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14 1982

FINANCE ACT, 1982

Chapter VI

Tax on Chargeable Gains

Interpretation ( Chapter VI ).

29. —In this Chapter—

the Principal Act” means the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975 ;

the Act of 1978” means the Capital Gains Tax (Amendment) Act, 1978 .

Rates of charge.

30. —(1) Section 3 of the Principal Act is hereby amended, as respects chargeable gains accruing on disposals made on or after the 26th day of March, 1982, by the substitution for subsection (3) (inserted by the Act of 1978) of the following subsections:

“(3) Except as otherwise provided for by the Capital Gains Tax Acts, the rate of capital gains tax in respect of chargeable gains accruing to a person on the disposal of an asset shall be—

(a) 60 per cent. where his period of ownership of the asset is not more than one year,

(b) 50 per cent. where his period of ownership of the asset is more than one year but not more than three years,

(c) in any other case, 40 per cent.,

and any reference in those Acts to the rate specified in this section shall be construed accordingly.

(4) In subsection (3) ‘period of ownership’, in relation to a person making a disposal of an asset, means his period of continuous ownership of the asset, in the same capacity, ending with the date of such disposal, and, for the purposes of this definition, a period of ownership shall be determined without regard to the provisions of section 3 (2) of the Capital Gains Tax (Amendment) Act, 1978 , and, where the asset was acquired by the person on the death of his spouse so that his period of ownership would, apart from this subsection, be treated as having commenced on the date of that death, his period of ownership shall be deemed to be extended to include his spouse's period of continuous ownership ending on that date.”.

(2) Section 4 of the Act of 1978 shall not apply as respects chargeable gains accruing on disposals made on or after the 26th day of March, 1982.

(3) Subject to section 40 , section 5 (1) of the Principal Act shall apply subject to the provisions of section 3 (3) of that Act and of paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 to the Act of 1978.

Corporation tax on chargeable gains of companies.

31. —(1) Section 13 of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976 , is hereby amended, as respects accounting periods ending after the 31st day of December, 1981, by the substitution for subsection (1) of the following subsections:

“(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the amount to be included in respect of chargeable gains in a company's total profits for any accounting period shall be determined in accordance with subsection (1B) after taking into account the provisions of subsection (1A).

(1A) Where, for an accounting period, chargeable gains accrue to a company, an amount of capital gains tax shall be calculated as if, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Corporation Tax Acts, capital gains tax fell to be charged on the company in respect of those gains in accordance with the provisions of the Capital Gains Tax Acts, and as if accounting periods were years of assessment:

Provided that, in calculating the said amount of capital gains tax, section 5 (1) of the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975 , shall have effect as if the reference therein to deducting allowable losses were a reference to deducting relevant allowable losses and section 132 (2) shall have effect for the purpose of determining the period of ownership of an asset in relation to a disposal by the company for the purposes of section 3 (3) of the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975 , if it would have effect in relation to that disposal for the purposes of section 3 of the Capital Gains Tax (Amendment) Act, 1978 .

(1B) The amount referred to in subsection (1) shall be an amount which, if it (before making any deduction therefrom) were charged to corporation tax as profits of the company arising in the accounting period at the rate specified in section 1 (1), would produce an amount of corporation tax equal to the amount of capital gains tax calculated for that accounting period in accordance with subsection (1A):

Provided that, where part of the accounting period falls in one financial year and the other part in the succeeding financial year and different rates of corporation tax are in force under section 1 (1) for each of those years, the amount of capital gains tax calculated for that accounting period in accordance with subsection (1A) shall be apportioned between those parts and this subsection shall have effect accordingly in relation to the portion referable to each part.

(1C) In subsection (1A)—

chargeable gains’ does not include chargeable gains accruing on relevant disposals within the meaning of section 36 of the Finance Act, 1982;

relevant allowable losses’ means any allowable losses accruing to the company in the accounting period and any allowable losses previously accruing to the company while it has been within the charge to corporation tax so far as they have not been allowed as a deduction from chargeable gains accruing in any previous accounting period.”.

(2) Section 16 (3) of the Finance Act, 1977 , shall not have effect as respects accounting periods to which subsection (1) applies.

