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This guidance note discusses the purchase by a company of its own shares (often referred to as a ‘share buyback’ or a ‘purchase of own shares’). This may be considered for a variety of reasons, such as a tax efficient exit route from the company or a simple restructure of share capital. However, there are a number of issues, both legal and tax, that need to be considered before such a transaction is carried out.

The repurchased shares can either be immediately cancelled, which is typically the case, or they may in some circumstances be retained by the company (effectively ‘in treasury’). If the shares are retained, companies can sell them for cash (to raise funds or under an option scheme) or transfer them for the purposes of employee share schemes. These shares, referred to as ‘treasury shares’, are dealt with in further detail in the Treasury shares following a share buy back guidance note.

The tax treatment for the shareholders in a company on a purchase of own shares will fall into one of