Holding company meaning

Individuals or entities that may be entered onto a PSC register: registrable individuals holding significant control registrable relevant legal entities subject to their own disclosure requirements: all UK companies limited by shares or by guarantee (including community interest companies (CICs)) and dormant companies UK unlimited companies UK limited liability partnerships (LLPs) unregistered companies subject to the Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (including some Royal Chartered bodies, such as City of London Livery Companies, Guilds and other societies and professional bodies) UK Societas...

Tax consequences of different buyback structures The table below offers a concise overview of the tax outcomes arising from the various forms of share buyback that a UK company may undertake. Throughout, it is assumed that the relevant shareholder is UK resident and that the repurchased shares are held as an investment. For fuller guidance on the tax treatment of share buybacks, see the following Practice Notes: Tax consequences of share buybacks—main rules Tax consequences of share buybacks—calculating the income capital split Tax consequences of share buybacks—unquoted trading companies For a comparative table setting out other ways a company can return value to shareholders, together with the principal UK tax issues for each route, see: Key UK tax considerations for returning value to shareholders—comparative table. Note that tailored provisions apply where the company repurchasing its shares is a qualifying asset holding company. For more on this, refer to Practice Note: Qualifying asset holding companies (QAHCs)—tax treatment...

This Checklist outlines the key matters a tenant should weigh up if the landlord becomes insolvent. A tenant must continue to fulfil its obligations under the lease, and should promptly contact the insolvency practitioner, as the tenant will need the information set out below. Swift contact is important because guidance on payments and other particulars will be required. Who should rent be paid to? Rent must still be paid in line with the lease. Where the landlord is in administration, liquidation or bankruptcy, or a receiver has been appointed over the property, payment should be made to the administrator, liquidator, trustee in bankruptcy or receiver, as applicable. Under a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), rent may instead be due to the CVA supervisor, subject to the CVA terms. The insolvency practitioner will usually serve notice on the tenant confirming where rent must be sent. Is the landlord holding a rent deposit? You should consider whether the rent deposit deed has been drafted so the deposit is held...

Christopher Purkiss (as liquidator of Ethos Solutions Limited) v Tim Kennedy and others [2025] EWCA Civ 268 Ethos Solutions Limited (the Company) ran a disguised remuneration arrangement under which sums were channelled to an employee benefit trust (EBT) without withholding income tax or NICs. The EBT’s trustee allocated funds into sub-trusts for the respondents and, when asked, advanced the amounts to them as discretionary loans. On 4 December 2012, HMRC issued determinations, holding the Company liable for income tax and NICs of c.£2m arising from payments made to the EBT in the 2008‑09 and 2009‑10 tax years. On 18 December 2012, the Company entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation, making no remittances to HMRC and taking no steps to appeal. On 9 January 2013, HMRC lodged a proof of debt totalling c.£2m with respect to those same EBT payments, as claimed therein...

Qatar Investment and Project Developments Holding Co v Phoenix Ancient Art SA [2025] EWCA Civ 1300 What was the background? In this Court of Appeal matter, the respondents to the appeal (the claimants) applied, by way of an application, for security to cover their appeal costs. The appellants/defendants were Phoenix Ancient Art S.A., a Swiss company, together with Ali Aboutaam, a Swiss resident, and Hicham Aboutaam, resident in New York. The claimants had issued two separate claims against five defendants in total, of whom the first three were the present appellants: one action commenced in 2020 and a second in 2023 respectively. Each claim concerned the artefacts in issue, acquired and purchased from Phoenix, which the claimants alleged were counterfeit and inauthentic. The 2020 proceedings focused on a small chalcedony statuette depicting the goddess Nike. The 2023 proceedings concerned two further pieces, namely: a marble work titled the Head of Alexander the Great as Herakles, and a small chalcedony cameo described as the Phalera with an Imperial Eagle....

The Mayor and Commonality and Citizens of The City of London v 48th Street Holding Ltd and another company [2025] EWHC 1130 (KB) What was the background? The second defendant (‘POLL’) traded in devising rate mitigation schemes (the RMS) for empty premises for third parties. The first defendant, 48SHL, implemented one such arrangement and relied on it as a defence to a claim for non‑domestic rates. Under the arrangement, once relevant property fell vacant, section 45(1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 together with the Non‑Domestic Rating (Unoccupied Property) (England) Regulations 2008, SI 2008/386, regs 3 and 4a, operated to confer an exemption from liability for unoccupied rates for three months and, on the expiry of that three‑month period. To facilitate this, 48SHL granted POLL a lease of the premises and, at the same time, served a break notice bringing the lease to an end six weeks after the grant. This was done to demonstrate occupation by POLL for the scheme’s purposes...

Family business culture Given the relatively high expense of sourcing and appointing senior staff, holding on to the right people with the right expertise is vital for any firm, and even more so for a family-run enterprise where hiring can be tougher than for rivals. Working in a family company brings upsides; research points to greater loyalty, satisfaction, flexibility and security. Yet drawbacks can appear, such as ambiguity, perceived unfairness, muddled accountability and family politics. The task is to bring in senior leaders who align with the culture and to ensure they are incentivised to remain and help grow the business. Therefore, a family business must shape recruitment and induction so they reflect its distinctive culture and complexity. Not every senior executive will thrive in a family setting, and cultural alignment may, in the end, matter as much as formal credentials. This must be weighed against the need to attract high-calibre people and keep them engaged for the long haul. Practical measures available to family firms include supporting new...

