ISPT Nominees Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2003] NSWSC 697

Reported Decision : 59 NSWLR 196

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : ISPT Nominees Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2003] NSWSC 697 HEARING DATE(S) : 07/02/02, 08/02/02, 07/02/03, 0505/03, 08/07/03 JUDGMENT DATE : 12 August 2003 JURISDICTION: Equity Division JUDGMENT OF : Barrett J DECISION : Disallowance of plaintiff's notices of objection set aside. Notices of objection allowed. Stamp duty to be refunded with interest

CATCHWORDS : TAXES AND DUTIES - stamp duty - transfer of land - whether transfer expressed to be for consideration of "nil" is "made for nominal consideration" - TAXES AND DUTIES - stamp duty - unsuccessful attempt to tax underlying transaction - subsequent levying of duty on instrument - whether revenue estopped - STATUTES - repeal - implied repeal - whether existing provision allowing demand for further money where duty paid considered deficient was impliedly repealed by later provisions permitting amendment of assessment of duty (1992) or reassessment of duty (1998) - if no implied repeal, whether existing provision became subject to limitations in later provisions - STATUTES - operation and effect of statutes - provision creating power to delegate - act of delegate after such provision "omitted" from statute - whether delegation extinguished by omission - whether delegation saved as act, matter or thing before repeal - COURTS AND JUDGES - stare decisis - determining ratio decidendi where three judgments given - EQUITY - equitable estates and interests - interest under sub-trust - whether interests merge - whether trustee of sub-trust is bare trustee - whether trustee of head trust holders on trust for beneficiary of sub-trust - need for writing under Statute of Frauds provisions - estoppel - part performance Duties Act 1997, s.315 Interpretation Act 1987, s.49 LEGISLATION CITED : Stamp Duties Act 1920, ss.3AA, 37, 73, Stamp Duties Amendment Act 1992, s.35 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No 2) 1999, ss.4, 5 Taxation Administration Act 1996, ss.8, 9, 86, 91, 96 Re Abbott (a Bankrupt) [1983] 1 Ch 45 Acorn v MCS Microcomputer Systems Pty Ltd (1984) 4 IPR 214 Adamson v Hayes (1973) 130 CLR 276 Aitken v South Hams District Council [1995] 1 AC 263 Arnold v National Westminster Bank plc [1990] Ch 573 Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd v Widin (1990) 26 FCR 21 Australian Oil Refining Pty Ltd v Cooper (1987) 11 NSWLR 277 Avondale Printers v Haggie [1979] 2 NZLR 124 Baloglow v Konstantinidis [2001] NSWCA 451 Bannister v Bannister [1948] 2 All ER 133 Barrs v Jackson (1842) 1 Y & C Ch Cas 585 Barton v Official Receiver (1986) 161 CLR 75 Beaumont v Yeomans (1934) 34 SR (NSW) 562 Re Bellville's Settlement Trust [1964] Ch 163 Bird v John Sharp & Sons Pty Ltd (1942) 66 CLR 233 Bole v Horton (1673) Vaugh 360 Bolton v Dance [1968] VR 631 Booth v Turle (1873) LR 16 Eq 182 Bradford & Bingley Building Society v Seddon [1999] 1 WLR 1482 Bristol-Myers Squibb Co v F H Faulding & Co Ltd (2000) 170 ALR 439 Brittain v Rossiter (1879) 11 QBD 123 Broad v Commissioner of Stamp Duties [1980] 2 NSWLR 40 Bryant v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1995) 57 FCR 287 Burt v Barry & Roberts Ltd, Ex parte Barry & Roberts [1956] St R Qd 207 Butler v Attorney-General (1961) 106 CLR 268 Cadd v Cadd (1909) 9 CLR 171 Capital and Counties Bank v Rhodes [1903] 1 Ch 631 Chamberlain v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (1988) 164 CLR 502 Chan v Cresden Pty Ltd (1989) 168 CLR 242 Re Charge Card Services Ltd [1987] Ch 150 Chief Commissioner of Stamp Duties (NSW) v Buckle (1998) 192 CLR 226 Chief Commissioner of Stamp Duties v ISPT Pty Ltd (1997) 45 NSWLR 639 CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd (1997) 187 CLR 384 Cinema Plus Ltd v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (2000) 49 NSWLR 513 Clinan v Cooke (1802) 1 Sch & Lef 40 Collin v Holden [1989] VR 510 Commissioner of Stamp Duties v Agenti Architects Pty Ltd [2003] QCA 265 Commissioner of Stamp Duties v Edmunds [1989] 1 QdR 271 Commissioner of State Revenue v Pioneer Concrete (Vic) Pty Ltd (2002) 209 CLR 651 Commissioner of Taxation v Ryan (2000) 201 CLR 109 Commonwealth v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394 Comptroller of Stamps (Vic) v Howard-Smith (1936) 54 CLR 614 Re Cook [1948] Ch 212 Cooper Brookes (Wollongong) Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1981) 147 CLR 297 Corin v Patton (1990) 169 CLR 540 Dennis Hotels Pty Ltd v Victoria (1960) 151 CLR 621 Department of Social Security v James (1990) 95 ALR 615 Deputy Commissioner of Taxation v Chamberlain (1990) 26 FCR 221 Dickensons Arcade Pty Ltd v Tasmania (1974) 130 CLR 177 Dillwyn v Llewellyn (1862) 4 DeGD&J 517 Di Pietro v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (1995) 59 FCR 470 DKLR Holding Co (No 2) Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Stamp Duties [1980] 1 NSWLR 510; (1982) 149 CLR 431 Re Duke of Marlborough; Davis v Whitehead [1894] 2 Ch 133 at 141 Escoigne Properties Ltd v Inland Revenue Commissioners [1958] AC 549 Fels v Knowles (1906) 26 NZLR 604 Forbes v Moffatt (1811) 18 Ves 384 Francis v Francis [1951] VLR 321 Frederick v Frederick (1721) 1 P Wms 710, ER 582 Garnett v Bradley (1878) 3 App Cas 944 Grainge v Wilberforce (1889) 5 TLR 436 Great Western Railway Company v Owners of SS Mostyn [1928] AC 57 Greenhalgh v Mallard [1947] 2 All ER 255 Grey v Inland Revenue Commissioners [1958] Ch 375; [1960] AC 1 Head v Lord Teynham (1783) 1 Cox 57 Henderson v Henderson (1843) 3 Hare 100 Herdegen v Commissioner of Taxation (1988) 84 ALR 271 Hughes v Morris (1852) 2 DeGM&G 349 Ingle v Vaughan Jenkins [1900] 2 Ch 368 ISPT Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of Stamp Duties (1997) 38 ATR 128 ISPT Nominees Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2003] NSWSC 34 E R Ives Investments Ltd v High [1967] 2 QB 379 Johnson v Gore Wood & Co [2001] 2 WLR 72 Jones v Peters [1948] VLR 33 Kok Hoong v Leong Cheong Kweng Mines Ltd[1964] AC 993 CASES CITED : Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council v Attorney-General (NSW) (1957) 99 CLR 251 Kutner v Phillips [1891] 2 QB 267 Re Lashmar [1891] 1 Ch 258 Last v Rosenfeld [1972] 2 NSWLR 923 Re Latimer [1891] 1 Ch 258 Re Lind [1915] 2 Ch 345 Ling v Commonwealth (1996) 68 FCR 180 Low (As liquidator of Lekker Pty Ltd) v Dykgraaf [2001] WASC 332 LS v Director of FACS (1989) 18 NSWLR 481 Maddison v Alderson (1883) 8 App Cas 467 Manson v Vooght [1999] BPIR 376 Maritime Electric Company Ltd v General Davies Ltd [1937] AC 