Sections 459 to 461B
3164.Before the introduction of corporation tax in 1965, friendly societies were within the scope of the charge to income tax and were provided with an exemption from income tax. Since 1965 they have been within the scope of the charge to corporation tax and are not within the charge to income tax and so an exemption from income tax is not needed.
3165.Sections 459 to 466 provide exemptions for friendly societies. These provisions have their origin in FA 1966 (one year after the introduction of corporation tax) which provided for the taxation of profits of registered friendly societies above the exemption limit as if the society were a mutual insurance company (see section 463).
3166.Section 459 exempts unregistered societies from income and corporation tax if their income does not exceed £160. The low exemption for unregistered societies was maintained.
3167.Section 460(1) provides a similar exemption from income tax and corporation tax for registered friendly societies.
3168.Section 461 is concerned with exemption from profits, other than those arising from life or endowment business principally for societies registered before 1 June 1973. Accordingly, redundant references to income tax have been removed.
3169.Section 461B is concerned with exemption from profits, other than those arising from life or endowment business for qualifying societies and contains similar redundant references to income tax in subsections (1) and (5). Accordingly these have been removed.