ARCHIVED: Released in 2020 and not actively maintained, this Market Standards trend report—produced with White & Case and Activist Insight, and featuring contributions from UBS Investment Bank, Georgeson and Greenbrook—examines recent UK shareholder activism, including a look back at H1 2020. It also sets out how companies can ready themselves for an activist approach and offers guidance for activists on running a successful campaign in the UK... What does the Market Standards trend report cover? Activity levels, such as the number of companies targeted and the capital committed to campaigns Target company profile, covering industry sector and size Activist profile, including the volume of first-time activists The nature of the demands activists are making How far activists succeed in securing their objectives How companies can prepare for an activist approach Tips for running a successful activist campaign...

This Practice Note summarises the law, guidelines and market practice in relation to holding a general meeting It serves both practitioners and company secretaries dealing with and advising companies whose equity shares are listed on the Main Market of London Stock Exchange plc (listed companies), as well as companies with equity shares admitted to AIM (AIM companies). For details on the notice requirements for a general meeting of a listed or AIM company, refer to Practice Note: General meetings—notice requirements for listed public companies for further information and context. Members of a company may convene and hold a general meeting at any time, and as frequently as required within a year, as needed, so that they can pass resolutions to implement specified changes or to authorise particular actions. The Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006) sets out detailed provisions governing the calling and conduct of general meetings. The CA 2006 also imposes additional obligations on a public company that is a traded company or a quoted company. This captures listed...

Insert the following definitions as new definitions into clause 1 of Precedent: Share purchase agreement—pro-buyer—corporate seller—conditional—long form: 1 Definitions and interpretation Sanctioned Activity: activity subject to a Sanctioning Body’s sanctions. Sanctioning Body: United Kingdom, United States of America, European Union, and any other authority administering sanctions. Sanctioned Entity: any person or entity that is, or is owned or controlled (directly or indirectly) by one that is, sanctioned or on a designated list of a Sanctioning Body; ‘owned or controlled directly or indirectly’ has the meaning in Sanctions Laws. Sanctions Laws: all law on a Sanctioned Activity binding either Party or the Agreement’s performance. Sanctions Policy: the Seller’s sanctions policy in Appendix [insert Appendix number], as updated and notified to the Buyer. is not a Sanctioned Entity; has not been notified of any Sanctioned Activity investigation; is unaware of Business circumstances likely to prompt such investigation; shall comply with Sanctions Laws and the Sanctions Policy; ...

[ insert name of company who granted the award pursuant to the long term incentive plan (LTIP) ] ( Company ) [ insert name of LTIP ] ( Plan ) Name Quantity of Shares under the Matched Award Grant Date Standard vesting date[, subject to meeting the Performance Targets] End of Holding Period This confirms that you are the holder of a Matched Award conferring the right to acquire up to the maximum number of Shares in [ insert name of Company whose shares are being granted under both invested and where relevant Matched Awards ], as detailed in the table above...

[ insert name of company who granted the option pursuant to the long term incentive plan (LTIP) ] ( Company ) [ insert name of LTIP ] ( Plan ) Name Number of Shares under Option Option Price per Share Date of Grant Normal Vesting date [ , subject to satisfaction of Performance Targets ] End of Holding Period We hereby confirm that you hold an Option permitting you to acquire up to the maximum number of Shares in [ insert name of Company whose shares are being granted under option ] as shown in the table above. The Option was issued on the Date of Grant set out above under a global deed of grant entered into by the Company [ and is conditional upon the Performance Target(s) attached to this certificate ]. The Option Price due per Share when the Option is exercised is likewise specified in the table above...

Amendments to the International Tax Compliance Regulations 2015 (2015 regs), SI 2015/878, introduced by the International Tax Compliance (Amendment) Regulations 2025, SI 2025/740, have brought in a compulsory Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) registration obligation for certain trusts treated as ‘specified non-reporting financial institutions’. Under the 2015 regs, SI 2015/878, reg 24(1), a specified non-reporting financial institution is ‘a non-reporting financial institution which is a trust within the meaning of Section VIII(B)(1)(e) of the CRS or paragraph II(D) of Annex II to the FATCA agreement’. Set out below is a concise overview of the components of that definition. Financial institution (IEIM400610) The FATCA and CRS frameworks recognise four common categories of Financial Institution: custodial institution depository institution investment entity specified insurance company Where a private trust satisfies any Financial Institution definition, it will most commonly be treated as an Investment Entity...

When one company advances funds to another, the contractual provisions govern any restriction on repaying the loan before the ten-year period first contemplated. Should the lending company enter liquidation or administration, that circumstance, by itself, does not alter the contract’s terms. The office-holding insolvency practitioner should nevertheless review the agreement to determine whether it permits earlier repayment, or repayment on alternative terms, if the lending company goes into liquidation or administration. Although that may appear improbable, it remains possible, and the officeholder ought to explore every avenue to secure accelerated repayment of the borrowing. Absent an express clause to the contrary, the insolvency of the lender does not, of itself, accelerate the debt, and timing remains governed by the bargain. It would seem that the office-holding insolvency practitioner holds an appointment that must remain open for at least ten years before the loan can be discharged and a dividend distributed to creditors...

Practice Note: Applying under the Representative of an Overseas Business category Please see Practice Note: Applying under the Representative of an Overseas Business category, which sets out the eligibility criteria and process (including application form and fee details) for submitting an initial application or seeking an extension under the UK immigration route for Representatives of an Overseas Business. The note explains the eligibility criteria for Sole Representatives of an Overseas Business...