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[2013] ACAT 84
ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal
2013-12-24
Commissioner For
Original judgment source is linked above.
16 December 2013 and Supplementary Submissions in Reply from the Applicant on 17 December 2013.
August 2011 and the associated transfer transferred the bare legal title of the UDS shares, and thus ownership and control to her; she being already the beneficial owner. Mr Francey asked, why, otherwise, would she directly or indirectly advance monies for the purchase of the property and borrow monies for that purpose in December 2007 and January 2008? As a consequence, he said, no liability for duty arose on the transfer of the shares. . 3. The Applicant also claimed that no shareholder could assert against the Applicant's beneficial ownership in the property or the shares in UDS, as and from the date the corporate entity was used to acquire the property. 4. In the alternative, the Applicant submitted that, as duty was paid when the Option Agreement was first executed, subsection 11(2) of the Duties Act applies. 5. The Applicant seeks that the duty, penalty and interest paid be remitted to her.
_The commissioner may remit all or part of an amount of penalty tax payable by a person if satisfied that - _
(i) the person has taken reasonable steps to mitigate, or to mitigate the effects of, the circumstances that resulted in the liability for penalty tax; or
(ii) the circumstances that resulted in the liability for penalty tax were exceptional; and
(b) it would be fair and reasonable to remit all or part of the penalty tax.
ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2008 (ACAT Act)
(ii) remit the matter that is the subject of the decision for
reconsideration by the decision-maker in accordance with any
Duties Act 1999 (the Duties Act)
11 When does a liability for duty arise?
(1) A liability for duty charged by this chapter arises when a
(2) However, if a transfer of dutiable property is effected by an
instrument, liability for duty charged by this chapter arises
56 Property vested in apparent purchaser
(a) a declaration of trust made by an apparent purchaser in
(i) vested in the apparent purchaser on trust for the real
purchaser who provided the money for the purchase
(ii) to be vested in the apparent purchaser on trust for the
real purchaser, if the commissioner is satisfied that
the money for the purchase of the dutiable property
has been or will be provided by the real purchaser; or
(b) a transfer of dutiable property from an apparent purchaser to
the real purchaser if dutiable property is vested in an
apparent purchaser on trust for the real purchaser who
provided the money for the purchase of the dutiable property.
When the parties have formed a common intention as to the beneficial interest, a constructive trust comes into existence not because there has been an unconscionable denial of the other person's beneficial interest but because it would be unconscionable for the legal owner to deny the beneficial ownership of another.[9]
As Deane J held in Muschinski v Dodds[10],
The content of the principle is that, in such a case, equity will not permit that other party to assert or to retain the benefit of the relevant property to the extent that it would be unconscionable for him to do so.
In such a case a constructive trust comes into existence. The court may declare or construe the existence of such a constructive trust but the declaration does not create the constructive trust.[11]Constructive trusts may in different circumstances come into existence when they are imposed by the court.[12] That is not the case where the equitable interest arises from the common intention to create it. In such a case the constructive trust comes into existence at the time the equitable interest arises.
Creditors should be expected in these times to be aware of the possibility of constructive trusts or of equitable interests which may arise when a debtor is married or in a de facto relationship.
Equity acts consistently and in accordance with principle. The old maxim that equity regards as done that which ought to be done is as applicable to enforce equitable obligations as it is to create them and, notwithstanding that the constructive trust is remedial both in origin and nature, there does not need to have been a curial declaration or order before equity will recognize the prior existence of a constructive trust.... (emphasis added)
I state that at all material times since 14 December 2007 I understood and believed that in all the circumstances I held any shares in Un De Six Pty Ltd beneficially on behalf of Marianne Francey.
I state that at all material times since 14 December 2007 I understood and believed that in all the circumstances I held any shares in Un De Six Pty Ltd beneficially on behalf of Marianne Francey.
14 January 2008; that when the option was exercised all that occurred was a transfer of the beneficial interest under the constructive trust; that no duty was payable and that the issue of penalty did not arise.
..even if a constructive trust were to exist, a constructive trust would not be effective in circumventing the liability for landholder duty in the present circumstances. That is, a constructive trust may operate to compel the transfer of legal title to property to which another person is beneficially entitled. Here, Ms Francey has obtained the legal title to the shares in the company, of which she claims she was beneficially entitled prior to the transfer. That being the case, a constructive trust has no work to do.
Section 11(2) of the Duties Act
Section 56 of the Duties Act
This chapter charges duty on certain transactions that are not dutiable transactions to which chapter 2 applies.
78A Meaning of entity - pt 3.2
private unit trust scheme means a unit trust scheme that is not a public unit trust scheme.
79 Meaning of landholder - pt 3.2
For this part, a landholder is an entity that has a landholding in the ACT.
(1) For this part, a landholding is any interest in land, other
than the interest of a mortgagee, chargee or other secured
_(2) However, an interest in land is not a landholding of - _
(a) a private company unless the interest of the company
(b) a unit trust scheme unless the interest is held by the
trustees in their capacity as trustees of the scheme.
