PART VII.

Industrial and Provident Societies: Income Tax and Corporation Profits Tax.

67. —In this Part of this Act, save where the context otherwise requires—

“capital allowance” means any allowance, other than an allowance falling to be made in computing profits or gains, under Rule 6 of the Rules applicable to Cases I and II of Schedule D, section 5 or section 6 of the Finance Act, 1946 , Part V of the Finance Act, 1956 , Part IV of the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1956 , Part V of the Finance Act, 1957 , or Part V or section 74 of the Finance Act, 1959 ;

“loan interest”, in relation to a society, means any interest payable by the society in respect of any mortgage, loan, loan stock, or deposit;

“share interest”, in relation to a society, means any interest, dividend, bonus, or other sum payable to a shareholder of the society by reference to the amount of his holding in the share capital of the society;

“society” means a society registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts, 1893 to 1936;

and references to the payment of share interest or loan interest include references to the crediting of such interest.

68. —(1) It is hereby declared that in computing, for the purposes of Case I of Schedule D or of Rule 4 of the Rules applicable to Case III of that Schedule, the profits or gains of a society there are to be deducted as expenses any sums which—

(a) represent a discount, rebate, dividend, or bonus granted by the society to members thereof or other persons in respect of amounts paid or payable by or to them on account of their transactions with the society being transactions which are taken into account in the said computation, and

(b) are calculated by reference to the said amounts or to the magnitude of the said transactions and not by reference to the amount of any share or interest in the capital of the society.

(2) A society whose business consists mainly in the making of investments, and the principal part of whose income is derived therefrom, shall be entitled to relief under section 33 of the Income Tax Act, 1918, in the same manner and to the same extent as if the business of the society were the business of a company.

(3) Where any profits or gains of a society which, but for the repeal by this Act of subsection (4) of section 39 of the Income Tax Act, 1918, would not be chargeable to tax are so chargeable by virtue of that repeal and the computation of profits or gains is required to be made by reference to any year or period other than the year of assessment, the computation for that year or period shall be made in accordance with the provisions of this Part of this Act notwithstanding that those provisions were not in force in that year or period or some part thereof.

(4) (a) Where for the year 1962-63 a society was entitled to exemption from tax in respect of the profits of a trade carried on by it—

(i) no capital allowance in respect of any property used for the purposes of the trade shall be carried forward from the year 1962-63, and

(ii) no loss, or portion of a loss, which was sustained before the 6th day of April, 1963, shall be carried forward under section 14 of the Finance Act, 1929 .

(b) Where for the year 1962-63 or any previous year of assessment an annual allowance, balancing allowance or balancing charge in respect of capital expenditure on the construction of a building or structure might have been made to or on a society under Part V of the Finance Act, 1959 , but for the circumstance that the society was exempt from tax under Schedule D, any annual allowance, balancing allowance or balancing charge falling to be made in respect of the expenditure under the said Part V for the year 1963-64 or a subsequent year of assessment shall be computed as if every annual allowance, balancing allowance and balancing charge which might have been made as aforesaid had been made:

Provided that nothing in this paragraph shall affect the provisions of subsection (5) of section 26 of the Finance Act, 1959 .

(c) Where for the year 1962-63 or any previous year of assessment an annual allowance in respect of capital expenditure on the purchase of patent rights might have been made to or on a society under Part V of the Finance Act, 1959 , but for the circumstance that the society was exempt from tax under Schedule D, the amount of the expenditure remaining unallowed (within the meaning of section 48 of the said Act) shall, in relation to any balancing allowance or balancing charge under the said Part V falling to be made to or on the society in respect of the expenditure for the year 1963-64 or a subsequent year of assessment, be computed as if every annual allowance which might have been made as aforesaid had been made.

(5) Where any profits or income of a society arising in the year 1963-64 have, by virtue of the repeal by this Act of subsection (4) of section 39 of the Income Tax Act, 1918, ceased to be exempt from income tax chargeable by deduction and the tax has not been deducted therefrom or, having been deducted therefrom, the tax has been repaid before the passing of this Act, an assessment may be made on the society under Case VI of Schedule D as if the profits or income were annual profits or gains chargeable under that Case.

