Explanatory Notes

Finance Act 2014

2014 CHAPTER 26

17 July 2014

Introduction

Section 60: Termination of Life Interest and Death of Life Tenant: Disabled Persons

Summary

1.This section extends, from 5 December 2013, the capital gains tax (CGT) uplift provisions that apply to property held on trust for the benefit of a vulnerable beneficiary to include trusts for the benefit of a disabled person where the beneficiary has no absolute entitlement to the income of the trust.

Details of the Section

2.Subsection (2)(a) extends section 72(1B)(a)(iii) of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to include all disabled person’s interests as defined by section 89B of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 within those interests to which section 72(1) applies, in particular sections 89B(1)(a) and (b) that provide for interests where the person with the interest is treated as beneficially entitled to an interest in possession in the trust property. Section 73(2A)(a) applies this extension automatically to section 73 in the same way that it applies for section 72. The effect of this change is to apply the same capital gains tax treatment to property within a vulnerable beneficiary trust for a person with a disability where the beneficiary has no interest in possession in the trust property as is available where the beneficiary does have an interest in possession.

3.Subsection (2)(b) inserts new subsection 72(6), which deems that an interest in possession for the purpose of section 72 includes an interest within the meaning of section 89B(1)(a) or (b) of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984.

4.Subsection (3) amends section 73(3) in order to apply new subsection 72(6) for the purpose of section 73 in the same way that it applies for section 72.

5.Subsection (4) provides for commencement.

Background Note

6.Section 62 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act (TCGA) 1992 contains provisions concerning CGT on death.

7.They provide that when someone dies there is no deemed disposal on death and, therefore, death is not an occasion of charge to CGT. The assets in a person’s free estate are treated as being acquired by personal representatives at their market value at the date of death. In this way, gains accrued up to the date of death are not subject to double taxation under inheritance tax (IHT) and CGT.

8.Property held on trust is normally subject to IHT at 6 per cent every ten years. As an exception, property held on qualifying trusts for a vulnerable person are taxed to IHT at the normal 40 per cent rate on the death of the vulnerable person as if the property was held by that person rather than the trustees. The exception applies where the person has an interest in possession in the trust property (broadly, an absolute entitlement to the income of the trust). It also applies where the person does not have an interest in possession by deeming that an interest in possession was held.

9.Sections 72 and 73 of the TCGA 1992 contain provisions similar to those in section 62 for property held in a qualifying vulnerable beneficiary trust. However, this is currently restricted to only those trusts where the beneficiary has an actual interest in possession in the trust property. This requirement is distorting decisions on the most appropriate trust structure. The measure extends sections 72 and 73 to include trusts where the vulnerable beneficiary is treated as having an interest in possession.