The court had to consider whether the arrangments before it amounted to a reconstruction for stamp duty purposes: ‘I will deal first with the question whether those transactions amounted to a reconstruction. In ordinary speech the word reconstruction is, I think, used to describe the refashioning of any object in such a way as to leave the basic character of the object unchanged. In relation to companies, the word ‘reconstruction’ has a fairly precise meaning which corresponds, so far as the subject matter allows, to its meaning in ordinary speech. It denotes the transfer of the undertaking or part of the undertaking of an existing company to a new company with substantially the same persons as were members of the old company.’ referring to South African Supply: ‘So in that passage Buckley J repeated in effect what was said by Chitty J in the earlier case he repeatedly inserted the qualification ‘substantial’. I respectfully adopt that passage as an accurate statement of what is meant by the word ‘reconstruction,’ always, of course, in the absence of any controlling factor leading to some other meaning. To quote again the last sentence: ‘substantially the business and the persons inserted must be the same.”
Judges:
Pennycuick J
Citations:
[1970] 1 WLR 429
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Citing:
Cited – Hooper v Western Counties and South Wales Telephone Co Ltd 1892
The court placed a restrictive meaning on the idea of a company reconstruction. The new company is to consist of the old shareholders. . .
Cited – Re South African Supply and Cold Storage Co 1904
The court had to construe the words ‘reconstruction or amalgamation’ in the memorandum of association of a company: ‘The only question I have to decide is whether, in the case of each of these two companies, there has or has not been a winding-up . .
Cited by:
Cited – Mytravel Group Plc, Re Companies Act 1985 ChD 24-Nov-2004
The company sought approval of a proposed reconstruction under the section.
Held: Approval could not be given. To count as a reconstruction two principal qualities were required. The business carried on should be the same or similar, and those . .
Cited – In re Courage Group’s Pension Schemes Ryan v Imperial Brewing and Leisure Ltd ChD 1987
It was possible to amend the provisions of a pension scheme provided the amendments did not conflict with the purposes of the scheme. How was a court to identify such purposes: ‘It is trite law that a power can be exercised only for the purpose for . .
Cited – Fallon v Fellows (Inspector of Taxes) ChD 2001
The court considered whether a scheme was for the purposes of reconstruction or amalgamation in a capital gains tax context. Citing South African Supply: ‘In the context I think it is clear that when the learned judge referred to the persons . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Stamp Duty
Updated: 16 May 2022; Ref: scu.220248