Tag: Stamp Duty

How do you create a Group using Share Exchange/Swap? Why is it done?

photo of man holding pen

Share for Share exchange is often used when you are re-organising or creating a group and benefits from tax relief.

Basically if you don’t do a share exchange you would need to sell the shares at market value creating both Capital Gains and Stamp Duty costs.

In order to do a Share exchange you must have bona fide commercial reasons for doing it and it can’t be just to avoid tax. So for example you might want to create a group in order to separate trading and investment activities and enable an investment company to obtain mortgage finance (most lenders probably would not lend to a single company doing both trading and investment in the same company as it puts the investment at risk).

Why?

Here is a common scenario, a developer buys a commercial property to develop into residential and sell, but when the project completes the market conditions have changed they want to keep the residential properties and rent them out.

During the development they will have reclaimed VAT and the first grant of residential is Zero Rated, so they get full recovery. An investor would not get this.

So to avoid partial exemption for VAT its best to move to a new company and there are bona fide Commercial Reasons too as previously noted.

Although the reclassification to investment will create a profit and tax charge a group structure will provide Group SDLT relief. See these blogs for details.

What if you move a Property from Fixed Asset Investment to Trading Stock or Vice Versa? Appropriations and Reclassifaction – Steve J Bicknell Tel 01202 025252

Do you pay SDLT on Properties Transfers within a Group? – Steve J Bicknell Tel 01202 025252

How?

The process basically has 4 stages.

Stage 1 – Form the new companies

Assuming you are now creating a new Holding Company with a New Investment Company, these need to be formed first.

Stage 2 – HMRC Clearance

Its not mandatory but it is best practice How to apply for clearance or approval of a transaction from HMRC – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

To get clearance you need to write a letter to HMRC setting out all the facts, the group structure and the commercial reasons, typically the letter is 6 to 10 pages long.

You can request advance clearances by sending an email to reconstructions@hmrc.gov.uk. You do not need to send a paper copy.

Attachments should be no larger than 2MB. Do not send self-extracting zip files as HMRC software will block them.

If possible we would like to reply by email, but we need your permission to do so by including the following statement:

‘I confirm that our client understands and accepts the risks associated with email and that they are happy for you to send information concerning their business or personal details to us by email. I also confirm that HMRC can send emails to the following address (or addresses)….’

If you’re making the application on behalf of yourself or your company adapt this wording as necessary.

Stage 3 – The Contract

This is normally done by a solicitor.

The contract deals with the acquiring company and the shareholders of the target company under which the shares are to be acquired with the consideration being shares in the acquiring company.

Stage 4 – Stamp Duty Relief

As the acquiring company is paying consideration for the shares (the issue of its own shares), then the transaction is subject to Stamp Duty. However, relief can be claimed under s77 FA 1986 if the conditions are met and the anti-avoidance rule of s77A FA 1986 does not apply. HMRC guidance is at STSM042000 starting at STSM042410. After the conditions have been checked and a claim prepared, see “How to Claim Relief” on GOV.UK. The claim needs to be made within 30 days of the contract date and, as HMRC outline, various information will need to be attached to the e-mail claim including the stock transfer form.

steve@bicknells.net

How much SDLT do you pay on Overage?

What is Overage

http://www.propertylawuk.net/propertytransactionsoverage.html

When land is sold, the vendor will normally do his best to sell at the best possible price – indeed, if the vendor is a public sector authority or a charity, he may be obliged to sell at the best possible price. Sometimes, however, the best possible price may only be available at some time in the future, or not at all. The most common example of this is where planning permission may be granted for a more valuable use of the land, but it is by no means certain that the permission will be forthcoming and, in any event, this is unlikely to happen for some time. Similarly, if land is sold for a particular purpose, such as for the development of 50 houses, and the developer in fact manages to build 60, then the land will obviously be more valuable with 60 houses on it rather than the original 50.

HMRC Rules

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/stamp-duty-land-tax-the-amount-used-to-calculate-whats-payable#cc

Payment depending on the outcome of future events

A transaction could include an amount that the buyer will only pay if some future event happens. This is known as the ‘contingent consideration’.

For example, a developer might agree to pay an extra sum, on condition that they get planning permission for redevelopment.