69. —(1) With effect as on and from the 1st day of January, 1963, in computing the profits of a society for the purposes of corporation profits tax, deductions shall, notwithstanding anything in paragraph (b) of the proviso to subsection (2) of section 53 of the Finance Act, 1920, be allowed in respect of share interest and loan interest.

(2) For the purpose of giving effect to subsection (1) of this section, to subsection (5) of section 70 of this Act and to the repeal by this Act of part of paragraph (h) of the proviso to subsection (2) of section 53 of the Finance Act, 1920, and section 53 of the Finance Act, 1921, where part of an accounting period is before and part after the beginning of the 1st day of January, 1963, the following provisions shall apply:

(a) the profits of the accounting period shall first be computed as if this Act had not been passed and the profits attributable to the part of the accounting period before the 1st day of January, 1963, shall be taken to be the sum which bears to the profits of the accounting period computed as aforesaid the same proportion as the length of that part bears to the length of the accounting period;

(b) the profits of the accounting period shall then be computed as if subsection (1) of this section and subsection (5) of the said section 70 and the said repeal had effect as respects the whole of any accounting period ending on or after the 1st day of January, 1963, and the profits attributable to the part of the accounting period after the 31st day of December, 1962, shall be taken to be the sum which bears to the profits of the accounting period computed as aforesaid the same proportion as the length of that part bears to the length of the accounting period, and

(c) the profits of the accounting period for the purposes of corporation profits tax shall be ascertained by adding together the sums which under the foregoing paragraphs are to be taken to be the profits attributable respectively to the parts of the accounting period before the 1st day of January, 1963, and after the 31st day of December, 1962.

70. —(1) In this section—

“agricultural society” means a society—

(a) in relation to which both the following conditions are satisfied:

(i) that the number of the society's members is not less than fifty,

(ii) that all or a majority of the society's members are persons who are mainly engaged in, and derive the principal part of their income from, husbandry, or

(b) to which a certificate under paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section relates;

“fishery society” means a society—

(a) in relation to which both the following conditions are satisfied:

(i) that the number of the society's members is not less than twenty,

(ii) that all or a majority of the society's members are persons who are mainly engaged in, and derive the principal part of their income from, fishing, or

(b) to which a certificate under paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of this section relates;

“exempted transactions” means—

(a) in relation to an agricultural society, transactions falling within any of the following classes of transactions:

(i) the selling by wholesale of milk, cream, butter, cheese, eggs, poultry, meat or specified commodities,

(ii) the selling by retail of seeds, fertilisers or other commodities or articles, being specified commodities or articles, entering into or associated with agricultural production,

(iii) the auctioning of livestock, the artificial insemination of animals or the provision of specified services, and

(b) in relation to a fishery society, transactions falling within any of the following classes of transactions:

(i) the selling by wholesale of fresh or processed fish,

(ii) the auctioning or transportation of fish,

(iii) the selling of commodities or articles used in catching fish or of specified commodities or articles;

“selling by wholesale” means selling goods of any class to a person who carries on a trade of selling goods of that class or uses goods of that class for the purposes of a trade carried on by him.

(2) (a) The Minister for Finance may, on the recommendation of the Minister for Agriculture, give a certificate entitling a society to be treated, for the purposes of this section, as an agricultural society notwithstanding—

(i) that the number of the society's members is less than fifty, or

(ii) that persons such as are described in subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of the definition of “agricultural society” contained in the foregoing subsection do not constitute a majority of the society's members.

(b) The Minister for Finance may, on the recommendation of the Minister for Lands, give a certificate entitling a society to be treated, for the purposes of this section, as a fishery society notwithstanding—

(i) that the number of the society's members is less than twenty, or

(ii) that persons such as are described in subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of the definition of “fishery society” contained in the foregoing subsection do not constitute a majority of the society's members.

