This article is relevant to candidates sitting Paper F6 (UK) in an exam in the period 1 April 2015 to 30 June 2016, and is based on tax legislation as it applies to the tax year 2014–15 (Finance Act 2014).
The disposal of shares can create a particular problem. This is because the shares disposed of might have been purchased at different times, and it is then difficult to identify exactly which shares have been sold. Disposals of shares are matched with purchases in the following order:
The share pool aggregates all purchases made up to the day of the disposal.
Example 1
Ivy has had the following transactions in the shares of Jing plc:
1 June 2007 – Purchased 4,000 shares for £6,200.
30 April 2012 – Purchased 2,000 shares for £8,800
15 July 2014 – Purchased 500 shares for £2,500
15 July 2014 – Sold 4,500 shares for £27,000
Ivy’s chargeable gain for 2014–15 is as follows:
£ | £ | ||
---|---|---|---|
Purchase 15 July 2014 | |||
Disposal proceeds (27,000 x 500/4,500) | 3,000 | ||
Cost | (2,500) | ||
500 | |||
Share pool | |||
Disposal proceeds (27,000 x 4,000/4,500) | 24,000 | ||
Cost | (10,000) | ||
14,000 | |||
14,500 |
Share pool
Number | Cost £ | ||
---|---|---|---|
Purchase 1 June 2007 | 4,000 | 6,200 | |
Purchase 30 April 2012 | 2,000 | 8,800 | |
6,000 | 15,000 | ||
Disposal 15 July 2014 (15,000 x 4,000/6,000) | (4,000) | (10,000) | |
Balance carried forward | 2,000 | 5,000 |
The reason that disposals are matched with shares purchased within the following 30 days is to prevent a practice known as bed and breakfasting. A person might sell shares at the close of business one day and then buy them back at the opening of business the next day. Previously, a chargeable gain or a capital loss could thus be established without a genuine disposal being made. The 30-day matching rule makes bed and breakfasting much more difficult, since the subsequent purchase cannot take place within 30 days.
Example 2
Keith purchased 1,000 shares in Long plc on 5 July 2014 for £10,000. The shares have fallen in value, so he would like to establish a capital loss. Therefore the shares were sold on 2 December 2014 for £2,000, and purchased back on 10 December 2014 for £1,900.
Keith’s transactions are caught by the 30-day matching rule. The disposal on 2 December 2014 will be matched with the purchase on 10 December 2014, and so for 2014–15 he will have a chargeable gain of £100 (2,000 – 1,900).
With individuals it might be necessary to establish a market value figure where the shares are disposed of by way of a gift rather than being sold.
Example 3
Maude made a gift of her entire shareholding of 10,000 £1 ordinary shares in Night plc to her daughter. On the date of the gift the shares were quoted at £5.10 – £5.18, with recorded bargains of £5.00, £5.15 and £5.22.
With a bonus issue there is no additional cost involved. The only thing that changes is the number of shares held.
Example 4
On 22 January 2015 Oliver sold 30,000 £1 ordinary shares in Pink plc for £140,000. Oliver had purchased 40,000 shares in Pink plc on 9 February 2013 for £96,000. On 3 April 2014 Pink plc made a 1 for 2 bonus issue.
Oliver’s chargeable gain for 2014–15 is as follows:
£ | ||
---|---|---|
Disposal proceeds | 140,000 | |
Cost | (48,000) | |
92,000 |
With a rights issue the new shares are paid for, and so the cost figure will have to be adjusted.
Example 5
On 22 January 2015 Quinn sold 30,000 £1 ordinary shares in Red plc for £140,000. Quinn had purchased 40,000 shares in Red plc on 9 February 2012 for £100,000. On 3 May 2014 Red plc made a 1 for 2 rights issue. Quinn took up her allocation under the rights issue in full, paying £3.00 for each new share issued.