Increase in exemption for individuals.

32. —Subsection (4) (inserted by the Finance Act, 1980 ) of section 13 and subsections (1) and (2) of section 16 of the Principal Act and paragraph 8 of Schedule 1 to the Act of 1978 are hereby amended, as respects the year 1982-83 and subsequent years of assessment, by the substitution of “£2,000” for “£500”, in each place where it occurs, and the said provisions, as so amended, are set out in the Table to this section.

TABLE

(4) Where, apart from subsection (1), the amount on which an individual is chargeable to capital gains tax under section 5 (1) for a year of assessment (hereafter in this subsection referred to as “the first-mentioned amount”) is less than £2,000 and the spouse of the individual (being, at any time during that year of assessment, a married woman living with her husband, or that husband) is, apart from subsection (1), chargeable to capital gains tax on any amount for that year, section 16 (1) shall have effect in relation to the spouse as if the sum of £2,000 mentioned therein were increased by an amount equal to the difference between the first-mentioned amount and £2,000.

16.—(1) An individual shall not be chargeable to capital gains tax for a year of assessment if the amount on which he is chargeable to capital gains tax under section 5 (1) for that year does not exceed £2,000.

(2) If the amount on which an individual is chargeable to capital gains tax under section 5 (1) for a year of assessment exceeds £2,000 only the excess of that amount over £2,000 shall be charged to capital gains tax for that year.

8. For the purposes of subsection (2) of section 16 (gains of £2,000 and under) of the Principal Act, where, on the assumption that that subsection did not apply, an individual would be chargeable under the Capital Gains Tax Acts at more than one rate of tax for a year of assessment, the relief to be given under that subsection in respect of the first £2,000 of chargeable gains shall be given—

(a) if he would be so chargeable at two different rates, in respect of the chargeable gains which would be so chargeable at the higher of those rates and, so far as relief cannot be so given, in respect of the chargeable gains which would be so chargeable at the lower of those rates, and

(b) if he would be so chargeable at three or more rates, in respect of the chargeable gains which would be so chargeable at the highest of those rates and, so far as relief cannot be so given, in respect of the chargeable gains which would be so chargeable at the next highest of those rates, and so on.

Amendment of section 5 (amount chargeable and time of payment) of Principal Act.

33. —Section 5 of the Principal Act is hereby amended, as respects chargeable gains accruing on disposals made after the passing of this Act, by the insertion after subsection (2) of the following subsection:

“(3) (a) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2) and section 3 (2), any capital gains tax payable in respect of a chargeable gain which, on a disposal, accrues to a person who is not resident or ordinarily resident in the State at the time at which the disposal is made may be assessed and charged before the end of the year of assessment in which the chargeable gain accrues and the tax so assessed and charged shall be payable at or before the expiration of a period of three months beginning with the time at which the disposal is made, or at the expiration of a period of two months beginning with the date of making the assessment, whichever is the later.

(b) In computing the amount of capital gains tax payable under paragraph (a), the provisions of subsection (1) shall apply, with any necessary modifications, as regards the deduction of any allowable losses which accrued to the person mentioned in paragraph (a) prior to the date of making of the assessment mentioned in that paragraph.”.

Disposal of certain assets.

34. —(1) As respects any payment, after the passing of this Act, of consideration for acquiring an asset to which paragraph 11 of Schedule 4 to the Principal Act applies, that Schedule is hereby amended by the substitution for that paragraph of the following paragraph:

“Disposal of certain assets

11.—(1) This paragraph shall apply to assets that are—

(a) land in the State;

(b) minerals in the State or any rights, interests or other assets in relation to mining or minerals or the searching for minerals;

(c) exploration or exploitation rights in a designated area;

(d) shares in a company deriving their value or the greater part of their value directly or indirectly from assets specified in clause (a), (b) or (c) other than shares quoted on a stock exchange; and

(e) goodwill of a trade carried on in the State.

