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Capital transfer tax meaning

What does Capital transfer tax mean?
In practice, capital transfer tax was the UK tax on transfers of value made during lifetime and on death. It applied across England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, replacing estate duty. Introduced for lifetime transfers in 1974, the death charge took effect in 1975. The regime was statutory (principally the Capital Transfer Tax Act 1984) and used concepts such as chargeable transfers and settlements. It was replaced by inheritance tax by the Finance Act 1986, when the Capital Transfer Tax Act 1984 was retitled the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 (IHTA 1984). Today the term arises mainly in historic documents, case law and transitional provisions, for example when construing “chargeable transfer” wording in pre-1986 trusts, reviewing pre-1986 cumulation, or tracing the tax history of settled property. For current tax planning, compliance and contentious matters, inheritance tax under IHTA 1984 is the governing regime. In Ireland, the comparable tax is capital acquisitions tax (CAT). “Capital transfer tax” is not an Irish statutory term and is not used in Irish tax legislation. Usage is therefore broadly consistent only within the UK context.
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View the related Checklists about Capital transfer tax

CHECKLISTS
Corporate real estate joint ventures: drafting checklist for JV company shareholders’ agreements and articles, including funding, approvals, governance, transfers, deadlock, valuation and exit routes (English law)

Purpose of checklist This checklist aims to set out the types of considerations that must be kept in view-and for which client instructions will be required-when preparing a joint venture agreement (JVA) and articles of association for a corporate real estate transaction. For further key points to address when drafting a JVA, see Checklists: Corporate joint venture preliminary issues-checklist and Joint venture shareholders’ agreement-checklist. See also Practice Note: Property Joint Ventures-general issues for a summary of the commercial matters the joint venture parties will need to weigh when establishing a property joint venture (JV). Corporate real estate JVs typically involve collaboration between parties able to source real estate (with one party possibly owning, and contributing to the joint venture company (JVC), the property to be developed), provide substantial capital to the JVC, supply or arrange debt funding (to finance the development) and offer the expertise to develop and/or manage the property. The JVA will document the parties’ agreement on their respective rights in relation to issues such as management...

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CHECKLISTS
UK VAT Capital Goods Scheme in Property Transactions: Practical Checklist for TOGCs, Options to Tax, Leasing, Adjustments and Contract Clauses

What is the capital goods scheme? The capital goods scheme (CGS) offers a method to adjust, over a defined timeframe, the VAT initially incurred on substantial capital outlay. For property, that timeframe is ten years and applies where expenditure of £250,000 or more has been made. The adjustment mirrors changes in taxable use during the relevant period. For a more detailed overview, see Practice Note: VAT—capital goods scheme (CGS). When should a property lawyer be alert to the CGS? CGS considerations can arise in the following situations: the sale or purchase of commercial property, residential property, relevant charitable property (RCP) or relevant residential property (RRP) acquiring a property that qualifies as a transfer of a going concern (TOGC) granting a lease where the option to tax has not been, cannot be, or is disapplied In each case, this concerns a property within the CGS, typically one where a VAT-registered party has incurred £250,000 or more (excluding VAT) of capital...

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CHECKLISTS
UK offshore tax non-compliance: operative dates for penalties, sanctions, offences, enabler penalties, naming and time limits (2011–2022)

From 6 April 2011, a stricter penalties framework has applied to an individual’s tax position where non-compliance involves an offshore matter or an offshore transfer. The operative dates for the different penalties, sanctions and criminal offence measures relating to offshore tax matters are as follows: Operative date 6 April 2011 — Section 35 and Schedule 10 to the Finance Act 2010 (FA 2010), together with the Finance Act 2010, Schedule 10 (Appointed Days and Transitional Provisions) Order 2011, SI 2011/975 — Offshore-focused penalties introduced for inaccuracies on returns, failures to notify and failures to submit returns for any tax year beginning on or after 6 April 2011 for the purposes of income tax and capital gains tax (CGT). See Practice Note: Penalties for offshore tax non-compliance—Scope of offshore penalties regime 27 March 2015 — Section 121 and Schedule 21 to the Finance Act 2015 (FA 2015), with Royal Assent on 26 March 2015 — Introduction of an aggravated penalty targeting the movement of concealed funds...

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View the related Flowcharts about Capital transfer tax

FLOWCHARTS
Flowchart: interaction and priority of SSE, share reorganisation (TCGA 1992 s135) and intra-group no gain/no loss (s171) for UK capital gains groups

Flowchart This Flowchart sets out the procedural steps where a claim arises under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (I(PFD)A 1975). For additional guidance on I(PFD)A 1975 claims, please refer to: Family provision claims—overview...