Quinn’s chargeable gain for 2014–15 is as follows:
£ | ||
---|---|---|
Disposal proceeds | 140,000 | |
Cost | (80,000) | |
60,000 |
A paper for paper takeover or reorganisation is not a chargeable disposal. The new shares simply take the place of the original shares, and are deemed to have been purchased at the same time and for the same cost. Where more than one class of new share is acquired as a result of the takeover/reorganisation, the original cost is apportioned according to the market values of the new shares immediately after the takeover/reorganisation.
Example 6
On 28 March 2015 Rita sold her entire holding of £1 ordinary shares in Sine plc for £55,000. Rita had originally purchased 10,000 shares in Sine plc on 5 May 2012 for £14,000. On 7 August 2013 Sine plc had a reorganisation whereby each £1 ordinary share was exchanged for two new £1 ordinary shares and one £1 preference share. Immediately after the reorganisation each £1 ordinary share in Sine plc was quoted at £2.50 and each £1 preference share was quoted at £1.25.
Rita’s chargeable gain for 2014–15 is as follows:
£ | ||
---|---|---|
Disposal proceeds | 55,000 | |
Cost | (11,200) | |
43,800 |
Where cash is received on a takeover then the normal disposal rules will apply.
Example 7
Cherry purchased 12,000 £1 ordinary shares in Alphabet Ltd on 27 July 2007 for £23,900. On 15 July 2014 Alphabet Ltd was taken over by ABC plc, and Cherry received £6 for each of her shares in that company.
Cherry’s chargeable gain for 2014–15 is as follows:
£ | ||
---|---|---|
Disposal proceeds (12,000 x £6) | 72,000 | |
Cost | (23,900) | |
48,100 |
Where a takeover is partly for shares and partly for cash then the part disposal rules will apply.
Example 8
Richard purchased 10,000 £1 ordinary shares in Split plc on 21 July 2011 for £23,100. On 28 August 2014 Split plc was taken over by Combined plc. For each of his £1 ordinary shares in Split plc, Richard received two £1 ordinary shares in Combined plc plus £2.50 in cash. Immediately after the takeover Combined plc’s £1 ordinary shares were quoted at £4.00.
Richard’s chargeable gain for 2014–15 is as follows:
£ | ||
---|---|---|
Disposal proceeds (10,000 x £2.50) | 25,000 | |
Cost | (5,500) | |
19,500 |
Rollover relief allows a chargeable gain to be deferred (rolled over) where the disposal proceeds of the old asset are reinvested in a new asset. The deferral is achieved by deducting the chargeable gain from the cost of the new asset.
To qualify for rollover relief both the old asset and the new asset must be qualifying assets. The most relevant types of qualifying asset as far as Paper F6 (UK) is concerned are:
It is not necessary for the old asset and the new asset to be in the same category.
Example 9
What are the conditions that must be met in order that rollover relief can be claimed?
Where the disposal proceeds of the old asset are not fully reinvested in the new asset, the amount not reinvested reduces the amount of chargeable gain that can be rolled over. Therefore if the amount not reinvested is greater than the chargeable gain no rollover relief is available.
Where the new asset is a depreciating asset, then the gain does not reduce the cost of the new asset but is instead held over. A depreciating asset is an asset with a predictable life of less than 60 years. The only types of depreciating asset that you need to be aware of are fixed plant and machinery and short leaseholds.
Example 10
Violet sold a factory on 15 August 2014 for £320,000, and this resulted in a chargeable gain of £85,000. She is considering the following alternative ways of reinvesting the proceeds from the sale of her factory:
The reinvestment will take place during November 2014.
Freehold warehouse
Freehold office building
Leasehold factory
Freehold factory
When the asset disposed of was not used entirely for business purposes then the proportion of the chargeable gain relating to the non-business use does not qualify for rollover relief.
Example 11
Willow sold a freehold factory on 8 November 2014 for £146,000, and this resulted in a chargeable gain of £74,000. The factory was purchased on 15 January 2012. 75% of the factory had been used for business purposes by Willow as a sole trader, but the other 25% was never used for business purposes. Willow purchased a new freehold factory on 10 November 2014 for £156,000.
