Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

202 Donations to charity: payroll deduction scheme. U.K.

(1) M1 This section applies where an individual (“the employee”) is entitled to receive payments from which income tax falls to be deducted by virtue of section 203 and regulations under that section, and the person liable to make the payments (“the employer”) withholds sums from them.

(2) If the conditions mentioned in subsections (3) to (7) below are fulfilled the sums shall, in assessing tax under Schedule E, be allowed to be deducted as expenses incurred in the year of assessment in which they are withheld.

(3) The sums must be withheld in accordance with a scheme which is (or is of a kind) approved by the Board at the time they are withheld and which either contains provisions falling within subsection (4)(a) below, or contains provisions falling within subsection (4)(a) below and provisions falling within subsection (4)(b) below.

(4) The provisions are that—

(a) the employer is to pay sums withheld to a person (“the agent”) who is approved by the Board at the time they are withheld, and the agent is to pay them to a charity or charities;

(b) the employer is to pay sums withheld directly to a charity which (or charities each of which) is at the time the sums are withheld approved by the Board as an agent for the purpose of paying sums to other charities.

(5) The sums must be withheld in accordance with a request by the employee that they be paid to a charity or charities in accordance with a scheme approved (or of a kind approved) by the Board.

(6) The sums must constitute gifts by the employee to the charity or charities concerned, must not be paid by the employee under a covenant, and must fulfil any conditions set out in the terms of the scheme concerned.

(7) The sums must not in any year of assessment exceed [F1 £1,200] in the case of any employee (however many offices or employments he holds or has held).

(8) M2 The circumstances in which the Board may grant or withdraw approval of schemes (or kinds of schemes) or of agents shall be such as are prescribed by the Treasury by regulations; and the circumstances so prescribed (whether relating to the terms of schemes or the qualifications of agents or otherwise) shall be such as the Treasury think fit.

(9) The Treasury may by regulations make provision—

(a) that a participating employer or agent shall comply with any notice which is served on him by the Board and which requires him within a prescribed period to make available for the Board’s inspection documents of a prescribed kind or records of a prescribed kind;

(b) that a participating employer or agent shall in prescribed circumstances furnish to the Board information of a prescribed kind;

(c) for, and with respect to, appeals to the Special Commissioners against the Board’s refusal to grant, or their withdrawal of, approval of any scheme (or any kind of scheme) or agent;

(d) generally for giving effect to subsections (1) to (7) above.

• In this subsection “prescribed” means prescribed by the regulations.

(10) For the purposes of subsection (9) above a person is a participating employer or agent if he is an employer or agent who participates, or has at any time participated, in a scheme under this section.

(11) M3 In this section “charity” has the same meaning as in section 506.

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 202(7) substituted (with effect in accordance with s. 109(2) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 1996 (c. 8), s. 109(1)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 See 1990 s.25—donations to charity by individuals in respect of gifts made on or after 1October 1990.

C2 For regulations see Part III Vol.5 (“Charitable deductions: approved schemes”).

Marginal Citations

M1 Source—1986 s.27(1)-(7); 1987 s.32

M2 Source—1986 s.28(1)-(5)

M3 Source—1986 s.27(8)