(c) In paragraph (a) of the definition of “exempted transactions” contained in the foregoing subsection “specified” means specified in a certificate given by the Minister for Finance on the recommendation of the Minister for Agriculture and in paragraph (b) of that definition “specified” means specified in a certificate given by the Minister for Finance on the recommendation of the Minister for Lands.

(d) A certificate under paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this subsection—

(i) shall have effect as from such date, whether before or after the date on which it is given, as may be stated therein,

(ii) shall be published in the Iris Oifigiúil as soon as may be after it is given, and

(iii) may be revoked by the Minister for Finance at any time.

(e) Where a certificate is revoked under the foregoing paragraph, notice of the revocation shall be published as soon as may be in the Iris Oifigiúil.

(3) Where, in the case of a trade carried on by a society, the transactions in any year or period for which the accounts of the society are made up, being a year or period throughout which the society was an agricultural society or a fishery society, include exempted transactions, so much of the profits or gains or the loss (as the case may be) of that year or period (computed in accordance with the provisions, other than this section, applicable to Case I of Schedule D) as is attributable to the exempted transactions shall be disregarded for all the purposes of the Income Tax Acts.

(4) In relation to any trade, the amount of the profits or gains or loss attributable to the exempted transactions of any year or period shall be taken to be the amount which bears to the full amount of the profits or gains or, as the case may be, the full amount of the loss for the year or period the same proportion as the aggregate of the amounts receivable by the society, by virtue of those transactions, from the sale of goods or the provision of services bears to the aggregate of all amounts receivable by the society, by virtue of transactions in the year or period from the sale of goods or the provision of services.

(5) (a) Where, in the case of a trade carried on by a society, a proportion of the profits or gains or loss of any year or period is, under the foregoing provisions of this section, to be disregarded for all the purposes of the Income Tax Acts, a like proportion of the relevant profits or, as the case may be, the relevant loss of the year or period shall be disregarded for all the purposes of the enactments relating to corporation profits tax.

(b) For the purposes of paragraph (a) of this subsection the amount of “the relevant profits” or of “the relevant loss” for any year or period shall be taken to be, where the society's business consists wholly in the carrying on of the trade concerned, the profits or, as the case may be, the loss of the society for the year or period computed in accordance with the enactments, other than this section, relating to corporation profits tax and, in any other case, what would have been the amount of the profits or, as the case may be, the loss of the society for the year or period computed as aforesaid if its business had consisted wholly in the carrying on of the trade concerned.

(6) Where for any year of assessment any capital allowances or any balancing charges under Part V of the Finance Act, 1959 , fall to be made in charging to income tax the profits or gains of a trade carried on by a society and a proportion of the profits or gains or, as the case may be, the loss of the basis period is disregarded under this section, the amount of allowances or the amount of charges which, but for this subsection, would have been made shall be diminished in like proportion.

In this subsection—

(a) the reference to capital allowances falling to be made for any year of assessment does not include a reference to any amount carried forward from any previous year,

(b) “basis period” means, in relation to a year of assessment, the period on the profits or gains of which income tax for that year falls to be finally computed under Case I of Schedule D in respect of the trade in question or, where, by virtue of any Act, the profits or gains of any other period are to be taken to be the profits or gains of the said period, that other period.

(7) All amounts receivable by an agricultural society or a fishery society from the sale of goods, being amounts which are so receivable by virtue of exempted transactions, shall be disregarded for all the purposes of Part III of the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1956 , and where, in a case in which relief from income tax is given to the society under that Part, any share interest is payable with deduction of tax, subsection (2) of section 15 of that Act shall not apply.

(8) Where a society claims relief from income tax or corporation profits tax by virtue of this section, the Revenue Commissioners may by notice in writing require the society to make available, within such time as may be specified in the notice, for inspection by an inspector of taxes or other officer nominated by them, all books, records and documents containing information as to its trading transactions for the year or period concerned, and if the society fails to comply with such notice, no relief under this section shall be given.