Willow’s chargeable gain for 2014–15 is as follows:
£ | ||
---|---|---|
Gain | 74,000 | |
Rollover relief (74,000 – 18,500) | (55,500) | |
18,500 |
Holdover relief allows a chargeable gain to be deferred (held over) when a gift is made of a qualifying business asset. The deferral is achieved by deducting the chargeable gain of the donor who has made the gift from the base cost of the donee who has received the gift.
Holdover relief is also available when a sale is made at less than market value (ie a partial gift). In this case there will be an immediate charge to capital gains tax (CGT) where the sale proceeds exceed the original cost of the asset.
For Paper F6 (UK) the most relevant types of qualifying business asset are as follows:
Remember that the market value of an asset is used rather than the actual proceeds when a gift is made between family members since they will be connected persons.
Example 12
On 15 August 2014 Xia sold 10,000 £1 ordinary shares in Yukon Ltd, an unquoted trading company, to her daughter for £75,000. The market value of the shares on that date was £110,000. The shareholding was purchased on 10 July 2013 for £38,000. Xia and her daughter have elected to hold over the gain as a gift of a business asset.
Xia’s chargeable gain for 2014–15 is as follows:
£ | ||
---|---|---|
Deemed proceeds | 110,000 | |
Cost | (38,000) | |
72,000 | ||
Holdover relief (72,000 – 37,000) | (35,000) | |
37,000 |
If a gift is going to result in an immediate chargeable gain, it might be possible to restrict the gain to the amount of the annual exempt amount or any available capital losses.
Example 13
Bertie has a holding of 6,000 £1 ordinary shares in Gift Ltd, an unquoted trading company, which he had originally purchased for £3.50 per share. The current market value of the shares is £8.50, but Bertie is going to sell some of the holding to his son at £6.00 per share during 2014–15. Bertie and his son will elect to hold over any gain as a gift of a business asset.
Where entrepreneurs’ relief is available, it may not be beneficial to claim holdover relief.
Example 14
On 10 April 2014 Pia made a gift of her entire holding of 60,000 £1 ordinary shares (a 60% shareholding) in Zuper Ltd, an unquoted trading company, to her daughter, Rita. Pia had purchased the shares on 1 June 2004 for £60,000, and was an employee of the company from that date until 10 April 2014. The market value of the shares on 10 April 2014 was £260,000.
Rita sold the 60,000 £1 ordinary shares in Zuper Ltd on 28 March 2015 for £270,000. She has never been an employee or a director of the company.
Both Pia and Rita are higher rate taxpayers, and neither of them made any other chargeable gains during the tax year 2014–15.
No election for holdover relief
Pia’s CGT liability for 2014–15 is as follows:
£ | ||
---|---|---|
Deemed proceeds | 260,000 | |
Cost | (60,000) | |
200,000 | ||
Annual exempt amount | (11,000) | |
189,000 | ||
Capital gains tax: 189,000 at 10% | 18,900 |
Election for holdover relief
Rita’s CGT liability for 2014–15 is as follows:
£ | £ | ||
---|---|---|---|
Disposal proceeds | 270,000 | ||
Cost | 260,000 | ||
Held over again | 200,000 | ||
(60,000) | |||
210,000 | |||
Annual exempt amount | (11,000) | ||
199,000 | |||
Capital gains tax: 199,000 at 28% | 55,720 |
Where the disposal consists of shares in a personal company, holdover relief will be restricted if the company has chargeable non-business assets.
Example 15
On 5 October 2014 Zia made a gift of her entire holding of 20,000 £1 ordinary shares in Apple Ltd, a personal company, to her daughter. The market value of the shares on that date was £200,000. The shares had been purchased on 1 January 2012 for £140,000. On 5 October 2014 the market value of Apple Ltd’s chargeable assets was £150,000, of which £120,000 was in respect of chargeable business assets. Zia and her daughter have elected to hold over the gain as a gift of a business asset.
Zia’s chargeable gain for 2014–15 is as follows:
£ | ||
---|---|---|
Deemed proceeds | 200,000 | |
Cost | (140,000) | |
60,000 | ||
Holdover relief | (48,000) | |
12,000 |
Example 16
On 13 July 2014 Dear sold 1,000 of her 3,000 £1 ordinary shares in XYZ plc for £6,600. She died on 5 April 2015, and the remaining 2,000 shares were inherited by her daughter. On that date these shares were valued at £15,600. The holding of 3,000 shares had been purchased on 20 June 2007 for £4,800.
