STSM055050 - Depositary receipt and clearance services: scope of 1.5 per cent charge: Stamp Duty Reserve Tax - issue and transfer of securities

The higher 1.5% SDRT charge applies to:

  • Transfers of chargeable securities to a depositary receipt issuer or their nominee (section 93 FA1986)
  • Transfers of chargeable securities to a clearance service or their nominee (section 96 FA1986)

The 1.5% charge does not apply to transfers related to exempt capital raising arrangements and exempt listing arrangements, or to issues of chargeable securities.

Background of the 1.5% charge

Following EU (HSBC Holdings plc and Vidacos Nominees Ltd v HMRC) and UK (HSBC Holdings plc and The Bank of New York Mellon v HMRC) court decisions in 2009 and 2012, HMRC recognised that the 1.5% Stamp Duty and SDRT charges on the issue of securities and certain transfers were incompatible with the Capital Duties Directive (Council Directive 2008/7/EC of 12 February 2008 concerning indirect taxes on the raising of capital, and the predecessor directive, Council Directive 69/335/EEC of 17 July 1969).

Following this, in a 2017 decision the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in the Air Berlin case that no 1.5% charge applied on the transfer of legal title in chargeable securities in connection with the listing of shares on a stock exchange.

UK legislation providing for the 1.5% charge on transactions of the types covered in these cases was not originally amended as taxpayers were able to rely on the direct effect of EU law up to and including 31 December 2023. However, the changes in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 meant that this would no longer be the case, so UK legislation was amended to prevent the 1.5% charge being reintroduced for these transactions.

The 1.5% charge on the issue of UK securities into depositary receipt systems and clearance services and on certain transfers was removed from domestic legislation with effect from 1 January 2024. Guidance on these changes can be found at STSM053080 onwards.

Further Information

For the meaning of ‘chargeable securities’, see STSM053030.

As rights to allotment of, or to subscribe for, shares, are regarded as being separate chargeable securities, various SDRT obligations can arise when rights and shares (following payment of all subscription monies under the terms of an allotment letter or renounceable letter of allotment) are traded and transferred to a depositary receipt issuer or clearance service. The SDRT obligations are explained in STSM055060, STSM055070, STSM055080 and STSM055090.

See STSM055030 for the meaning of an allotment letter and a renounceable letter of allotment.