Treatment of grants for tax purposes
484.As the schedule is provision for the payments of grants in accordance with section 81(3) of the 1998 Act, section 291 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (c.1) (“the 2003 Act”) applies. In relation to MSP and office-holder resettlement grants, this means they are not treated as earnings for tax purposes. They are classed as termination payments and, under Chapter 3 of Part 6 of the 2003 Act, the first £30,000 is exempt from income tax. In the event that a grant is made in excess of £30,000, any amount over and above the first £30,000 is taxed as earned income. In relation to ill-health retirement grants, section 406 of the 2003 Act prevents these grants from being treated as earnings, with the payment being wholly exempt from income tax. There is no tax threshold.