You have seen how individuals are subject to CGT. Although there are a lot of similarities in the way in which the chargeable gains of a limited company are taxed, there are also some very important differences:
The basic computation for a limited company is virtually the same as for an individual. However, you may also be expected to calculate the indexation allowance:
Example 17
Delta Ltd sold a factory on 15 February 2015 for £400,000. The factory was purchased on 24 October 1995 for £164,000, and was extended at a cost of £37,000 during March 1997.
Delta Ltd incurred legal fees of £3,600 in connection with the purchase of the factory, and legal fees of £6,200 in connection with the disposal. Retail price indices (RPIs) are as follows:
October 1995 | 149.8 |
March 1997 | 155.4 |
February 2015 | 260.0 |
£ | £ | ||
---|---|---|---|
Disposal proceeds | 400,000 | ||
Incidental costs of disposal | (6,200) | ||
393,800 | |||
Cost | 164,000 | ||
Incidental costs of acquisition | 3,600 | ||
167,600 | |||
Enhancement expenditure | 37,000 | (204,600) | |
189,200 | |||
Indexation – Cost 167,600 x 0.736 – Enhancement 37,000 x 0.673 | 123,354 24,901 | ||
(148,255) | |||
40,945 |
When a limited company has a capital loss, it is first set off against any chargeable gains arising in the same accounting period. Any remaining capital loss is then carried forward and set off against the first available chargeable gains of future accounting periods.
Although chargeable gains are included as part of a company’s taxable total profits, capital losses are never set off against other income.
Example 18
Even Ltd has the following results:
Year ended 31 March 2014 £ | Year ended 31 March 2015 £ | ||
---|---|---|---|
Trading profit/(loss) | 56,000 | (17,000) | |
Property business profit | 4,000 | 10,000 | |
Chargeable gain/ (capital loss) | (8,000) | 85,000 |
The corporation tax liability of Even Ltd for the years ended 31 March 2014 and 2015 is as follows:
Year ended 31 March 2014 £ | Year ended 31 March 2015 £ | ||
---|---|---|---|
Trading profit | 56,000 | – | |
Property business profit | 4,000 | 10,000 | |
Chargeable gain | _____– | 77,000 | |
60,000 | 87,000 | ||
Loss relief | _____– | (17,000) | |
Taxable total profits | 60,000 | 70,000 | |
Corporation tax at 20% | 12,000 | 14,000 |
For limited companies, disposals of shares are matched with purchases in the following order:
When calculating indexation allowances for the 1985 pool, the indexation fraction is not rounded to three decimal places.
Example 19
On 15 June 2014 Fair Ltd sold 70,000 £1 ordinary shares in Gong plc for £380,000. Fair Ltd had originally purchased 40,000 shares in Gong plc on 10 June 1995 for £110,000, and purchased a further 60,000 shares on 20 August 1999 for £180,000. Retail price indices (RPIs) are as follows:
June 1995 | 149.8 |
August 1999 | 165.5 |
June 2014 | 256.0 |
Chargeable gain
£ | ||
---|---|---|
Disposal proceeds | 380,000 | |
Indexed cost | (326,489) | |
53,511 |
1985 Pool
Number £ | Index cost £ | ||
---|---|---|---|
Purchase June 1995 | 40,000 | 110,000 | |
Indexation to August 1999 110,000 x (165.5 – 149.8)/149.8 | 11,529 | ||
121,529 | |||
Purchase August 1999 | 60,000 | 180,000 | |
100,000 | 301,529 | ||
Indexation to June 2014 301,529 x (256.0 – 165.5)/165.5 | 164,884 | ||
466,413 | |||
Disposal June 2014 466,413 x 70,000/ 100,000 | (70,000) | (326,489) | |
Balance carried forward | 30,000 | 139,924 |
Written by a member of the Paper F6 (UK) examining team