The Tax Credits Up-rating, etc. Regulations 2013

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Section 41 of the Tax Credits Act 2002 (c. 21) requires the Treasury, in each tax year, to—

a)

review the amounts referred to in subsection (2) of that section;

b)

prepare a report of each review, including a statement of what each amount would be if it had fully retained its value; and

c)

publish the report and lay a copy of it before each House of Parliament.

The Treasury’s report of the review in respect of the tax year 2012-13 was laid before Parliament on 7th February 2013 and published.

In consequence of the review the Treasury have made these Regulations, which come into force on 6th April 2013 and have effect in relation to awards of tax credits for the year beginning on 6th April 2013 and subsequent tax years, prescribing increases in certain of the sums required to be reviewed under section 41. These amounts were last amended by the Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/849).

Regulation 2 amends regulation 7(4) of the Child Tax Credit Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2007) so as to increase the maximum rates of the individual elements of child tax credit.

Regulation 3 substitutes a new table in Schedule 2 (prescribing the maximum rates for the elements of working tax credit other than the child care element) of the Working Tax Credit (Entitlement and Maximum Rate) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2005).

Regulation 4 amends the Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2008). Paragraph (2) amends regulation 3(3) of S.I. 2002/2008 (amounts prescribed for the purposes of section 7(3) of the Act) to increase the first income threshold for those entitled to child tax credit only to £15,910. Paragraph (3) amends regulation 5(a) of S.I. 2002/2008 (manner in which amounts to be determined for the purposes of section 7(1)(a) of the Act) to reduce the income disregard from £10,000 to £5,000 for increases in income. Paragraph (4) amends regulation 8(3) of S.I. 2002/2008 (determination of rate of child tax credit) to substitute the sum in the formula in step 4 to reflect the increase in the first income threshold for those entitled to child tax credit only made by paragraph (2).

A full Impact Assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the private or voluntary sector is foreseen.