Shareholder FAQ

Great Portland Estates plc
33 Cavendish Square
London
W1G 0PW

UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7647 3000

The registered number of the Company is 596137.

Equiniti Limited
Aspect House
Spencer Road
Lancing
West Sussex
BN99 6DA

Tel: +44 (0)371 384 2030 (Lines are open 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Friday).

E-mail: customer@equiniti.com

www.shareview.co.uk

Since 6 April 2019, non-UK resident shareholders are subject to UK tax on gains arising from the sale of shares in a property-rich company. A property-rich company is defined as a company that derives at least 75% of its gross asset value from UK land at the date of disposal of the shares. For the purposes of the rules, Great Portland Estates plc (GPE) is a property-rich company. Only gains accruing after 5 April 2019 are in charge.

Any UK tax charge is subject to possible double tax treaty relief or exemption depending on the status of the non-UK resident shareholder. Shareholders should seek their own advice to whether this applies to them.

For non-UK resident shareholders that are subject to tax on the gain, the gain will be calculated by deducting the base cost of the shares disposed of from the net sale proceeds.

For shares held on or before 5 April 2019, non-UK resident shareholders have the option of using a tax base cost of:

• the value of the shares on 5 April 2019 (using the closing price of GPE shares on 5 April 2019 of £7.470 per share); or
• electing to use actual cost (if that is higher).

For shares purchased after 5 April 2019, the tax base cost will be the actual cost.

Any gain realised by a non-UK resident shareholder that is an individual must generally be reported to HM Revenue & Customs within 30 days of the disposal and pay capital gains tax. Any gain realised by a non-UK resident company which is not subject to double tax treaty relief or exemption should register for corporation tax in the year of disposal and will need to file a corporation tax return and pay corporation tax.

Please contact the Registrar as soon as possible.

The Registrar will send you a letter of indemnity to complete. For shares worth more than £100 there will be a charge for this service and the indemnity will also need to be guaranteed. The Registrar will advise you fully on the indemnity process and applicable charges when you contact them.

If your certificate has been stolen, you will also need to give the Registrar the crime reference number issued to you by the police.

Once the Registrar receives your letter of indemnity, they may need to carry out security and anti-fraud checks. Once all checks have been completed a replacement share certificate will be sent to you.

Download details of PIDs and non-PIDs (PDF)

Yes, and receiving your dividend in this way offers the following advantages:

• the dividend will go directly into your account on the payment date. Therefore, you do not have to wait for the cheque to clear;
• it will ensure you receive your dividend, even if you have moved house and forgotten to notify the Registrar;
• it avoids the risk of cheques being lost in the post or mislaid; and
• it saves you the inconvenience of taking the cheque to your bank in person, having to queue and pay it in over the counter.

Visit www.shareview.co.uk/info/directdividends and download a mandate form or register your details directly onto the register. You have to register in order to use this service, so you will need your Shareholder Reference which can be found on a recent tax voucher or on your share certificate. Alternatively you may also call the Registrar who will arrange for a mandate form to be posted to you. Completed mandate forms should be sent to the Registrar.

If you wish to receive the next dividend directly into your bank or building society account, you will need to ensure the mandate form is received by the Registrar before the record date.

Please contact the Registrar as soon as possible.

You may be able to receive dividends in your local currency via the Registrar’s Overseas Payments Service. You can view details here. 

Alternatively, please contact our registrar Equiniti Limited on +44 (0) 371 384 2030. Lines are open 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Friday (excluding English and Welsh public holidays).

The DRIP allows holders of ordinary shares the opportunity to use their cash dividend to acquire additional shares in Great Portland Estates plc, which are bought in the market at competitive dealing costs. The DRIP is administered by Equiniti, our Registrars. Please visit www.shareview.co.uk/info/drip for further information and to download the terms and conditions and the relevant form to join the DRIP.

To transfer your shares you need to complete a Stock Transfer Form, which can be downloaded from the Registrars website here or contact the Registrar.

Whilst there is no reason why a minor cannot hold shares and receive dividends, it may be more difficult for them to sell or transfer shares until they are 18.

Shares can be held in an adult's name with the initials of a person under the full age of legal responsibility used as a 'designation'. The designation can be up to eight characters in length and creates a separate holding on the register of members. The designation will also appear on the share certificate after the shareholder name.  If you wish to add such a designation onto your shareholding then please contact the Registrar and they will advise you of the process.

Equiniti Limited offers a share dealing service which can be accessed online. For further information please visit www.shareview.co.uk or call +44 (0) 3456 037 037 (lines are open 8.00am – 4.30pm, Monday – Friday, excluding public holidays).

Alternatively, contact your bank or stock broker who will also be able to assist you in buying or selling your shares.

You should contact the Registrar as soon as possible. If the holding is in the sole name of the deceased, the Registrar will require:

• Grant of Representation, being the original or sealed office copy of the Grant of Probate, the original or sealed office copy of the Letter of Administration or original Scottish Confirmation; and
• the original share certificate.

If you do not have a Grant of Representation, the Registrar may be able to offer their Small Estates procedure. Please contact the Registrar for further information. 

If the holding is in joint names the Registrar will require:

• the original or a certified copy of the death certificate; and
• the share certificate for amendment.

