Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

588 Training courses for employees

(1) Where, on or after 6th April 1987, a person (in this section referred to as the “employer”) incurs expenditure in paying or reimbursing relevant expenses incurred in connection with a qualifying course of training which—

(a) is undertaken by a person (in this section referred to as the “employee”) who is the holder or past holder of any office or employment under the employer; and

(b) is undertaken with a view to retraining the employee,

the employee shall not thereby be regarded as receiving any emolument which forms part of his income for any purpose of Schedule E.

(2) Section 589 shall have effect to determine for the purposes of this section—

(a) what is a qualifying course of training;

(b) whether such a course is undertaken by an employee with a view to retraining; and

(c) what are relevant expenses in relation to such a course.

(3) Subject to subsection (4) below, where—

(a) an employer incurs expenditure in paying or reimbursing relevant expenses as mentioned in subsection (1) above; and

(b) that subsection has effect in relation to the income of the employee for the purposes of Schedule E;

then, if and so far as that expenditure would not, apart from this subsection, be so deductible, it shall be deductible in computing for the purposes of Schedule D the profits or gains of the trade, profession or vocation of the employer for the purposes of which the employee is or was employed.

(4) If the employer carries on a business, the expenses of management of which are eligible for relief under section 75, subsection (3) above shall have effect as if for the words from “in computing” onwards there were substituted “as expenses of management for the purposes of section 75”.

(5) In any case where—

(a) an employee’s liability to tax for any year of assessment is determined (by assessment or otherwise) on the assumption that subsection (1) above applies in his case and, subsequently, there is a failure to comply with any provision of section 589(3) and (4); or

(b) an employer’s liability to tax for any year is determined (by assessment or otherwise) on the assumption that, by virtue only of subsection (3) above (or subsections (3) and (4) above), he is entitled to a deduction on account of any expenditure and, subsequently, there is such a failure as is referred to in paragraph (a) above;

an assessment under section 29(3) of the Management Act of an amount due in consequence of the failure referred to above may be made at any time not later than six years after the end of the chargeable period in which the failure occurred.

(6) Where an event occurs by reason of which there is a failure to comply with any provision of section 589(3) and (4), the employer of the employee concerned shall within 60 days of coming to know of the event give a notice to the inspector containing particulars of the event.

(7) If the inspector has reason to believe that an employer has not given a notice which he is required to give under subsection (6) above in respect of any event, the inspector may by notice require the employer to furnish him within such time (not less that 60 days) as may be specified in the notice with such information relating to the event as the inspector may reasonably require for the purposes of this section.