71. —(1) Notwithstanding anything in the Income Tax Acts, any share interest or loan interest paid by a society shall be paid without deduction of tax:

Provided that this subsection—

(a) shall not apply to any share interest or loan interest payable to a person whose usual place of abode is not within the State, and

(b) shall not render improper any such deduction made before the 1st day of August, 1963, which would have been a proper deduction if this section had not been enacted.

(2) There shall be added to Rule 1 of Case III of Schedule D the following clause:

“(1) share interest or loan interest paid by a society registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts, 1893 to 1936, being interest which by virtue of section 71 of the Finance Act, 1963, is payable without deduction of tax.”

(3) (a) Where, in a case in which section 70 of this Act applies, a society claims repayment of tax under section 36 of the Income Tax Act, 1918, in respect of interest paid by it in any year of assessment, the amount repayable shall be determined on the basis that so much of the interest as exceeds the appropriate proportion thereof was not paid out of profits or gains brought into charge to tax.

(b) Where, in any year of assessment, a society, in a case in which section 70 of this Act applies, pays any share interest or loan interest, from which tax is deductible, or makes any other annual payment, so much of the aggregate of the gross amounts of all such payments as exceeds the appropriate proportion thereof shall be treated as not having been paid out of profits or gains brought into charge and Rule 21 of the General Rules shall apply accordingly.

In this paragraph “annual payment” means any payment from which, apart from any insufficiency of profit or gains of the person making it, tax is deductible under Rule 19 of the General Rules.

(c) Where in any year of assessment a society pays share interest or loan interest (other than loan interest in respect of which a claim such as is mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection is made) without deduction of tax in accordance with subsection (1) of this section, it may claim, in a case in which section 70 of this Act applies, that the appropriate proportion of the total amount so paid, or, in any other case, that the total amount so paid, be deducted from its total income for that year and, where such a claim is made, any appropriate relief from tax shall be given by repayment or otherwise.

Subsections (5) and (6) of section 34 of the Income Tax Act, 1918, shall apply to a claim under this paragraph as they apply to a claim under that section, except that it shall not be necessary to use a prescribed form.

(d) Where for any year of assessment the amount of share interest and loan interest falling to be deducted from a society's total income under the immediately preceding paragraph exceeds the amount of the said total income, section 10 of this Act shall have effect as if the society had been assessed to tax under Rule 21 of the General Rules in respect of the payment of the excess and had paid tax under that assessment on the amount of such payment.

(e) In this subsection “the appropriate proportion” of any amount of interest or annual payment paid by a society in a year of assessment means the portion of that amount which bears to the whole the same proportion as the amount of the society's total income for the year bears to what would, but for section 70 of this Act, have been the amount of the society's total income for that year.

(f) For the purposes of this subsection the total income of a society shall be taken to be its total income from all sources for the purposes of income tax computed in the manner in which it would be computed if the society were an individual but without regard to any such interest or annual payment as is mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this subsection.

(g) Any reference in the foregoing provisions of this subsection to loan interest or other interest does not include a reference to interest which is allowable as a deduction in the computation of the profits or gains of a trade carried on by the society.

(h) On or before the 1st day of May in each year (commencing with the year 1964), every society shall deliver to the inspector of taxes a return in such form as the Revenue Commissioners may prescribe, showing—

(i) the name and place of residence of every person to whom share interest or loan interest amounting to the sum of five pounds or more has been paid by the society in the year of assessment which ended next before the said 1st day of May, and

(ii) the amount of such share interest or loan interest paid in that year to each of those persons,

and if such a return is not duly made as respects any year of assessment, the society shall not be entitled to any deduction under paragraph (c) of this subsection in respect of any payments of share interest or loan interest which it was required to include in the return, and the amount of any deduction in respect of any such payments by reference to which relief has been given under the said paragraph (c) may, if not otherwise made good, be assessed under Case VI of Schedule D and recovered from the society accordingly.

(4) This section shall be deemed to have come into operation on the 6th day of April, 1963.