BP 2013 Annual Report Download - page 280

Distributions in excess of the company’s earnings and profits, as
determined for US federal income tax purposes, will be treated as a
return of capital to the extent of the US holder’s basis in the ordinary
shares or ADSs and thereafter as capital gain, subject to taxation as
described in Taxation of capital gains – US federal income taxation
section below.
In addition, the taxation of dividends may be subject to the rules for
passive foreign investment companies (PFIC), described below under
‘Taxation of capital gains – US federal income taxation’. Distributions
made by a PFIC do not constitute qualified dividend income and are not
eligible for the preferential tax rate applicable to such income.
Taxation of capital gains
UK taxation
A US holder may be liable for both UK and US tax in respect of a gain on
the disposal of ordinary shares or ADSs if the US holder is (i) a citizen of
the US resident or ordinarily resident in the UK, (ii) a US domestic
corporation resident in the UK by reason of its business being managed
or controlled in the UK or (iii) a citizen of the US or a corporation that
carries on a trade or profession or vocation in the UK through a branch or
agency or, in respect of corporations for accounting periods beginning on
or after 1 January 2003, through a permanent establishment, and that has
used, held, or acquired the ordinary shares or ADSs for the purposes of
such trade, profession or vocation of such branch, agency or permanent
establishment. However, such persons may be entitled to a tax credit
against their US federal income tax liability for the amount of UK capital
gains tax or UK corporation tax on chargeable gains (as the case may be)
that is paid in respect of such gain.
Under the Treaty, capital gains on dispositions of ordinary shares or ADSs
generally will be subject to tax only in the jurisdiction of residence of the
relevant holder as determined under both the laws of the UK and the US
and as required by the terms of the Treaty.
Under the Treaty, individuals who are residents of either the UK or the
US and who have been residents of the other jurisdiction (the US or the
UK, as the case may be) at any time during the six years immediately
preceding the relevant disposal of ordinary shares or ADSs may be
subject to tax with respect to capital gains arising from a disposition of
ordinary shares or ADSs of the company not only in the jurisdiction of
which the holder is resident at the time of the disposition but also in the
other jurisdiction.
US federal income taxation
A US holder who sells or otherwise disposes of ordinary shares or ADSs
will recognize a capital gain or loss for US federal income tax purposes
equal to the difference between the US dollar value of the amount
realized on the disposition and the US holder’s tax basis, determined in
US dollars, in the ordinary shares or ADSs. Any such capital gain or loss
generally will be long-term gain or loss, subject to tax at a preferential
rate for a non-corporate US holder, if the US holder’s holding period for
such ordinary shares or ADSs exceeds one year.
Gain or loss from the sale or other disposition of ordinary shares or ADSs
will generally be income or loss from sources within the US for foreign
tax credit limitation purposes. The deductibility of capital losses is subject
to limitations.
We do not believe that ordinary shares or ADSs will be treated as stock
of a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for US federal income
tax purposes, but this conclusion is a factual determination that is made
annually and thus is subject to change. If we are treated as a PFIC, unless
a US holder elects to be taxed annually on a mark-to-market basis with
respect to ordinary shares or ADSs, any gain realized on the sale or other
disposition of ordinary shares or ADSs would in general not be treated as
capital gain. Instead, a US holder would be treated as if he or she had
realized such gain rateably over the holding period for ordinary shares or
ADSs and would be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for each such
year to which the gain was allocated, in addition to which an interest
charge in respect of the tax attributable to each such year would apply.
Certain ‘excess distributions’ would be similarly treated if we were
treated as a PFIC.
Additional tax considerations
Scrip Dividend Programme
The company has an optional Scrip Dividend Programme, wherein
holders of BP ordinary shares or ADSs may elect to receive any dividends
in the form of new fully paid ordinary shares or ADSs of the company
instead of cash. Please consult your tax adviser for the consequences to
you.
UK inheritance tax
The Estate Tax Convention applies to inheritance tax. ADSs held by an
individual who is domiciled for the purposes of the Estate Tax Convention
in the US and is not for the purposes of the Estate Tax Convention a
national of the UK will not be subject to UK inheritance tax on the
individual’s death or on transfer during the individual’s lifetime unless,
among other things, the ADSs are part of the business property of a
permanent establishment situated in the UK used for the performance of
independent personal services. In the exceptional case where ADSs are
subject to both inheritance tax and US federal gift or estate tax, the
Estate Tax Convention generally provides for tax payable in the US to be
credited against tax payable in the UK or for tax paid in the UK to be
credited against tax payable in the US, based on priority rules set forth in
the Estate Tax Convention.
UK stamp duty and stamp duty reserve tax
The statements below relate to what is understood to be the current
practice of HM Revenue & Customs in the UK under existing law.
Provided that any instrument of transfer is not executed in the UK and
remains at all times outside the UK and the transfer does not relate to
any matter or thing done or to be done in the UK, no UK stamp duty is
payable on the acquisition or transfer of ADSs. Neither will an agreement
to transfer ADSs in the form of ADRs give rise to a liability to stamp duty
reserve tax.
Purchases of ordinary shares, as opposed to ADSs, through the CREST
system of paperless share transfers will be subject to stamp duty reserve
tax at 0.5%. The charge will arise as soon as there is an agreement for
the transfer of the shares (or, in the case of a conditional agreement,
when the condition is fulfilled). The stamp duty reserve tax will apply to
agreements to transfer ordinary shares even if the agreement is made
outside the UK between two non-residents. Purchases of ordinary shares
outside the CREST system are subject either to stamp duty at a rate of
£5 per £1,000 (or part, unless the stamp duty is less than £5, when no
stamp duty is charged), or stamp duty reserve tax at 0.5%. Stamp duty
and stamp duty reserve tax are generally the liability of the purchaser.
A subsequent transfer of ordinary shares to the Depositary’s nominee
will give rise to further stamp duty at the rate of £1.50 per £100 (or part)
or stamp duty reserve tax at the rate of 1.5% of the value of the ordinary
shares at the time of the transfer. For ADR holders electing to receive
ADSs instead of cash, after the 2012 first quarter dividend payment HM
Revenue & Customs no longer seeks to impose 1.5% stamp duty
reserve tax on issues of UK shares and securities to non-EU clearance
services and depositary receipt systems.
US Medicare Tax
For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, a US holder that is
an individual or estate, or a trust that does not fall into a special class of
trusts that is exempt from such tax, will be subject to an additional 3.8%
“Medicare tax” on the lesser of (1) the US holder’s “net investment
income” for the relevant taxable year and (2) the excess of the US
holder’s modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year over a
certain threshold (which in the case of individuals will be $125,000,
$200,000 or $250,000, depending on the individual’s circumstances). A
US holder’s net investment income will generally include its dividend
income and its net gains from the sale or other disposition of ordinary
shares or ADSs. If you are a US holder that is an individual, estate or
trust, you are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding the applicability
of the Medicare tax to your income and gains in respect of your
investment in ordinary shares or ADSs.
276 BP Annual Report and Form 20-F 2013