(2) Upon payment of the consideration for acquiring an asset to which this paragraph applies, the person by or through whom any such payment is made shall deduct there out a sum representing an amount of capital gains tax equal to 15 per cent. of the said payment and the person to whom the payment is made shall allow such deduction upon receipt of the residue of the payment and the person making the deduction shall, on proof of payment to the Revenue Commissioners of the amount so deducted, be acquitted and discharged of so much money as is represented by the deduction as if that sum had been actually paid to the person making the disposal:

Provided that where the person disposing of the asset produces to the person acquiring the asset a certificate issued under subparagraph (6) in relation to the disposal, no such deduction shall be made.

(3) Where any such payment as aforesaid is made by or on behalf of any person, that person shall forthwith deliver to the Revenue Commissioners an account of the payment, and of the amount deducted therefrom, and the inspector shall, notwithstanding any other provision of the Capital Gains Tax Acts, assess and charge that person to capital gains tax for the year of assessment in which the payment was made on the amount of the payment at the rate of 15 per cent.

(4) The inspector may, where, in relation to any such payment as aforesaid, any person has made default in delivering an account required by this paragraph, or where he is not satisfied with the account, estimate the amount of the payment to the best of his judgment and, notwithstanding section 5 (1), assess and charge that person to capital gains tax for the year of assessment in which the payment was made on the amount so estimated at the rate of 15 per cent.

(5) Where the amount of capital gains tax assessed and charged under subparagraph (3) or (4) is paid, appropriate relief shall, on a claim being made in that behalf, be given to the person chargeable in respect of the gain on the disposal, whether by discharge or repayment or otherwise.

(6) A person chargeable to capital gains tax on the disposal of an asset to which this paragraph applies may apply to the inspector for a certificate that tax should not be deducted from the consideration for the disposal of the asset and that the person acquiring the asset should not be required to give notice to the Revenue Commissioners in accordance with subparagraph (7) (a), and, if the inspector is satisfied that the person making the application is the person making the disposal and that—

(a) he is ordinarily resident in the State, or

(b) no amount of capital gains tax is payable in respect of the disposal, or

(c) the capital gains tax chargeable for the year of assessment for which he is chargeable in respect of the disposal of the asset and the tax chargeable on any gain accruing in any earlier year of assessment (not being a year ending earlier than the 6th day of April, 1974) on a previous disposal of the asset has been paid,

the inspector shall issue the certificate to the person making the application and shall issue a copy of the certificate to the person acquiring the asset.

(7) (a) Where—

(i) after the passing of the Finance Act, 1982, a person acquires an asset to which this paragraph applies, and

(ii) the consideration for acquiring the asset is of such a kind that the deduction mentioned in subparagraph (2) cannot be made thereout, and

(iii) the person disposing of the asset does not, within two months after the time at which the acquisition is made, produce to him a certificate under subpararaph (6) in relation to the disposal,

the person acquiring the asset shall give notice to the Revenue Commissioners of the acquisition not later than three months after the time at which the acquisition is made (or within such longer period as the Revenue Commissioners may, by notice in writing, allow) and the notice to be so given by that person to the Revenue Commissioners shall contain particulars of—

(I) the asset acquired,

(II) the consideration for acquiring the asset,

(III) the market value of the asset, estimated to the best of that person's knowledge and belief, and

(IV) the name and address of the person making the disposal,

and the Revenue Commissioners shall acknowledge receipt of that notice.

(b) Where—

(i) a person acquiring an asset, who is required to give notice under clause (a) and to whom the person disposing of the asset does not produce a certificate under subparagraph (6), does not comply with the requirement to give that notice, and

(ii) a chargeable gain accrues on the disposal of the asset, and

(iii) an amount of capital gains tax assessed in respect of that disposal is not paid within twelve months from the date when the tax becomes payable, and

(iv) the asset is not an asset to which paragraph 18 applies,

the person so acquiring the asset may, by an assessment made not later than two years from the date when the tax became payable, be assessed and charged (in the name of the person disposing of the asset to him) to capital gains tax on an amount not exceeding the amount of the chargeable gain so accruing, and not exceeding such an amount of chargeable gains as would, if charged at the rate provided in section 3 (3), result in liability to an amount of capital gains tax equal to the said amount of capital gains tax which was not paid.