Please contact the Registrar to update your address on the register:

• by telephone (you will be asked some security questions);
• in writing
• by downloading the Change of Address Form from the Registrars' website here or
• registering the change on the shareholder portal (you will need to register to use the service and to do this you will need your Shareholder Reference which can be found on a recent tax voucher or on your share certificate).

You can contact the Registrar on the number below who will be able to confirm the shareholding after asking some security questions. Alternatively, you can view your shareholding online at the Registrars website located at www.shareview.co.uk. You will need to register to use the service, and to do this you will need your Shareholder Reference which can be found on a recent tax voucher or on your share certificate.

Telephone: +44 (0)371 384 2030

Lines are open Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5:30pm

Email: customer@equiniti.com

When you either buy shares or shares are transferred to you, you become a part owner of the company. The benefits of owning shares include:

• Dividends - these are normally received twice a year, in January and July.
• Annual General Meeting - each year you will be invited to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting of the company.
• Financial Information - View the annual reports available to download.

If you hold a small number of shares, the value of which may make them uneconomical to sell, you can give them to charity through ShareGift, the charity share donation scheme. This is a registered charity (no.1052686) which accumulates small shareholdings, sells them and donates the proceeds to a wide range of different UK charities. The service is free (although there may be an indemnity fee if you have lost your share certificate). Giving shares to charity in this way does not give rise to any gain or loss for Capital Gains Tax purposes, and UK taxpayers may be able to claim income relief on the value of their donation.

For further information on ShareGift please visit www.sharegift.org or write to them at PO Box 72253, London SW1P 9LQ.

Please contact the Registrar to change or register a dividend mandate: 

• by telephone;
• in writing to the address below;
• download a Dividend Mandate Form and send it to the address below; or
• by registering the change on the shareholder portal (You will need to register to use the service, and to do this you will need your Shareholder Reference which can be found on a recent tax voucher or on your share certificate).

Equiniti Limited
Aspect House
Spencer Road
Lancing
West Sussex
BN99 6DA

Tel: +44 (0)371 384 2030 (Lines are open 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Friday).

E-mail: customer@equiniti.com

www.shareview.co.uk

A public limited company is required to hold an Annual General Meeting, or AGM of shareholders at which decisions are taken on the company's business. The 'ordinary' business of the AGM is repeated every year and includes accepting the company's accounts for the year and fixing the proportion of profits that will be paid back to shareholders as a dividend. The company directors often take this opportunity to put forward other business requiring the approval of shareholders e.g. renewal of a share plan.

Our directors are available for half an hour before the AGM to meet with shareholders and answer questions.

If you cannot go to the meeting yourself, you can appoint someone else to go in your place as your proxy. To do this, you must complete the proxy card that is sent to you with the notice of meeting and send it back to us in advance of the meeting.

You can also, if you wish, appoint more than one proxy provided that each proxy is appointed to exercise the rights attached to a different share or shares held by you. If a poll is taken on a resolution, your proxy can cast your vote for you and speak on your behalf.

If you cannot appoint a proxy to attend the meeting in person, you can still send the proxy form back to us and in the event of a poll on any resolution, the Chairman will cast your vote for you in line with the instructions you give on the form.

There are several ways a fraudster may attempt to access your assets, including identity theft and so called 'Boiler Room' scams. With identity theft, the fraudster will contact the Registrar and request that your address be changed. They will then advise that the share certificate is missing and seek to obtain a replacement certificate. The Registrar has robust procedures in place and any change of address will be notified to you. Additional security procedures are also in place where an indemnity for lost share certificate is requested.

With a Boiler Room scam, shareholders are typically contacted by phone by somebody suggesting a huge return on any sale or purchase of shares. If it sounds 'too good to be true', then it probably is. Shareholders should exercise caution when receiving unsolicited calls and should never disclose their personal details. If you receive any unsolicited investment advice, ensure that you obtain the correct name of the person and organisation and make a record of any other information they give you, such as a telephone number or address, and report the matter to the Financial Service Authority on 0845 606 1234.

Be alert to any unsolicited phone calls or correspondence concerning investment matters which imply a connection with GPE.

Any unsolicited call suggesting a far higher return than would be obtained from dealing in our shares directly with your bank or stockbroker should be treated cautiously. Investors should only deal with firms authorised by the UK Financial Services Authority.

If you receive a letter from the Registrar advising that a change of address, mandate or transfer of shares has been recorded and you have not authorised such a change, you should contact the Registrar immediately. 

Here are a few simple tips which can help protect your shares:

• ensure all your certificates are kept in a safe place or hold your shares electronically in CREST via a nominee;
• keep all correspondence from Equiniti Limited in a safe place, or destroy correspondence by shredding;
• if you change address, inform Equiniti Limited in writing or via the Shareview Portal at www.shareview.co.uk. If you receive a letter from Equiniti Limited regarding a change of address but have not recently moved, then please contact them immediately;
• consider having your dividend paid directly into your bank. This will reduce the risk of the cheque being intercepted or lost in the post. If you change your bank account, inform Equiniti Limited of the details. You can do this by post or online via the Shareview Portal at www.shareview.co.uk;
• if you are buying or selling shares, only deal with brokers registered in your country or residence or the UK;
• be wary of phone calls or emails purporting to come from GPE or Equiniti Limited which ask you to confirm personal details or details of your shares. neither GPE or Equiniti Limited will ever ask you to provide information in this way; and
• respond to any letters Equiniti Limited sends you.