Thursday March 17, 12:41 PM
Budget - Tax Treatment Changes For Islamic Finance Products
One relatively overlooked item in the Chancellor's Budget was announced changes in legislation relating to the tax treatment of Islamic financial products. After discussions initiated by the Islamic Bank of Britain (LSE: IBB.L - news) - the UK's only Sharia'a compliant bank - Mr Brown has taken on board the need for changes in taxation, including the treatment of profit earned on deposit accounts. In effect, the new measures will put the said products on a level playing field with comparable non-Islamic products.
Islamic deposit accounts are operated under the Sharia'a compliant principle of Musaraba, which is based on a profit sharing arrangement. Customers provide the funds and the bank provides the expertise to use those funds and generate a profit. Such profit is then shared between the bank and its customers.
Until now, income tax has not been withheld from profit paid on Sharia'a compliant savings accounts but has been fully taxable in the hands of a UK customer. The changes will mean that the lower rate tax on 'profits' can be deducted at source, as happens with conventional savings accounts. The result is that some customers, who may currently be required to complete tax returns, won't have to, and it will simplify the process for others.
The changes will also clarify the taxation of profit charged on Islamic financing facilities based on the principle of Murabaha, whereby the bank buys the goods and services and then sells these to the customer at a mark-up, but on deferred payment terms.
The Chancellor's latest announcement builds on changes made by the Government in 2003 relating to Islamic home finance products, which tackled the issue of double stamp duty. The current changes extend the relief for double stamp duty to cover a new Sharia'a compliant property finance product offered in the UK.
http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/050317/22/fefwa.html