SECTION 76: Changes to income tax structure.
Purpose and Effect
This section sets out circumstances in which the Treasury must consider whether the tax varying power of the Scottish Parliament ought to be amended. It applies where it appears to the Treasury that proposed changes to the UK income tax structure would affect significantly the practical extent for any year of the Scottish Parliament’s tax-varying powers. The section requires the Treasury at certain times to indicate to the House of Commons whether an amendment to the Scottish Parliament’s tax-varying power is necessary and, if so, to make defined and limited proposals for amending that power.
General
The section forms part of the set dealing with the tax-varying power of the Scottish Parliament.
Section 73 allows the Scottish Parliament to pass a resolution varying the basic rate of income tax for Scottish taxpayers by no more than 3 per cent. Section 74 makes further provisions with respect to tax-varying resolutions, and section 75 defines the term “Scottish taxpayer”.
Section 76 makes provision to take account of future changes to the structure of UK income tax. Sections 77 and 78 describe the accounting arrangements where income tax is increased or decreased for Scottish taxpayers. Section 79 permits the Treasury to make consequential subordinate legislation.
Parliamentary Consideration
| Stage | Date | Column |
|---|---|---|
| CC | 23-Feb-98 | 41 |
| CC | 23-Feb-98 | 92 |
| CC | 23-Feb-98 | 110 |
| CR | 19-May-98 | 765 |
| LC | 6-Oct-98 | 308 |
| LC | 6-Oct-98 | 309 |
| LC | 6-Oct-98 | 310 |
| LC | 6-Oct-98 | 312 |
| LC | 6-Oct-98 | 314 |
| LC | 6-Oct-98 | 316 |
| LC | 6-Oct-98 | 320 |
| LR | 28-Oct-98 | 2059 |
Details of Provisions
Subsection (1) describes the circumstances in which the section will apply. There must be a proposal, which is either published by the Treasury or the Inland Revenue or which appears to the Treasury to be likely to be enacted, to modify any income tax provision. The proposal must significantly effect the practical extent for any year of the Scottish Parliament’s tax varying powers (i.e. the amount of tax which could be raised or foregone by the Scottish Parliament under any tax varying resolution it is allowed to pass under the Act).
Subsection (2) imposes a duty on the Treasury to indicate to the House of Commons as soon as is reasonably practicable whether an amendment of the tax-varying power is required as a consequence of such a proposal; and if they think an amendment is required, to make appropriate proposals for amending that power.
Subsections (3), (4) and (5) impose certain restrictions on the substance of any Treasury proposals for amending the tax‑varying power. The proposals must only apply to income tax; they must provide that any amended power is broadly of the same practical extent (i.e. is capable of raising or foregoing broadly the same amount of tax) as the existing power; the proposed revised powers must, if exercised, have broadly the same impact on the after-tax income levels of individual tax payers as the existing powers; and the proposals must not include proposals to enable the Parliament to vary the rate of tax applying to income from savings or distributions.
Subsections (6) and (7) give definitions.