(c) A person paying any amount of tax in pursuance of clause (b) shall be entitled to recover a sum of that amount from the person disposing of that asset to him as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(d) This subparagraph shall apply in relation to the acquisition of an asset by two or more persons with any necessary modifications and subject to the proviso that each such person shall be liable to be assessed and charged in respect only of such part of the amount of capital gains tax payable by those persons by virtue of clause (b) as bears to the whole of such tax the same proportion as the part of the asset acquired by that person bears to the whole of the asset.

(8) This paragraph shall not apply where the consideration on a disposal does not exceed the sum of fifty thousand pounds:

Provided that if an asset owned at one time by one person, being an asset to which this paragraph would, but for this subparagraph, apply, is disposed of by that person in parts—

(a) to the same person, or

(b) to persons who are acting in concert or who are, in the terms of section 33, connected persons,

whether on the same or different occasions, the several disposals shall for the purposes of this subparagraph, but not for any other purpose, be treated as a single disposal.

(9) Notwithstanding subsections (2) and (3) of section 5, where an amount of capital gains tax is assessed and charged pursuant to this paragraph, such amount shall be due and payable on the day next after the day on which the assessment is made.

(10) In this paragraph ‘exploration or exploitation rights’, ‘designated area’ and ‘shares’ have the same meanings as in section 4 (8).

(11) This paragraph shall apply only in relation to disposals and acquisitions occurring on or after the 5th day of August, 1975.”.

(2) The said paragraph 11 (other than subparagraph (7)), as inserted by subsection (1), shall apply, with the modifications specified in subsection (3), to any consideration paid on or after the 26th day of March, 1982, but before the passing of this Act, being consideration for a disposal to which the provisions of the Financial Resolution in relation to capital gains tax passed by Dáil Éireann on the 25th day of March, 1982, apply.

(3) The modifications mentioned in subsection (2) are as follows:

(a) Where, by virtue of any obligation imposed by the Financial Resolution mentioned in that subsection, a sum representing an amount of capital gains tax fell to be deducted under subparagraph (2) of the said paragraph 11 by the person by or through whom a payment of consideration was made, the inspector may, notwithstanding any other provision of the Capital Gains Tax Acts, assess and charge that person, for the year of assessment in which the amount of consideration was paid, to capital gains tax—

(i) of an amount equal to the amount deducted, in a case where a sum representing an amount of capital gains tax was so deducted, and

(ii) in any other case, of an amount equal to 15 per cent. of the consideration.

(b) Where relief falls to be given under subparagraph (5) of the said paragraph 11 in respect of an amount of capital gains tax which was assessed and charged under subparagraph (3) or (4) of that paragraph, or under the preceding provisions of this subsection, and which was paid, that relief shall be given—

(i) by repayment, where no amount of capital gains tax is payable in respect of the gain on the disposal, or

(ii) where an amount of capital gains tax is payable in respect of the gain on the disposal—

(I) by repayment of any amount by which the amount so assessed, charged and paid exceeds the amount of capital gains tax payable in respect of that gain, or

(II) in any other case, by set-off against the amount of capital gains tax payable in respect of that gain.

(c) Where, by virtue of such an obligation as is mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection, an amount of capital gains tax was paid as a condition for the issue of a certificate under subparagraph (6) of the said paragraph 11, paragraph (b) of this subsection shall, with any necessary modifications, have effect to give relief for that payment as it has effect to give relief for the amount of capital gains tax first mentioned therein.

Amendment of section 90 (distributions made out of capital profits of companies) of Corporation Tax Act, 1976.

35. Section 90 of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976 , is hereby amended by the addition to subsection (4) (as amended by the Act of 1978) of the following proviso:

“Provided that where those chargeable gains accrued—

(a) on or after the 28th day of January, 1982, in the case of chargeable gains accruing on a relevant disposal within the meaning of section 36 of the Finance Act, 1982 or

(b) on or after the 26th day of March, 1982, in any other case,

the tax charged under subsection (2) shall, instead of being reduced as aforesaid, be reduced by an amount equal to the tax credit which would so apply in respect of that distribution.”.

Chargeable gains on disposals of development land.

