Finance Act 1993

75 Sporting and recreational facilities

(1) After section 197F of the Taxes Act 1988 there shall be inserted the following section—

“Sporting and recreational facilities

197G Sporting and recreational facilities

(1) No charge to tax under Schedule E shall arise in respect of the provision to any person in employment with any employer, or to any member of the family or household of such a person, of—

(a) any benefit to which this section applies; or

(b) any non-cash voucher which is capable of being exchanged only for a benefit to which this section applies.

(2) This section applies, subject to subsections (3) to (5) below, to any benefit consisting in, or in a right or opportunity to make use of, any sporting or other recreational facilities provided so as to be available generally to, or for use by, the employees of the employer in question.

(3) Except in such cases as may be prescribed, this section does not apply to any benefit consisting in—

(a) an interest in, or the use of, any mechanically propelled vehicle;

(b) an interest in, or the use of, any holiday or other overnight accommodation or any facilities which include, or are provided in association with, a right or opportunity to make use of any such accommodation;

(c) a facility provided on domestic premises;

(d) a facility provided so as to be available to, or for use by, members of the public generally;

(e) a facility which is used neither wholly nor mainly by persons whose right or opportunity to use it derives from employment (whether with the same employer or with different employers); or

(f) a right or opportunity to make use of any facility falling within any of the preceding paragraphs.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3)(e) above a person’s right or opportunity to use any facility shall be taken to derive from employment if, and only if—

(a) it derives from his being or having been an employee of a particular employer or a member of the family or household of a person who is or has been such an employee; and

(b) the facility is one which is provided so as to be available generally to the employees of that employer.

(5) The Treasury may by regulations provide—

(a) that such benefits as may be prescribed shall not be benefits to which this section applies; and

(b) that such other benefits as may be prescribed shall be benefits to which this section applies only where such conditions as may be prescribed are satisfied in relation to the terms on which, and the persons to whom, they are provided.

(6) In this section—

• “domestic premises” means any premises used wholly or mainly as a private dwelling or any land or other premises belonging to, or enjoyed with, any premises so used;

• “non-cash voucher” has the same meaning as in section 141;

• “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Treasury;

• “vehicle” includes any ship, boat or other vessel, any aircraft and any hovercraft;

and section 168(2) and (4) shall apply for the purposes of this section as it applies for the purposes of Chapter II of this Part.”

(2) This section shall apply for the year 1993-94 and subsequent years of assessment.