Office of Public Sector Information

Appeal against refusal of approval

29 (1) If the Inland Revenue refuse to approve the scheme, the scheme organiser may appeal to the Special Commissioners.

(2) The notice of appeal must be given to the Inland Revenue within 30 days after the date on which notice of their decision was given to the scheme organiser.

(3) If the Special Commissioners allow the appeal, they may direct the Inland Revenue to approve the scheme with effect from a date specified by the Commissioners.

(4) The date so specified must not be earlier than that of the application for approval.

Withdrawal of approval

30 (1) If any disqualifying event occurs in connection with an approved CSOP scheme, the Inland Revenue may by a notice given to the scheme organiser withdraw the approval with effect from—

(a) the time at which the disqualifying event occurred, or

(b) a later time specified by the Inland Revenue in the notice.

(2) A “disqualifying event” occurs in connection with a scheme if—

(a) any of the requirements of Parts 2 to 6 of this Schedule ceases to be met; or

(b) the scheme organiser fails to provide information requested by the Inland Revenue under paragraph 33.

Approval ineffective after unapproved alteration

31 (1) If—

(a) an alteration is made in a CSOP scheme that has been approved, and

(b) the alteration has not been approved by the Inland Revenue,

the approval of the scheme is ineffective after the date of the alteration.

(2) Where the Inland Revenue—

(a) have been requested to approve any alteration in such a scheme, and

(b) have decided whether or not to approve the alteration,

they must give notice of their decision to the scheme organiser.

Appeal against withdrawal of approval etc.

32 (1) This paragraph applies if a CSOP scheme has been approved by the Inland Revenue and they—

(a) decide to withdraw approval of the scheme under paragraph 30, or

(b) decide not to approve an alteration in the scheme under paragraph 31.

(2) The scheme organiser may appeal against the decision to the Special Commissioners.

(3) The notice of appeal must be given to the Inland Revenue within 30 days after the date on which notice of their decision was given to the scheme organiser.

Part 8 Supplementary provisions

Power to require information

33 (1) The Inland Revenue may by notice require any person to provide them with any information—

(a) which they reasonably require for the performance of their functions under the CSOP code, and

(b) which the person to whom the notice is addressed has or can reasonably obtain.

(2) The power conferred by this paragraph extends, in particular, to—

(a) information to enable the Inland Revenue—

(i) to decide whether to approve a CSOP scheme or to withdraw an approval already given, or

(ii) to determine the liability to tax, including capital gains tax, of any person who has participated in a scheme, and

(b) information about the administration of a scheme and any alteration of the terms of a scheme.

(3) The notice must require the information to be provided within a specified time, which must not end earlier than 3 months after the date when the notice is given.

Jointly owned companies

34 (1) This paragraph applies for the purposes of the provisions of the CSOP code relating to group schemes.

(2) Each joint owner of a jointly owned company is to be treated as controlling every company within sub-paragraph (3).

(3) The companies within this sub-paragraph are—

(a) the jointly owned company, and

(b) any company controlled by that company.

(4) However, no company within sub-paragraph (3) may be—

(a) a constituent company in more than one group scheme, or

(b) a constituent company in a particular group scheme if another company within that sub-paragraph is a constituent company in a different group scheme.

(5) In this paragraph a “jointly owned company” means a company which (apart from sub-paragraph (2)) is not controlled by any one person and—

(a) of which 50% of the issued share capital is owned by one person and 50% by another, or

(b) which is otherwise controlled by two persons taken together.

(6) In this paragraph “joint owner” means one of the persons mentioned in sub-paragraph (5)(a) or (b).

Meaning of “associated company”

35 (1) For the purposes of the CSOP code one company is an “associated company” of another company at a given time if, at that time or at any other time within one year previously—

(a) one has control of the other, or

(b) both are under the control of the same person or persons.

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) the question whether a person controls a company is to be determined in accordance with section 416(2) to (6) of ICTA.

Minor definitions

36 (1) In the CSOP code—

• “company” means a body corporate;

• “market value” has the same meaning as it has for the purposes of TCGA 1992 by virtue of Part 8 of that Act.

(2) For the purposes of the CSOP code a company is a member of a consortium owning another company if it is one of a number of companies—

(a) which between them beneficially own not less than 75% of the other company’s ordinary share capital, and

(b) each of which beneficially owns not less than 5% of that capital.

Index of defined expressions

37 In the CSOP code the following expressions are defined or otherwise explained by the provisions indicated below: