Finance Act 1991

Vocational training U.K.

32 Relief. U.K.

(1) This section applies where—

(a) on or after 6th April 1992 an individual resident in the United Kingdom makes a payment in respect of a qualifying course of vocational training,

(b) the payment is made in respect of an allowable expense,

(c) the payment is made in connection with the individual’s own training,

[F1 (ca) at the time the payment is made, the individual—

(i) in a case where the qualifying course of vocational training is such a course by virtue only of paragraph (b) of subsection (10) below, has attained the age of thirty, or

(ii) in any other case, has attained school-leaving age and, if under the age of nineteen, is not a person who is being provided with full-time education at a school,]

[F2 (cb) the individual undertakes the course neither wholly nor mainly for recreational purposes or as a leisure activity,]

(d) at the time the payment is made, the individual has not received in relation to the course, and is not entitled to receive in relation to it, any public financial assistance of a description specified in regulations made by the Treasury for the purposes of this paragraph, and

(e) the individual is not entitled to claim any relief or deduction in respect of the payment under any other provision of the Income Tax Acts.

(2) The payment shall be deducted from or set-off against the income of the individual for the year of assessment in which it is made; but relief under this subsection shall be given only on a claim made for the purpose, except where subsections (3) to (5) below apply.

(3) In such cases and subject to such conditions as the Board may specify in regulations, relief under subsection (2) above shall be given in accordance with subsections (4) and (5) below.

(4) An individual who is entitled to such relief in respect of a payment may deduct and retain out of it an amount equal to income tax on it at the basic rate for the year of assessment in which it is made.

(5) The person to whom the payment is made—

(a) shall accept the amount paid after deduction in discharge of the individual’s liability to the same extent as if the deduction had not been made, and

(b) may, on making a claim [F3 in accordance with regulations], recover from the Board an amount equal to the amount deducted.

(6) The Treasury may make regulations providing that in circumstances prescribed in the regulations—

(a) an individual who makes, in respect of a qualifying course of vocational training, a payment in respect of an allowable expense shall cease to be and be treated as not having been entitled to relief under subsection (2) above in respect of the payment or such part of it as may be determined in accordance with the regulations; and

(b) he or the person to whom the payment was made (depending on the terms of the regulations) shall account to the Board for tax from which relief has been given on the basis that the individual was so entitled.

(7) Regulations under subsection (6) above may include provision adapting or modifying the effect of any enactment relating to income tax in order to secure the performance of any obligation imposed under paragraph (b) of that subsection.

(8) In subsection (1)(a) above, the reference to an individual resident in the United Kingdom includes an individual performing duties which are treated by virtue of section 132(4)(a) of the Taxes Act 1988 as performed in the United Kingdom.

(9) For the purposes of this section, a payment made in respect of a qualifying course of vocational training is made in respect of an allowable expense if—

(a) it is made in respect of fees payable in connection with undertaking the course, including fees payable for assessment purposes, or

(b) it is made in respect of fees payable in connection with the making, as a result of having undertaken the course, of any entry in an official register or any award.

[F4 (10) In this section “qualifying course of vocational training means—

(a) any programme of activity capable of counting towards a qualification—

(i) accredited as a National Vocational Qualification by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications; or

(ii) accredited as a Scottish Vocational Qualification by the Scottish Vocational Education Council; or

(b) any course of training which—

(i) satisfies the conditions set out in the paragraphs of section 589(1) of the Taxes Act 1988 (qualifying courses of training etc),

(ii) requires participation on a full-time or substantially full-time basis, and

(iii) extends for a period which consists of or includes four consecutive weeks,

but treating any time devoted to study in connection with the course as time devoted to the practical application of skills or knowledge.]

[F5 (11) In this section—

• “school means any institution at which full-time education is provided to persons at least some of whom are under school-leaving age; and

• “school-leaving age means the age of sixteen.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 32(1)(ca) substituted (29.4.1996 with effect in relation to payments made on or after 6.5.1996) by 1996 c. 8, s. 144(1)(2)(4)

F2 S. 32(1)(ca)(cb) inserted (3.5.1994) by 1994 c. 9, s. 84(1)(4)

F3 Words in s. 32(5)(b) inserted (29.4.1996) by 1996 c. 8, s. 129(2)

F4 S. 32(10) substituted (29.4.1996 with effect in relation to payments made on or after 6.5.1996) by 1996 c. 8, s. 144(1)(3)(4)

F5 S. 32(11) inserted (3.5.1994) by 1994 c. 9, s. 84(3)(4)

33 Section 32: supplementary. U.K.

(1) The Board may by regulations—

(a) provide that a claim under section 32(2) or (5)(b) above shall be made in such form and manner, shall be made at such time, and shall be accompanied by such documents, as may be prescribed;

[F6 (aa) make provision for and with respect to appeals against a decision of an officer of the Board or the Board with respect to a claim under section 32(5)(b) above;]

(b) make provision, in relation to payments in respect of which a person is entitled to relief under section 32 above, for persons who provide vocational training courses to give, in such circumstances as may be prescribed, certificates of payment in such form as may be prescribed to such persons as may be prescribed;

(c) provide that a person who provides (or has at any time provided) training courses which are (or were) qualifying courses of vocational training for the purposes of section 32 above 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) relating to such courses;

(d) provide that persons of such description as may be prescribed shall, within a prescribed period of being required to do so by the Board, furnish to the Board information (of a prescribed kind) about training courses which are qualifying courses of vocational training for the purposes of section 32 above;

(e) make provision generally as to administration in connection with section 32 above.

(2) The words “Regulations under section 33 of the Finance Act 1991 ” shall be added at the end of each column in the Table in section 98 of the M1 Taxes Management Act 1970 (penalties for failure to furnish information etc.).

(3) The following provisions of the M2 Taxes Management Act 1970, namely—

[F7 (a) section 29(1)(c) (excessive relief) as it has effect apart from section 29(2) to (10) of that Act;]

(b) section 30 (tax repaid in error etc.) [F8 apart from subsection (1B)],

(c) [F9 section 86] (interest), and

(d) section 95 (incorrect return or accounts),

[F10 shall apply in relation to an amount which is paid to any person by the Board as an amount recoverable by virtue of section 32(5)(b) above but to which that person is not entitled as if it were income tax which ought not to have been repaid and, where that amount was claimed by that person, as if it had been repaid as respects a chargeable period as a relief which was not due.]

[F11 (3A) In the application of section 86 of the Taxes Management Act 1970 by virtue of subsection (3) above in relation to sums due and payable by virtue of an assessment made under section 29(1)(c) or 30 of that Act, as applied by that subsection, the relevant date—

(a) in a case where the person falling within section 32(5) above has made any interim claim, within the meaning of regulations made under subsection (1) above, as respects some part of the year of assessment for which the assessment is made, is 1st January in that year of assessment; and

(b) in any other case, is the later of the following dates, that is to say—

(i) 1st January in the year of assessment for which the assessment is made; or

(ii) the date of the making of the payment by the Board which gives rise to the assessment.]

(4) In sections F12 . . . 257D(8) and 265(3) of the Taxes Act 1988, after paragraph (d) there shall be inserted “, or

(e) on account of any payments to which section 32(4) of the Finance Act 1991 applies.”

(5) In subsection (1) above, “prescribed means prescribed by or, in relation to form, under the regulations.

Textual Amendments

F6 S. 33(1)(aa) inserted (29.4.1996) by 1996 c. 8, s. 129(4)

F7 S. 33(3)(a) substituted (29.4.1996 with effect as mentioned in Sch. 18 para. 17 of the amending Act) by 1996 c. 8, s. 132, Sch. 18 para. 14(1)(2)(a)

F8 Words in s. 33(3)(b) inserted (29.4.1996 with effect as mentioned in Sch. 18 para. 17 of the amending Act) by 1996 c. 8, s. 132, Sch. 18 para. 14(1)(2)(b)

F9 Words in s. 33(3)(c) substituted (29.4.1996 with effect as mentioned in Sch. 18 para. 17 of the amending Act) by 1996 c. 8, s. 132, Sch. 18 para. 14(1)(2)(c)

F10 Words following s. 33(3)(d) substituted (29.4.1996 with effect as mentioned in Sch. 18 para. 17 of the amending Act) by 1996 c. 8, s. 132, Sch. 18 para. 14(1)(2)(d)

F11 S. 33(3A) inserted (29.4.1996 with effect as mentioned in Sch. 18 para. 17 of the amending Act) by 1996 c. 8, s. 132, Sch. 18 para. 14(1)(3)

F12 S. 33(4): reference to section 257B(2) repealed (16.7.1992 with application in relation to tax for the year 1993-94 and subsequent years of assessment) by Finance (No. 2) Act 1992 (c. 48, SIF 63:1), ss. 20, 82, Sch. 5 para. 10, Sch. 18 Part VII(1).

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 33(3A) modified (29.4.1996) by 1996 c. 8, s. 132, Sch. 18 para. 17(3)

Marginal Citations

M1 1970 c. 9.

M2 1970 c. 9.