Section 124: Mutual Societies: Tax Consequences of Transfers of Business Etc
Summary
1.Section 124 introduces a power to make provisions by regulations governing the tax consequences of transfers of business or engagements by mutual societies.
Details of the Section
2.Subsection (1) sets out the scope of the power.
3.Subsection (3) provides that regulations made under this power may in particular make provision about a number of particular areas as identified in subsections (a) to (h) including reliefs, exemptions and countering avoidance.
4.Subsection (4) provides that the regulations may modify enactments and instruments relating to tax; make any incidental, consequential, supplemental or transitional provisions that may be required including different provisions for different cases or different purposes.
5.Subsection (5) allows for such regulations to have unlimited retrospective effect subject to the condition that they do not increase any person’s liability to tax.
Background Note
6.The Building Societies (Funding) and Mutual Societies (Transfers) Act 2007 (“the 2007 Act”) received Royal Assent on 23 October 2007. Its aim is to help the mutual sector to expand and flourish as an alternative model to other legal forms such as proprietary companies by making it easier for a mutual society to transfer its business to a subsidiary company of another mutual society.
7.Initial discussions with the mutual society sector ahead of implementation of the 2007 Act identified a number of tax issues that might act as a barrier to transfers under that Act and to transfers under pre-existing continuing rules.
8.This section introduces a power for HM Treasury to make, by way of regulations, provisions for the tax consequences of transfers of business or engagements ensuring, as far as possible, equivalent tax treatment for all such transfers and countering potential avoidance.