Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

431B Meaning of “pension business”. U.K.

(1) In this Chapter “pension business” means so much of a company’s life assurance business as is referable to contracts of the following descriptions or to the reinsurance of liabilities under such contracts.

(2) The descriptions of contracts are—

(a) any contract with an individual who is, or would but for an insufficiency of profits or gains be, chargeable to income tax in respect of relevant earnings (as defined in section 623(1) and (2)) from a trade, profession, vocation, office or employment carried on or held by him, being a contract approved by the Board under section 620 or a substituted contract within the meaning of section 622(3);

(b) any contract (including a contract of insurance) entered into for the purposes of, and made with the persons having the management of, an exempt approved scheme as defined in Chapter I of Part XIV, being a contract so framed that the liabilities undertaken by the insurance company under the contract correspond with liabilities against which the contract is intended to secure the scheme;

(c) any contract made under approved personal pension arrangements within the meaning of Chapter IV of Part XIV;

(d) any annuity contract entered into for the purposes of—

(i) a scheme which is approved or is being considered for approval under Chapter I of Part XIV;

(ii) a scheme which is a relevant statutory scheme for the purposes of Chapter I of Part XIV; or

(iii) a fund to which section 608 applies,

being a contract which is made with the persons having the management of the scheme or fund, or those persons and a member of or contributor to the scheme or fund, and by means of which relevant benefits (see subsections (3) and (4) below), and no other benefits, are secured;

(e) any annuity contract which is entered into in substitution for a contract within paragraph (d) above [F1 or this paragraph] and by means of which relevant benefits (see subsections (3) and (4) below), and no other benefits, are secured;

[F2 (ea) any contract which is entered into, for purposes connected with giving effect to any pension sharing order or provision made in relation to a contract falling within paragraph (d) or (e) above or this paragraph and by means of which relevant benefits (see subsections (3) and (4) below), and no other benefits, are secured;]

(f) any contract with the trustees or other persons having the management of a scheme approved under section 620 or, subject to subsection (5) below, of a superannuation fund which was approved under section 208 of the 1970 Act, being a contract which—

(i) was entered into for the purposes only of that scheme or fund or, in the case of a fund part only of which was approved under section 208, for the purposes only of that part of that fund, and

(ii) (in the case of a contract entered into or varied after 1st August 1956) is so framed that the liabilities undertaken by the insurance company under the contract correspond with liabilities against which the contract is intended to secure the scheme or fund (or the relevant part of the fund).

[F3 (2A) For the purposes of subsection (2)(d) above the members of and contributors to a scheme or fund shall be deemed to include any person who by virtue of any pension sharing order or provision (within the meaning of Part XIV) has become entitled to any credit as against the persons having the management of the scheme or fund.]

(3) For the purposes of [F4 subsection (2)(d) to (ea)] above “relevant benefits” means relevant benefits as defined by section 612(1) which correspond—

(a) where subsection (2)(d)(i) above applies, or subsection (2)(e) [F5 or (ea)] above applies and the contract within subsection (2)(d) was entered into for the purposes of a scheme falling within subsection (2)(d)(i), with benefits that could be provided by a scheme approved under Chapter I of Part XIV;

(b) where subsection (2)(d)(ii) above applies, or subsection (2)(e) [F5 or (ea)] above applies and the contract within subsection (2)(d) was entered into for the purposes of a scheme falling within subsection (2)(d)(ii), with benefits that could be provided by a scheme which is a relevant statutory scheme for the purposes of Chapter I of Part XIV;

(c) where subsection (2)(d)(iii) above applies, or subsection (2)(e) [F5 or (ea)] above applies and the contract within subsection (2)(d) was entered into for the purposes of a fund falling within subsection (2)(d)(iii), with benefits that could be provided by a fund to which section 608 applies.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3)(a), (b) or (c) above a hypothetical scheme or fund (rather than any particular scheme or fund), and benefits provided by a scheme or fund directly (rather than by means of an annuity contract), shall be taken.

(5) Subsection (2)(f) above shall not apply to a contract where the fund in question was approved under section 208 of the 1970 Act unless—

(a) immediately before 6th April 1980 premiums paid under the contract with the trustees or other persons having the management of the fund fell within section 323(4) of that Act (premiums referable to pension business); and

(b) the terms on which benefits are payable from the fund have not been altered since that time; and

(c) section 608 applies to the fund.

(6) In subsection (5) above “premium” includes any consideration for an annuity.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 431B(2)(e) inserted (27.7.1999) by Finance Act 1999 (c. 16), Sch. 10 para. 1(2)(a)

F2 S. 431B(2)(ea) inserted (27.7.1999) by Finance Act 1999 (c. 16), Sch. 10 para. 1(2)(b)

F3 S. 431B(2A) inserted (27.7.1999) by Finance Act 1999 (c. 16), Sch. 10 para. 1(3)

F4 Words in s. 431B(3) substituted (27.7.1999) by Finance Act 1999 (c. 16), Sch. 10 para. 1(4)(a)

F5 Words in s. 431B(3) inserted (27.7.1999) by Finance Act 1999 (c. 16), Sch. 10 para. 1(4)(b)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 431B modified (23.3.1999 with effect in accordance with reg. 1 of the modifying S.I.) by The Insurance Companies (Capital Redemption Business) (Modification of the Corporation Tax Acts) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/498), regs. 3, 6

C2 S. 431B(2) modified (22.7.2004) by Finance Act 2004 (c. 12), Sch. 36 para. 2(7) (with s. 283(4)(5))