✔ 最佳答案
行業標記 Badges of trade is one of the aspect from "Profit Taxation"
基於不同法官在不同案件對行業(trade)的評論,英國Royal
Commission on Taxation of Profits and Income in United
Kingdom 在一九五五年,發表報告,將行業(trade) 的標記歸納為六
項:
(1) 出售貨物的性質the subject matter of the realization
(2)貨物擁有期的長短the length of the period of ownership
(3) 出售同類貨物的次數the frequency or number of similar transactions
(4)有否為貨物加工 supplementary work in connection with the subject matter
(5) 在何種情況下出售貨物the circumstances leading to the realization and
(6) 出售的動機the motive。
在報告發表之後,關於行業(trade)標記的最重要的案例是Marson v.
Morton,個案涉及一宗土地買賣交易,稅局認為有關利潤是由納稅
人經營行業(trade)而賺取的,所以,必須課稅,但納稅人不同意,最
後,法官認為納稅人購買土地的目的,只是作為一項長期投資long
term investment,而不是為了獲利,所以,納稅人這宗交易,不構
成經營行業,所以,他在出售時的獲利,不須課稅。這個案件十分重
要,原因是:法官在判詞中,將行業(trade) 的標記,歸納為九項,
現節錄有關判詞如下:
"The following list of “badges” was not comprehensive and
no one pointer was decisive:
1. Was the transaction a one-off transaction? Lack of
repetition indicated that it might not be trade.
2. Was the transaction related to the trade that the taxpayer
ordinarily carried on?
3. The nature of the subject matter of the transaction might
be a valuable pointer: was it matter of a kind generally
traded with and could it readily be turned to account?
4. It might be helpful to look at the way in which the
transaction was carried through.
5. What was the source of finance? If finance wasborrowed that might be an indication to short-term resale
and trading.
6. Was the item sold as it stood or was work done on it? If
work was done, that again was a pointer to a transaction
being a trading one.
7. Was the item purchased and resold in one lot or broken
down into saleable parcels: If broken down that was a
pointer to a trading transaction.
8. What was the purchaser's intention as to resale at the
time of purchase? If he intended to hold an item
indefinitely, albeit to make a profit at the end of the day,
that pointed to investment and not to trade. If before the
purchase a resale contract already existed that would be
a strong pointer to the transaction being trade.
9. Did the purchase of the item provide the purchaser with
any enjoyment or pride of possession or produce an
income for him pending resale. If so that might show an
intention to buy for personal satisfaction or investment
rather than an intention to trade.
To reach a factual assessment of a case it was necessary to
stand back and look at it as a whole and to ask ‘was this an
adventure in the nature of trade? Put in more homely
language ‘was the taxpayer investing his money or was he
doing a deal?’ ”
由於這個案件十分重要,所以,茲將判詞解釋如下:
1. 那是一次過的交易(one-off transaction)嗎?若是,它大概不屬
於業務活動。
2. 那交易與納稅人的業務有關連嗎?若有,它可能屬於業務活動。
3. 交易裏的物品,或許能有所顯示,若物品通常可作銷售獲利,它
大概屬於一項業務活動。
4. 如何達成交易?或許這問題能提供答案。
5. 交易所需的資金何來?若來自短期貸款(short-term
borrowing),那交易可能是一項業務活動。
6. 交易裏的物品,在出售前曾否加工?若有,那交易大概是一項業
務活動。
7. 物品是否大批買入,然後分拆成小包裝出售?若有,那交易大概
是一項業務活動。
8. 購買物品時的意圖是什麼?如果意圖是長期持有,那就是投資
(investment),而不是買賣活動。
9. 那物品能否為買家帶來享受(enjoyment)?又或是帶來利潤
(profit)?前者不是業務活動,而後者則是。
法官特別指出,以上指標沒有一項具絕對決定性(decisive),要判定交
是否屬於業務活動,須整體考慮(look at as a whole),然後,撫心自
問:那究竟是否具業務性質的商業活動(was it a deal)?