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View the related News about Capital transfer tax

NEWS
UK tax update for lawyers: key FTT/UT rulings, VAT and SDLT/LTT developments, oil and gas ring fence, HMRC Manuals changes and case trackers—week of 27 June 2024

In this issue: Taxes management and litigation VAT Real estate taxes Oil and gas taxation Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Taxes management and litigation FTT upholds penalties for invalid BADR claims (Cox and another v HMRC) As outlined below, in Cox and another v HMRC [2024] UKFTT 510 (TC), the First-tier Tax Tribunal (FTT) rejected the taxpayers’ appeals against penalties arising from defective entrepreneurs’ relief claims, now termed business asset disposal relief (BADR). The FTT decided the claimants failed to exercise reasonable care when making the claims, and that HMRC’s choice not to suspend the penalties was not erroneous. See News Analysis: FTT upholds penalties for invalid BADR claims (Cox and another v HMRC). VAT FTT confirms dip pot formed part of single supply of takeaway food subject to VAT (Queenscourt Limited v HMRC) As previously noted in a Tax...

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NEWS
UK tax weekly: Centrica Supreme Court, GEFI treaty relief, JTI unallowable purpose; VAT grouping; King’s Speech; HMRC updates—18 July 2024

In this issue: Budgets and Finance Bills Companies and corporation tax Brexit and tax Real estate tax Individuals and income tax Stamp and transfer taxes VAT Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers New Q&As Useful information Budgets and Finance Bills King’s Speech 2024 His Majesty the King outlined the government’s priorities, agenda and intended measures for the forthcoming parliamentary session during the State Opening of Parliament on 17 July 2024. Initial reactions from the Private Client community to the announcements have been collated. See: LNB News 17/07/2024 92. CIOT letter to the new Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury The CIOT has written to the incoming Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray MP, setting out tax matters for the new administration. See: LNB News 17/07/2024 22. Companies and corporation tax Supreme Court finds advisers’ fees were capital in...

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NEWS
UK tax highlights: Court of Appeal BlackRock transfer pricing/unallowable purpose; 1.5% stamp duty capital-raising exemption; VAT consideration; remittance; MTD ITSA penalties; pensions LTA abolition (11 April 2024)

In this issue: Companies and corporation tax Stamp taxes VAT Individuals and income tax Taxes management and litigation Employment taxes Budget and Finance Bills Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Companies and corporation tax Court of Appeal decides interest on intra-group loans not restricted under transfer pricing rules but debits disallowed under unallowable purpose rule (BlackRock Holdco 5, LLC v HMRC) BlackRock Holdco 5, LLC v HMRC [2024] EWCA Civ 330 considers whether, for UK tax purposes, interest on intra‑group borrowing put in place to help fund a commercial acquisition is deductible. Two principal points were before the Court of Appeal: the transfer pricing analysis and the loan relationships unallowable purpose question. On the transfer pricing limb, the Court of Appeal allowed the taxpayer’s appeal. As a result, deductions for interest on the intra‑group loans were not curtailed by the transfer...

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View the related Practice Notes about Capital transfer tax

PRACTICE NOTES
UK real estate anti-avoidance: sale and leasebacks, lease receipts taxed as income, non-resident CGT, Ramsay, DOTAS, GAAR, attribution of offshore gains, transfer of assets abroad and DPT

Stop Press : From accounting periods starting on or after 1 January 2026, the Diverted Profits Tax is superseded by the unassessed transfer pricing profits rules. This Practice Note, alongside Transactions in UK land—tax rules, examines the anti-avoidance provisions aimed at countering attempts to sidestep tax on income, profits or gains connected with arrangements concerning, or trades of dealing in, land. The main anti-avoidance measure seeks to treat gains of a capital character realised on the disposal of land as income, bringing them within income tax or corporation tax. Further detail appears in Practice Note: Transactions in UK land—tax rules. From 5 July 2016 these rules superseded and expanded the former transactions in land rules (for information on prior rules, see Practice Note: Real estate—anti-avoidance: disposals of land and taxing capital gains as income (pre 5 July 2016) [Archived])...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK tax structuring for cross‑border IP development and acquisition: IFA regime, merged RDEC/ERIS, overseas R&D restrictions, transfer pricing, trading requirement, capital allowances, and patent box nexus

