Land Transaction Tax miscellaneous reliefs: technical guidance

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(paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 22)

A land transaction relating to a lighthouse entered into by or under the direction of the Secretary of State, for the purpose of carrying into effect Part 8 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, is relieved from tax.

A land transaction entered into by or under the direction of Trinity House, for the purpose of carrying out the services referred to in section 221(1) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, is relieved from tax.

‘Trinity House’ has the meaning given in section 223 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

(paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of Schedule 22)

This relief applies to certain acquisitions of land for use by:

• visiting forces of ‘designated’ countries, which are present in Wales at the invitation of HM Government, or
• designated international military headquarters

A land transaction is relieved where it is entered into with a view to:

• building or enlarging barracks or camps for the visiting force of a designated country
• facilitating the training of such a force, or
• promoting the health or efficiency of such a force

For this purpose a designated international military headquarters is treated as if:

• it were a visiting force of a designated country
• the members of that force were persons serving at or attached to the headquarters who are members of the armed forces of a designated country

In order for relief to apply, the country or headquarters concerned must be ‘designated’ for this purpose by Order in Council to give effect to an international agreement.

References to a ‘visiting force’ include any body, contingent etc. of the countries force that is present, or will become present, at the invitation of the UK Government.

(paragraph 6 of Schedule 22)

A land transaction entered into under section 9 of the National Heritage Act 1980 (disposal of property accepted in satisfaction of an amount tax) is relieved from charge where the buyer is:

• any museum, art gallery, library or other similar institution having as its purpose or one of its purposes the preservation for the public benefit of a collection of historic, artistic or scientific interest
• any body having as its purpose or one of its purposes the provision, improvement or preservation of amenities enjoyed or to be enjoyed by the public or the acquisition of land to be used by the public
• any body having nature conservation as its purpose or one of its purposes
• the National Art Collections Fund or the Friends of the National Libraries
• the Secretary of State, or
• the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland

(paragraph 7 of Schedule 22)

A land transaction to which the Welsh Ministers or the Secretary of State is a party, is relieved if:

• it relates to a highway or proposed highway which is, or is to become, a trunk road, and
• in respect of which LTT would otherwise be payable as an expense incurred by the Welsh Ministers or the Secretary of State under the Highways Act 1980

This, together with charities relief, is one of the very few places where relief may be claimed by joint buyers, one of whom would not usually be entitled to relief. In such situations, trunk roads relief is available in full, rather than as a partial relief.

(paragraph 8 of Schedule 22)

This relief applies to acquisitions of land entered into by the bodies listed below as buyer:

• the Trustees for the British Museum
• the Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund
• the Trustees of the Natural History Museum

(paragraph 9 of Schedule 22)

Relief may be claimed by a new local constituency association where a land transaction is entered into as a consequence of an Order in Council made under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (orders specifying new parliamentary constituencies) and the chargeable interest is transferred to it by a former local constituency association. In the absence of such an order no relief is available.

The relief allows for parliamentary constituencies to change and, as a consequence of that change, the previous local constituency association to transfer a chargeable interest to a new local constituency association without a charge to LTT arising.

A charge might otherwise arise when, for example, an old constituency is split into 2 and 2 new associations are formed, or where 2 previous constituencies merge and one is formed.

Any chargeable interest transferred to either of the new associations is eligible for relief. The relief also allows for those occasions where the chargeable interest is temporarily transferred to a related body before eventual transfer to the new association.

• ‘Existing local constituency association’ means a local constituency association whose area, at the relevant date, was the same (or substantially the same) as the area of the former parliamentary constituency or 2 or more such constituencies
• ‘former parliamentary constituency’ means an area that, for the purposes of parliamentary elections, was a constituency immediately before the relevant date but is no longer a constituency after that date
• ‘local constituency association’ means an unincorporated association whose primary purpose is to further the aims of a political party in an area that is or was the same or substantially the same as one or more parliamentary constituencies
• ‘new association’ means a local constituency association whose area, at the relevant date, is the same (or substantially the same) as that of a new parliamentary constituency or 2 or more such constituencies
• ‘new parliamentary constituency’ means an area that, for the purposes of parliamentary elections, is a constituency after the date of the relevant date but was not a constituency before that date
• ‘related body’ means a body that is an organ of the political party concerned
• ‘relevant date’ means the date on which the Order comes into operation

(paragraph 10 of Schedule 22)

A land transaction is relieved from charge if it is effected by or in consequence of:

• an amalgamation of 2 or more building societies under section 93 of the Building Society Act 1986, or
• a transfer of engagements between building societies under section 94 of the Building Society Act 1986

(paragraph 11 of Schedule 22)

A land transaction is relieved from charge if it is effected by or in consequence of:

• an amalgamation of 2 or more registered friendly societies under section 82 of the Friendly Societies Act 1974
• a transfer of engagements of a registered friendly society to another registered friendly society societies under section 82 of the Friendly Societies Act 1974
• an amalgamation of 2 or more friendly societies under section 85 of the Friendly Societies Act 1992
• a transfer of the engagements of a friendly society under section 86 of the Friendly Societies Act 1992, or
• a transfer of the engagements of a friendly society pursuant to a direction given by the appropriate authority under section 90 of the Friendly Societies Act 1992

For these purposes the appropriate authority is the Prudential Regulation Authority.

(paragraph 12 of Schedule 22)

A land transaction is relieved from charge if it is effected by or in consequence of:

• a transfer by a registered society of its engagements to another registered society under section 110 of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014
• a conversion of a registered society into a company under section 112 of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014
• an amalgamation of a registered society with a company under section 112 of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014
• a transfer by a registered society of the whole of its engagements to a company under section 112 of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014

A ‘registered society’ has the meaning in section 1(1) of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. However, for transactions effected under section 112 of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 the definition in section 1(1) of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 but does not include a credit union registered under section 1 of the Credit Unions Act 1979.

However, in relation to a transaction effected under section 110 of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, a transfer of engagements from one registered credit union to another, may claim relief so long as it complies with the rules in section 21 of the Credit Unions Act 1979.

Diplomatic relief

Relief from LTT is available for acquisitions of certain diplomatic and consular premises under the following provisions:

• purchase or lease of premises of a diplomatic mission or the official residence of the head of mission (Articles 23 and 34 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, incorporated as Schedule 1 to the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964)
• purchase or lease of consular premises or the official residence of the consular head (Article 32 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, incorporated as Schedule 1 to the Consular Relations Act 1968)

Before doing so, the mission or consulate concerned must have obtained confirmation of the diplomatic status of the premises, in accordance with the Diplomatic & Consular Premises Act 1987, from the Diplomatic Missions & International Organisations Unit (DMIOU), Protocol Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

These reliefs do not apply to the purchase or lease of the private residence of a diplomat or consular official.

Sovereign Bodies and International Organisations

Overseas Heads of State, Governments or other Sovereign bodies are not generally exempt or relieved from liability to pay LTT.

However, relief will be given on the purchase or lease of headquarters premises of an international organisation where the Statutory Instrument conferring immunities and privileges on the organisation, accords to its Director or High Officer exemption from UK taxation on the same terms as are accorded to a diplomatic agent.