Legal Concepts Relevant To UK Financial Services Flashcards
What are the different forms of business? 5
Sole trader
Partnership
Limited liability partnership
Limited company
Public Limited company
What is a sole-trader? 3
Not a legal entity
No separate business
Self-employed person trading under business name.
How does sole trading work? 3
Contracts entered directly between trader and the other party. Business is not separate.
Profits are taxed directly on the individual.
National Insurance is paid under classes 2 and 4
What is a partnership?
Not a legal entity
Two or more people working together to make a profit.
How does a partnership work?
Tax and NIC paid separately between each partner.
Partners are joint responsible for liabilities.
What is a Limited Liability Partnership?
New development.
Allows partnership to assume legal identity and be able to contract.
How does a limited liability partnership work?
Each partner is still self-employed.
Still pay tax on their profit.
LLP is a legal person
Various rules must be met for LLP to be valid.
What is a Limited Company (ltd)?
A company that incorporates and atains a legal idendity.
Becomes a legal person itself.
How does a limited company work? 5
Pays corporation tax.
Directors are employees.
Owner directors pay themselves salary or dividends.
The company will be responsible for its own debts and will not extend beyond the value of the company’s assets.
Owners are not liable for debts but may be expected to be guarantors.
What is a public limited buisness?
Larger form of incorporated buisness.
Usually floated on the stock exchange.
What rules apply to public limited business? 3
Required to have:
Two directors.
Two shareholders.
Capital more than £50000 with at least 25% of this being fully paid-up (put into the business)
What stricter rules apply to public limited business’s.
Company secretary must be part of a professional body.
Accounts must be put before an annual general meeting.
What is power of attorney?
A means for one person to give control over thier affairs to anther person.
What is the person giving POA known as?
What is the person receiving called?
Donor
Attorney
If there is more than one attorney, how must decisions be made?
The donor must state that they all must agree (acting jointly)
Or
Allow all individual attorneys to act individually on behalf of all attorneys. (Acting jointly and severally)
What are the different types of POA?
Ordinary power of attorney.
Enduring power of attorney. (EPA)
Lasting power of attorney.
Describe Ordinary POA
Simplist form of POA
Gives one person power over finances only whilst the donor is still compusmentus.
Automatically comes to an end if not.
If it comes to an end due to loss of capacity, the attorney needs a court order to act as deputy.
Describe enduring POA
Addresses the issue of loss of capacity on ordinary POA if the donor registers it at the court of protection as soon as capacity is lost.
This adds a check on power, ensuring the attorney can not act on behalf of the donor unless the court gives consent.
What are the two ways enduring POA can set up?
Immidiate action-
Comes into force straight away, allowing the attorney to act on the donors’ behalf much like an ordinary POA.
When capacity is lost, the attorney stops acting until the POA is registered at court.
Delayed action-
Doesn’t come into force until the donor loses capacity and the POA is registered at court. Donor, therefore, remains in charge.
Since October 1st 2007, what has not been possible in England and Wales? Why? And what may still be encountered?
The ability to draw up new EPAs.
Because the mental capacity act 2005 changed the law requiring Lasting Power of Attorney.
What does the Mental Capacity Act 2005 state? 4
Individuals have capacity if:
-understand relevant information.
-retain information
-evaluate the information in relation to the desicison.
-communicate that information.
What are the two types of lasting power of attorney? LPA
Financial decisions -
like EPA, covers only financial and carries on in case of incapacity.
Health and care decisions (Health and welfare)-
Allows attorney to make health and welfare decisions, including withdrawing treatment.
Only comes into effect when incapacity is met.
What must be done to enact LPA? 3
Registered at Office of Public Guardian.
Secondary check by an appointed individual.
Both forms of LPA are separate and should be registered individually (with separate fee to court).
When would an LPA cease? 3
Bankruptcy of the donor
Death or bankruptcy of the attorney
Divorce/dissolution of a civil partnership between donor and donee