of the persons beneficially interested or of their minor interests in respect of any duty, and they shall accordingly account for or repay the same and any interest and costs attributable thereto, to the said Commissioners or to the personal representative or other proprietor made accountable, and nothing in this section shall affect the remedies of the said Commissioners against any person other than a purchaser:

(12) Capital money liable to be laid out in the purchase of land to be settled in the same manner as the land in respect of which the duty became payable, and personal estate held on the same trusts as the proceeds of sale of land (in respect of which the duty became payable) held on trust for sale may, by the direction of the person accountable, and although the duty is only payable in respect of a minor interest which is or is capable of being overridden by a disposition to a purchaser, be applied in discharging all or any of the duties and costs aforesaid:

(13) Where the duties would not, except by virtue of the last subsection, be payable out of the capital money, or personal estate aforesaid, then the amount so paid shall be repaid by the person liable for the duty to the trustees of the settlement or trustees for sale, by the like instalments and at the like rate of interest by and at which the unpaid duty and the interest thereon might have been paid if the land had not been disposed of, and the minor or other interests of the persons liable and remaining subject to the settlement of the land or of the proceeds of sale shall stand charged with the repayment of the instalments and interest aforesaid ; and the trustees of the settlement or the trustees for sale shall be entitled to recover and receive any excess of duty which may become repayable by the said Commissioners :

(14) Nothing in this section shall impose on a personal representative, trustee, or other person in a fiduciary position, as such, any liability for payment of duty, in excess of the assets (including real estate) vested in him or in the trustees of the settlement, which shall for the time being be available in his or their hands for the payment of the duty, or which would have been so available but for his or their own neglect or default, or impose on the proprietor of a registered charge any liability to discharge death duties unless the claim was paramount to his charge :

(15) In this section " purchaser " only includes a purchaser for money or money's worth:

(16) This section (including the repeals therein) only applies to death duties which become payable or leviable after the commencement of this Act.