Commentary on Sections Structure of Chapters Overview Section 537: Top slicing relieved liability: two or more chargeable events
2112.This section is based on section 550 of ICTA. It employs the same method approach as section 536, and the same rules modifying the calculation of the factor (“N”) by which each gain is to be divided for the purposes of the calculation.
2113.However, the actual method employed differs in two respects. First, the fractions (the “annual equivalent”) of each gain are totalled, so that the tax calculation under step 2 is made in respect of the totalled amount.
2114.Second, the relieved liability is found by multiplying the net tax on the total annual equivalents by the aggregated gains and dividing the result by the total annual equivalents. (Roughly speaking, this gives a result based on a weighted average of “N”.) This method statement expresses explicitly the calculation described in section 550(6) of ICTA for such cases.
2115.The product of this calculation is compared with the unrelieved liability on the full gains (as calculated under section 535(3)) to work out how much top slicing relief is available.
2116.For example, if an individual is chargeable on gains totalling £31,000 under this Chapter (say, gains of £6000 from one policy where “N” is four years and gains of £25,000 from another policy where “N” is ten years), and the net tax chargeable on those gains before relief (the “unrelieved liability”) would be, say, £2400:
	the “total annual equivalent” is £4000 (£1500 from the first policy plus £2500 from the second);
	the “total relieved liability” on the total annual equivalent is, say, £200;
	the relieved liability is £1550 (the total relieved liability £200 multiplied by the total gains £31,000, divided by the total annual equivalent £4000);
	top-slicing relief is £850 (unrelieved liability £2400, less relieved liability £1550).