Successive UK governments have aimed to cement the UK as one of the world’s most appealing settings for innovation and enterprise. To that end, a wide-ranging suite of tax incentives has been rolled out to encourage innovative companies, supporting both investors and trading entities, and assisting businesses at every phase of a business’s life cycle. These incentives include: R&D tax reliefs patent box business asset disposal relief (previously entrepreneurs’ relief) capital allowances for purchases of: knowhow patents, and plant and machinery venture capital trusts the enterprise investment scheme, and the seed enterprise investment scheme This Practice Note outlines the UK position on key tax considerations when determining how to structure an innovative business with international or global aspirations. The observations are general in nature and work on the basis of a clean slate; revisiting an existing IP ownership arrangement will inevitably demand a bespoke solution (notably...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Transfer of Assets Abroad Code: UK charge on transferors receiving capital sums (ITA 2007 s727), with 2024–2025 updates incl. close company deeming, motive/EU defences and non‑domiciled rules

FORTHCOMING CHANGES: At Budget 2025 on 26 November 2025, the government stated it intends to introduce modest rectifying amendments to the residence-based tax regime established by Finance Act 2025...

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View the related Precedents about Capital transfer tax

PRECEDENTS
Private M&A Share Sale: Individual Seller Deed of Power of Attorney to Execute SPA and Ancillary Shareholder Documents (England and Wales)

Power of attorney—private M&A—share purchase—signing—individual seller 1 Appointment and powers I, [insert seller’s name] of [insert address], on [insert date] appoint [jointly and/or severally] [insert name(s) of attorney] of [insert address(es)] as my lawful attorney(s) to act for me regarding the proposed sale of [the entire/a substantial part/[insert %] per cent of the] issued share capital of [insert target company name] to [insert the buyer name] or its nominee (the Proposed Sale). The attorney may approve, execute and sign any deed, agreement, letter, consent or other document required in my capacity as shareholder, including the SPA, the Disclosure Letter, the Tax Covenant and any [lost share certificate indemnity], [pre-emption waiver] or [stock transfer form(s)]; manage shareholders’ meetings and proxies; [grant or withhold consents and sign resolutions]; and [on Completion appoint the Buyer as my attorney until registration as holder of the Shares]. The attorney may delegate to an agent (without onward delegation) and appoint or remove a substitute; I ratify lawful acts and indemnify the attorney; this...

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PRECEDENTS
Unapproved employee share option deed (England and Wales): standalone precedent with vesting/performance targets, leaver and exit/takeover provisions, tax/NICs obligations and share capital variation adjustments

This AGREEMENT This AGREEMENT is dated [ insert date of execution of the share option agreement ]. Parties [ insert name of company whose shares are being granted under option ] (registered number [ insert registered number of company ]), whose registered office is at [ insert registered address of company ] (the Company); [ and ] [ insert name of option holder ] of [ insert address of option holder ] (the Option Holder) [ and ] [ [ insert name of grantor (if different from company) ] of [ insert address of grantor ] (the Grantor ) ] Background [ As at the date of this Agreement, the Company has agreed to grant the Option Holder an Option to acquire Shares on the terms set out in this Agreement. OR The Company and the Grantor intend that, as at the date of this Agreement, the Option Holder shall be granted an Option to acquire Shares...

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PRECEDENTS
Demerger by Capital Reduction Agreement: Transfer of Subsidiary to NewCo and Allotment of NewCo Shares to HoldCo Shareholders (England and Wales)

STOP PRESS: A major overhaul of the UK listing framework became effective on 29 July 2024, eliminating the premium and standard listing segments and introducing a single listing category for equity shares issued by commercial companies, replacing the prior segmentation approach across the listing regime. This commercial companies category relies strongly on disclosure and sits alongside other categories, including those for shell companies, secondary listing and closed-ended investment funds. To deliver these reforms, a new UK Listing Rules sourcebook took effect and the former Listing Rules sourcebook was withdrawn. For more detail, see Practice Note: Reform of the UK listing regime—fundamentals. This Precedent represents the position under the listing regime as it stood before 29 July 2024...

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View the related Q&As about Capital transfer tax

Q&As
CGT/SDLT: Is consideration value plus undischarged mortgage?

We take it that both buyer and seller are unconnected third parties, dealing at arm’s length for these purposes; the asset being conveyed is situated in England and Wales; and the effective date is the date of completion. Although the seller might have a charge secured over its interest in the property, that does not automatically mean the sale to the buyer is caught by that charge by itself. Whether it is depends on what the parties agree. As a rule, a transfer is not taken subject to an existing mortgage. The notes below consider a transfer that is subject to a mortgage, and one that is not. Transfer subject to seller’s existing mortgage Where a property is conveyed to a buyer subject to the seller’s subsisting mortgage, the purchaser assumes the seller’s liability...

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