36. —(1) In this section and in sections 37 to 40

compulsory disposal” means a disposal to an authority possessing compulsory purchase powers, which is made pursuant to the exercise of those powers or the giving of formal notice of intention to exercise those powers, other than a disposal to which the provisions of section 29 of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963 , apply;

current use value”—

(a) in relation to land at any particular time, means the amount which would be the market value of the land at that time if the market value were calculated on the assumption that it was at that time, and would remain, unlawful to carry out any development (within the meaning of section 3 of the Act of 1963) in relation to the land other than development of a minor nature, and

(b) in relation to shares in a company (being shares deriving their value or the greater part of their value directly or indirectly from land, other than shares quoted on a stock exchange) at any particular time, means the amount which would be the market value of the shares at that time if the market value were calculated on the same assumption, in relation to the land from which the shares derive value as aforesaid, as is mentioned in paragraph (a),

and, in this definition—

(i) “the Act of 1963” means the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963 ,

(ii) “development of a minor nature” means development (not being development by a local authority or a statutory undertaker) which, under or by virtue of section 4 of the Act of 1963, is exempted development for the purposes of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Acts, 1963 and 1976, and

(iii) “statutory undertaker” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 of the Act of 1963;

development land” means land in the State the consideration for the disposal of which, or the market value of which at the time at which the disposal is made, exceeds the current use value of that land at the time at which the disposal is made, and includes shares deriving their value or the greater part of their value directly or indirectly from such land, other than shares quoted on a Stock Exchange;

relevant disposal” means a disposal of development land made on or after the 28th day of January, 1982.

(2) As respects chargeable gains accruing on relevant disposals made before the 26th day of March, 1982, section 3(3) of the Principal Act shall have effect as if the rate of capital gains tax specified therein were 45 per cent. or, in the case of such a relevant disposal which is a compulsory disposal, as if that rate were 40 per cent.

(3) As respects chargeable gains accruing on relevant disposals made on or after the 26th day of March, 1982, section 3(3) of the Principal Act (as amended by this Act) shall have effect as if, in lieu of the rates of capital gains tax specified in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of that subsection, the following rates of capital gains tax applied:

(a) 60 per cent. where the period of ownership of the asset by the person making the disposal is not more than one year,

(b) (i) 50 per cent. where his period of ownership of the asset is more than one year, or

(ii) in the case of such a relevant disposal which is a compulsory disposal by a person whose period of ownership of the asset is more than three years, 40 per cent.

(4) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Corporation Tax Acts, a company shall not be chargeable to corporation tax in respect of chargeable gains accruing to it on relevant disposals and, accordingly—

(a) such gains shall not be regarded as profits of the company for the purposes of corporation tax, and

(b) in respect of those gains, the company shall be chargeable to capital gains tax under the provisions of the Capital Gains Tax Acts.

(5) Sections 134 , 137 , 138 and 139 of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976 , shall apply, with any necessary modifications, in relation to capital gains tax to which a company is chargeable on chargeable gains accruing to it on a relevant disposal as they apply in relation to corporation tax on chargeable gains and references in those sections to corporation tax shall be construed as including references to capital gains tax.

(6) Where a company which is or has been a member of a group of companies within the meaning of section 129 of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976 , makes a relevant disposal of an asset which, as a result of a disposal which was not a relevant disposal, it had acquired from another member of that group at a time when both were members of the group, the amount of the chargeable gain accruing on the relevant disposal, and the capital gains tax thereon, shall be computed as if all members of the group for the time being were the same person, and as if the acquisition or provision of the asset by the group, so taken as a single person, had been the acquisition or provision of it by the member disposing of it:

Provided that, where, under section 131 (2) or 135 of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976 , a member of the group (hereafter in this proviso referred to as “the first-mentioned member”) had been treated as having acquired or reacquired the asset at a time later than the original acquisition or provision of the asset by the first-mentioned member or by another member of the group, as the case may be, this subsection shall have effect as if the reference therein to the acquisition or provision of the asset by the group were a reference to its acquisition or reacquisition so treated as having been made by the first-mentioned member.

(7) Section 132 of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976 , shall not apply in relation to a relevant disposal by a company which is a member of a group of companies where the company acquired the asset so disposed of from another member of the group as a result of a relevant disposal.