610 McBride v Sandland (1918) 25 CLR 69 McCormick v Grogan (1869) LR 4 HL 82 McKinnon Wallace Holdings Pty Ltd v Commissioner of State Revenue [1999] 1 VR 397 McMahon v Ambrose [1987] VR 817 McWilliam v McWilliam Wines Pty Ltd (1964) 114 CLR 656 Mitchell v Scales (1907) 5 CLR 405 Monte v Buongiorno [1978] WAR 49 Norris v Crocker 13 Howard 429 Oamington Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Land Tax (1997) 98 ATC 5051 Ogilvie v Ryan [1976] 2 NSWLR 504 Onslow v Wallis (1849) Mac & G 506 Organ v Sandwell [1921] VLR 622 Oughtred v Inland Revenue Commissioners [1960] AC 206 Parker v Manessis [1974] WAR 54 Parramatta City Council v Stauffer Chemical Co (Aust) Pty Ltd [1971] 2 NSWLR 500 Pascoe v Turner [1979] 1 WLR 431 Patti v Belfiore (1958) 100 CLR 198 Pearce v Pearce [1977] 1 NSWLR 170 Penn-Texas Corp v Murat Anstalt (No 2) [1964] 2 QB 647 Petition of Bankers Trust Co 108 N.Y.S.2d 213 (1951) Pilcher v Rawlins (1872) 7 Ch App 259 Plimmer v Wellington Corporation (1884) 9 App Cas 699 Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd (1980) 147 CLR 35 Pullan v Koe [1913] 1 Ch 9 R v Chalak (1983) 47 ALR 600 R v Hartington, Middle Quarter Inhabitants (1855) 4 E&B 780 Raffaele v Raffaele [1962] WAR 29 Rahme v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (unreported, NSWCA, 20 December 1991) Redden v Wilks [1979] WAR 161 Repatriation Commission v Vietnam Veterans' Association of Australia NSW Branch Inc (2000) 171 ALR 523 Rochefoucauld v Boustead [1897] 1 Ch 196 Rose v Hvric (1963) 108 CLR 353 Sarris v Penfolds Wines Ltd [1963] SR (NSW) 10 Saunders v Vautier (1841) 4 Beav 115 Re Sharpe [1980] 1 WLR 219 Re Applications of Shephard [1983] 1 NSWLR 96 In re Silver Brothers Ltd [1932] AC 514 Simultaneous Colour Printing Syndicate v Foweraker [1901] 1 QB 771 Sonenco (No 77) Pty Ltd v Silvia (1989) 89 ALR 437 Spellson v George (1992) 26 NSWLR 666 Steadman v Steadman [1976] AC 536 Stern v McArthur (1988) 165 CLR 489 Suatu Holdings Pty Ltd v Australian Postal Corporation (1989) 86 ALR 532 Suncorp Insurance & Finance v Commissioner of Stamp Duties (Qld) [1998] 2 QdR 285 Surtees v Ellison (1829) 9 B&C 750 Talbot v Berkshire County Council [1994] QB 290 Tanning Research Laboratories Inc v O'Brien (1990) 169 CLR 332 The Mekhanik Evgrafov [1988] 1 Lloyd's Rep 330 The Penelope II [1980] 2 Lloyd's Rep 17 Thoday v Thoday [1964] P 181 Thomson v Clydesdale Bank Ltd [1893] AC 282 Thrasyvoulou v Secretary of State for the Environment [1990] 2 AC 273 Tierney v Wood (1854) 19 Beav 330 Tito v Waddell (No 2) [1977] Ch 106 Tower Hamlets London Borough Council v Miah [1992] QB 622 Trifid Pty Ltd v Ratto [1985] WAR 19 Tuckett v Rice [1917] VLR 36 Walsh v Lonsdale (1882) 21 ChD 9 Waltons Stores (Interstate) Ltd v Maher (1988) 164 CLR 387 Watson v Winch [1916] 1 KB 688 J C Williamson Ltd v Lukey and Mulholland (1931) 45 CLR 282 Wratten v Hunter [1978] 2 NSWLR 376 Wright v McQualter (1970) 17 FLR 325 Yat Tung Investment Co Ltd v Dao Heng Bank Ltd [1975] AC 581 PARTIES : ISPT Nominees Pty Limited - Plaintiff Chief Commissioner of State Revenue - Defendant FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 1976/01 COUNSEL : Mr J.T. Gleeson SC/Mr M. Richmond - Plaintiff Mr L.G. Foster SC/Dr H.G. Sorensen - Defendant SOLICITORS : Freehills - Plaintiff I.V. Knight, Crown Solicitor - Defendant