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HMRC internal manual

Life Assurance Manual

LAM17030 - Summary of  friendly society  long-term business provisions: FA12/PART3/S150-179 

Registered, unregistered and incorporated friendly societies are subject to corporation tax. The Corporation Tax Acts use the term "company" to apply not only to companies but also to unincorporated associations (such as unregistered and registered friendly societies) and bodies corporate that are not companies (such as incorporated friendly societies) (CTA10/S1121). 

The main long-term business provisions are:  

Reference FA12SummaryLAM Reference
S151CT rules apply to friendly societies as for mutual life assurance companies subject to exemptions and regulations (SI2012/3008)  LAM17020
S152Friendly societies subject to transfer of business rules  LAM13090
S153Exemption for certain BLAGAB or eligible PHI business  LAM17040 to 17150
S158BLAGAB and eligible PHI - transfers from friendly societies to insurance companies etc. LAM17160
S164Societies registered before 1 June 1973 etc.  LAM17140
S165Incorporated friendly societies - a special exemption from corporation tax for "relevant other business" LAM17150
S166Relevant other business - transfers from friendly societies etc.  LAM17160
S167Relevant other business - transfers between friendly societies  LAM17170
S171An exemption for unregistered friendly societies with income of less than £160 per annum  LAM17210

Key terms are defined in the body of the text as they arise and in FA12/S172.  

Other provisions in this manual particularly relevant to friendly societies in calculating the tax charge are: 

LAM06060 - I-E Profit: Calculation of the tax charge: No reliefs to be given against the policyholders’ share of I-E profits FA12/S127 

LAM07010 - Trade profits: Introduction - BLAGAB and non-BLAGAB trade profits and losses: FA12/S66 

LAM13090 - Transfers of long-term business: friendly societies: FA12/S152 

There is further guidance on the taxation of friendly societies in the following manuals: 

General Insurance Manual: GIM1200 - The UK Market: friendly societies

Capital Gains Manual: CG41600 to CG41613

Company Taxation Manual: CTM40305 to CTM40345 

Insurance Policyholder Taxation Manual: IPTM8400 

VAT Registration guidance: VATREG11200 

The I-E treatment of mutual business: LAM02050 

Trading profits on long-term insurance business carried out on a mutual basis are not subject to corporation tax under normal principles and explicit reference is made in FA12/S71(3) to excluding mutual business profits from the charge to corporation tax as non-BLAGAB.