Exclusion of certain disposals.

37. Section 36 (other than subsection (1)) and sections 38 to 40 shall not apply to a relevant disposal made by an individual in any year of assessment if the total consideration in respect of all relevant disposals made by that individual in that year does not exceed £15,000.

Restriction of indexation relief in relation to relevant disposals.

38. —For the purposes of computing the chargeable gain accruing to a person on a relevant disposal, the adjustment of sums allowable as deductions from the consideration for the disposal, which under section 3 (1) of the Act of 1978 would otherwise be made, shall be made only to—

(a) such part of the amount or value of the consideration, in money or money's worth, given by him or on his behalf wholly and exclusively for the acquisition of the asset, together with the incidental costs to him of the acquisition, or

(b) in the case of an asset to which section 3 (2) of the Act of 1978 applies, such part of the market value of the asset on the 6th day of April, 1974,

as, where paragraph (a) applies, is equal to the current use value of the asset at the date of the acquisition together with such proportion of the incidental costs to him of the acquisition as would be referable to such value, or as, where paragraph (b) applies, is equal to the current use value of the asset on the 6th day of April, 1974.

Amendment of provisions regarding replacement of assets.

39. —(1) Consideration obtained for a relevant disposal shall not be regarded for the purposes of relief under section 28 of the Principal Act as having been obtained for the disposal of old assets within the meaning of that section.

(2) Section 5 of the Act of 1978 shall not apply to a relevant disposal.

(3) Subsections (1) and (2) shall not apply to a relevant disposal made by a body of persons established for the sole purpose of promoting athletic or amateur games or sports, being a disposal which is made in relation to such of the activities of that body as are directed to that purpose.

Restriction of relief for losses etc. in relation to relevant disposals.

40. —(1) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Capital Gains Tax Acts, any losses accruing on disposals which are not relevant disposals shall not, in the computation of a person's liability to capital gains tax in respect of chargeable gains accruing on relevant disposals, be deducted from the amount of those chargeable gains.

(2) In the computation of the amount on which, under section 5 of the Principal Act, capital gains tax falls to be charged on chargeable gains accruing on relevant disposals, any allowable losses accruing on relevant disposals may be deducted in accordance with the said section 5 but, in so far as they are so deducted, they shall not be treated as relevant allowable losses within the meaning of subsection (1C) of section 13 of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976 , for the purposes of the calculation required to be made under subsection (1A) of that section, and, for the purposes of this subsection, any necessary assessments or additional assessments, as may be appropriate, may be made.

(3) Section 25 of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976 , is hereby amended by the insertion after subsection (7) of the following subsection:

“(8) (a) In this subsection ‘relevant profits’ means gains accruing on relevant disposals within the meaning of section 36 of the Finance Act, 1982.

(b) Where a company which is resident in the State makes a distribution in part out of relevant profits and in part out of other profits, the distribution shall be treated for the purposes of this subsection as if it consisted of two distributions respectively made out of relevant profits and other profits.

(c) Where, on or after the 28th day of January, 1982, a company (hereafter in this paragraph referred to as ‘the recipient company’) receives a distribution from another company (hereafter in this paragraph referred to as ‘the distributing company’) and—

(i) the distribution is made by the distributing company out of relevant profits (or out of a distribution received by the distributing company which, under this subsection, is deemed to be relevant profits of that company), and

(ii) the two companies are members of a group of companies within the meaning of section 107 (5),

then—

(I) the distribution shall be deemed for the purposes of this subsection to be relevant profits of the recipient company, and

(II) the aggregate of the amount or value of the distribution and the tax credit in respect of it shall, notwithstanding the provisions of section 24, be regarded as not being franked investment income of the recipient company for the purposes of subsection (1).”.

Extension of section 19 (Government and other securities) of Principal Act.

41. —Section 19 of the Principal Act shall apply in relation to—

(a) securities issued by the Housing Finance Agency under section 10 of the Housing Finance Agency Act, 1981 , and

(b) securities issued by Bord Gáis Éireann under section 23 of the Gas Act, 1976 ,

as it applies to the forms of security specified in paragraph (d) of the said section 19.