Finance Act, 1974

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Chapter IV

Anti-avoidance

Charge to tax in respect of certain dividends received by directors and employees.

54.—(1) In this section—

“director” has the same meaning as in section 119 of the Income Tax Act, 1967 ;

“emoluments” has the same meaning as in section 111 (4) of the Income Tax Act, 1967 ;

“employee” means a person employed by any body of persons;

“tax-relieved company” means a body corporate which has claimed and is entitled to relief from tax under Part XXV of the Income Tax Act, 1967 .

(2) A person or body corporate shall, for the purposes of this section be regarded as connected with a tax-relieved company if that person or body corporate would be so regarded for the purposes of section 16 of the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1968 , and a person shall be regarded as connected with another person if that person would be so regarded for the purposes of the said section 16.

(3) Where, for any year of assessment, a person—

(a) who is a director or employee of a tax-relieved company or of a body corporate connected with that company, or

(b) who is employed by a person connected with that company,

receives no emoluments in respect of services rendered by him to or for the benefit of the said company or to or for the benefit of any person connected with that company or receives emoluments in respect of such services which, in the opinion of the Revenue Commissioners, are not adequate as consideration for the services so rendered, and receives a dividend in respect of shares held by him in the said company, so much of that dividend (in this section referred to as the relevant part of the dividend) as is, in the opinion of the Revenue Commissioners, in consideration of the services so rendered shall be deemed to be emoluments of that person and shall be chargeable to tax under Schedule E as emoluments paid to him on the date on which the said dividend was payable, and the amount of the emoluments to be so charged shall be the amount which, after deduction of tax at the rate appropriate to the dividend, is equal to the net amount payable of the relevant part of the dividend.

(4) Where tax has been deducted from a dividend referred to in subsection (3), so much of that tax as is appropriate to the relevant part of the dividend shall be allowed as a credit against any tax chargeable by virtue of the said subsection (3).

(5) In considering for the purpose of this section whether emoluments paid to any person by a company are or are not adequate as consideration for services rendered, the Revenue Commissioners shall have regard to—

(a) the nature of the services rendered by that person,

(b) the emoluments received by that person from the company for services so rendered at a time when he did not hold shares in the company or did not hold the shares in respect of which the dividend is paid which is the subject of their consideration by virtue of this section,

(c) the amount of emoluments which it would be reasonable to expect to be paid for such services, and

(d) any evidence tendered by or on behalf of the said person as to the adequacy of the emoluments in question.

(6) Where shares in respect of which a dividend is paid are held in a tax-relieved company by a person who is connected with another person (that other person being a person who if he held the shares and received the dividend would be a person to whom subsection (3) applies), then, for the purposes of the said subsection (3), the shares shall be regarded as being held by the second-mentioned person and the dividend shall be regarded as having been received by him in respect of the shares on the date on which the dividend was payable.

(7) In considering for the purpose of this section whether a dividend or part of a dividend is in consideration of services rendered, the Revenue Commissioners shall have regard to—

(a) all the classes of shares issued by the company concerned,

(b) the class or classes of shares in the said company held by the person aforesaid, the number of shares so held, the nominal value of, and the amount subscribed by him in respect of, such shares,

(c) the rate of dividend paid on the shares of each class,

(d) whether shares of the class held by the person aforesaid are held by any other person and, if so, the number of shares so held, and

(e) any other matter which appears to them relevant for the purpose of forming an opinion under this subsection.

(8) An appeal shall lie to the Appeal Commissioners with respect to any opinion of the Revenue Commissioners under this section in like manner as an appeal would lie against an assessment to tax, and the provisions of the Income Tax Acts relating to appeals shall apply and have effect accordingly.