In these cases you pay SDLT on the assumption that the contingency will happen. The buyer can apply to defer payment of SDLT on the contingent amount. But HMRC still charge the tax at the appropriate rate for the total chargeable consideration.

For example, a builder buys a plot for £400,000 and agrees to pay a further £200,000 if he gets planning permission for a new building. He can apply for deferment on SDLT on the conditional £200,000 but will pay SDLT on the initial payment now. The SDLT due on the initial payment will be at 4%, because the total potential payment is above the £500,000 threshold.

Payment depending on uncertain future events

Some transactions may include a later payment which depends on an unknown variable. This is known as the ‘uncertain or unascertained consideration’.

For example, future payments based on the turnover of a business.

In these cases, calculate the SDLT on the basis of a ‘just and reasonable estimate’ of the amount involved. The buyer can apply to defer payment of the uncertain or unascertainable part. Otherwise, make an appropriate adjustment when the amount of consideration is certain.

steve@bicknells.net

 

How many properties do I have for SDLT?

Above is the diagram from Consultation

But what if you own properties in Companies and Partnerships (registered with HMRC with UTR’s)? Does that mean you own multiple properties?

I spoke to the HMRC SDLT Office about this and they said properties owned by other entities are not owned by an individual so shouldn’t count.

Phone

Call HMRC for help with Stamp Duty Land Tax queries.

Telephone:
0300 200 3510

Opening times:

8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

 

We all want to get things right and follow the rules, so if you file an SDLT return you have 12 months to amend it and during that time you can write to HMRC and set out the exact circumstances, so if you have made a mistake it can be corrected.

The address to write to is

BT – Stamp Duty Land Tax
HM Revenue and Customs
BX9 1HD
United Kingdom

steve@bicknells.net

 

 

Home Buyers have saved £657m in SDLT!

One family house for sale

In the 12 months since December 2014 when new SDLT rules came into place home buyers have saved an estimated £657m in Stamp Duty (SDLT).

The Autum Statement 2014 announced the following change to Stamp Duty.

• No stamp duty will be paid on the first £125,000 of a property
• 2% will be paid on the portion up to £250,000
• 5% is paid for the portion up to £925,000
• 10% is paid on the portion up to £1.5m
• 12% is paid on anything above that

HMRC have a handy calculator, here is link

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/tools/sdlt/land-and-property.htm

New analysis released by HMRC shows that the benefits of this reform have been felt across the country, with homebuyers saving an estimated total of:

  • £24 million in the North East or £900 for the average house
  • £90 million in the North West or £700 for the average house
  • £74 million in the East Midlands or £500 for the average house
  • £131 million the South West or £4,800 for the average house
  • £38 million in Wales or £800 for the average house

steve@bicknells.net

Will property prices go up because of changes to stamp duty?

4880157508_dd2f144a45_m

The big news in the Autum Statement was the change to Stamp Duty.

• No stamp duty will be paid on the first £125,000 of a property
• 2% will be paid on the portion up to £250,000
• 5% is paid for the portion up to £925,000
• 10% is paid on the portion up to £1.5m
• 12% is paid on anything above that

HMRC have a handy new calculator, here is link

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/tools/sdlt/land-and-property.htm

There are also more details at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-stamp-duty-land-tax/rates-and-allowances-stamp-duty-land-tax

98% of all buyers will pay less tax under the new system

Will this lead to big increases in property values?

steve@bicknells.net

How to Issue and Transfer Shares in an SME

When you first form a limited company, the formation agent will arrange the issue of the Subscriber Shares.

Following that you can allocate new shares using Form 88(2)

http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/forms/generalForms/882Revised2005.pdf

Before the Companies Act 2006 companies had authorised share capital so before issuing shares:

  1. Check the Memorandum and Articles
  2. Check any Shareholder agreements

As your company grows, the shareholders may need to transfer shares to new shareholders. To do this you need to:

  • Inform Companies House on the next Annual Return (you can only tell companies house who the shareholders are on an annual return so it could be a while before companies house get to know the the shareholders have changed)
  • Your Bank and Professional Advisers will need information on changes to Shareholders

Your shareholders need to be aware that if they give away shares or make a gain from selling shares they may be liable for Capital Gains Tax, however, they may be entitled to tax relief like the Entrepreneurs Tax Relief and that each year there is an exempt amount of capital gains for individuals.

steve@bicknells.net