(3) This section is in aid of, but does not limit, the operation of
any provision of this part providing for constructive
83 _Interest and significant interest in landholders - _
(1) For this part, a person has an interest in a landholder if the
person has an entitlement (otherwise than as a creditor or
other person to whom the landholder is liable) to a
distribution of property from the landholder on a winding up
(2) A person who, under subsection (1), has an interest in a
landholder has a significant interest in the landholder if the
person, in the event of a distribution of all the property of the
landholder immediately after the interest was acquired,
would be entitled to at least 50% of the property distributed.
(1) For this part, a person acquires an interest in a landholder if
the person obtains an interest, or the person's interest
increases, in the landholder regardless of how it is obtained
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), a person may acquire an
(i) purchase, gift, allotment, issue or transfer of a
(ii) variation, abrogation or alteration of a right
(iii) cancellation, redemption or surrender of any
(iv) variation, abrogation or alteration of a right
(c) if the person holds an interest in the landholder
(whether or not as trustee) and the capacity in which
the person holds the interest changes (including if
there is a change in the beneficial ownership of an
a person who holds a unit in the landholder declares a trust in relation to the unit
Note An example is part of the Act, is not exhaustive and may extend, but does not limit, the meaning of the provision in which it appears (see Legislation Act, s 126 and s 132).
(3) If the acquisition arises from an agreement to purchase, allot
or issue a unit or share, the acquisition is made, for this part,
(a) it does not matter whether or not the acquisition or
(b) an agreement is taken to be completed when the
necessary transfer or title documents are delivered to
the person acquiring the interest and the purchase
(5) To remove any doubt, a person may acquire an interest in a
landholder without acquiring shares or units in the
A liability for duty charged by this part arises when a relevant acquisition is made.
86 What is a relevant acquisition? - pt 3.2
(1) For this part, a person is taken to have made a relevant
(i) that is of itself a significant interest in the landholder; or
(ii) that, when aggregated with other interests in the
person, results in an aggregation that amounts to a
(iii) that, when aggregated with other interests in the
landholder acquired by the person or other people in
an associated transaction, results in an aggregation
(b) having an interest described in paragraph (a) in a
associated transaction, in relation to the acquisition of an
interest in a landholder by a person, means an acquisition of
an interest in the landholder by another person in
(b) the acquisitions form, are evidence of, give effect to or
arise from substantially 1 arrangement, 1 transaction
A tax default does not happen for the Taxation Administration Act if duty is paid within 90 days after the liability to pay it arises.
(1) Subject to subsection (2), duty chargeable under this part is
payable by the person who makes the relevant acquisition.
(2) If a relevant acquisition results from an aggregation of the
interests of associated people, the person who made the
relevant acquisition and the associated person or people are
jointly and severally liable for payment of the duty.
[1] Kerrill Thomas Chambers, Witness Statement (Exhibit A2) 7 August 2013
[2] Applicant's Chronology, part of Exhibit A6
[3] Applicant's Supplementary Submissions, dated 5 December 2013.
[4] Applicant's Supplementary Statement of Facts and Contentions, paragraph 3
[5] Muschinski v Dodds [1985] HCA 78 (1985) CLR 583, Deane J at 612-4.
[9] Gissing v Gissing [1970] UKHL 3; [1971] AC 886; HoHol v HoHol [1981] VicRp 24; [1981] VR 221 at 225; Maharaj v Jai Chand [1986] AC 898 at 907
[10] [1985] HCA 78; (1985) 160 CLR 583, at 620
[12] Baumgartner v Baumgartner [1987] HCA 59; (1997) 164 CLR 137
[14] Gleeson CJ, McHugh, Gummow and Callinan JJ (at 112)
[18] Respondent's further written submissions, 16 December 2013 at [6-7]
[19] Respondent's further written submissions, 16 December 2013 at [9]
[20] Applicant's Supplementary Submissions in Reply, 17 December 2013
[21] Reasons Statement T42, T43, T46 and T47
[22] Pages 7&8, Reasons Statement, 7 May 2013 (T46, T47)
[23] Applicant's Supplementary Submissions in Reply, 17 December 2013
[24] Dated 23 September 2013, at paragraph 9
[25] Being a document or written statement - per Definitions, Duties Act 1999
FRANCEY
COMMISSIONER
Cases: Australian Building & Technical Solutions Pty Limited v Boumelhem; Boral Australia Limited v Boumelhem; Boumelhem v Jones [2009] NSWSC 460
Clout v Markwell [2001] QSC 91
Giumelli v Giumelli [1999] HCA 10; (1999) 196 CLR 101
Muschinski v Dodds [1985] HCA 78; (1985) 160 CLR 583
(1999) 196 CLR 101
(1985) 160 CLR 583
(1997) 164 CLR 137