Finance Act 2004

249 Taxation of non-pension benefits

(1) Chapter 2 of Part 6 of ITEPA 2003 (taxation of non-pension benefits from certain pension schemes) is amended as follows.

(2) In the heading of the Chapter, for “non-approved pension” substitute “employer-financed retirement benefits”.

(3) For section 393 substitute—

“393 Application of this Chapter

(1) This Chapter applies to relevant benefits provided under an employer-financed retirement benefits scheme.

(2) Section 393A defines “employer-financed retirement benefits scheme” and section 393B defines “relevant benefits”.

393A Employer-financed retirement benefits scheme

(1) In this Chapter “employer-financed retirement benefits scheme” means a scheme for the provision of benefits consisting of or including relevant benefits to or in respect of employees or former employees of an employer.

(2) But neither—

(a) a registered pension scheme, nor

(b) a section 615(3) scheme,

is an employer-financed retirement benefits scheme.

(3) “Section 615(3) scheme” means a superannuation fund to which section 615(3) of ICTA applies.

(4) “Scheme” includes a deed, agreement, series of agreements, or other arrangements.

393B Relevant benefits

(1) In this Chapter “relevant benefits” means any lump sum, gratuity or other benefit (including a non-cash benefit) provided (or to be provided)—

(a) on or in anticipation of the retirement of an employee or former employee,

(b) on the death of an employee or former employee,

(c) after the retirement or death of an employee or former employee in connection with past service,

(d) on or in anticipation of, or in connection with, any change in the nature of service of an employee, or

(e) to any person by virtue of a pension sharing order or provision relating to an employee or former employee.

(2) But—

(a) benefits charged to tax under Part 9 (pension income),

(b) benefits chargeable to tax by virtue of Schedule 34 to FA 2004 (which applies certain charges under Part 4 of that Act in relation to non-UK schemes), and

(c) excluded benefits,

are not relevant benefits.

(3) The following are “excluded benefits”—

(a) benefits in respect of ill-health or disablement of an employee during service,

(b) benefits in respect of the death by accident of an employee during service,

(c) benefits under a relevant life policy, and

(d) benefits of any description prescribed by regulations made by the Board of Inland Revenue.

(4) In subsection (3)(c) “relevant life policy” means—

(a) a group life policy as defined in section 539(3) of ICTA (life policies excluded from charges on gains) with respect to which the conditions in section 539A of that Act are met,

(b) a policy of life insurance the terms of which provide for the payment of benefits on the death of a single individual and with respect to which condition 1 in that section would be met if it referred to that individual (rather than each of the individuals insured under the policy) and conditions 3, 4, 5 and 7 in that section are met, or

(c) a policy of life insurance that would be within paragraph (a) or (b) but for the fact that it provides for a benefit which is an excluded benefit under or by virtue of paragraph (a), (b) or (d) of subsection (3).

(5) In subsection (1)(e) “pension sharing order or provision” means any such order or provision as is mentioned in section 28(1) of WRPA 1999 or Article 25(1) of WRP(NI)O 1999.”

(4) Section 394 (charge on benefit) is amended as follows.

(5) After subsection (1) insert—

“(1A) Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to the benefit if the total amount of the benefits to which this Chapter applies received by the individual in the relevant tax year does not exceed £100.”

(6) In subsection (2), for “administrator of” substitute “person who is (or persons who are) the responsible person in relation to”.

(7) In subsection (3), for “subsections (1) and (2)” substitute “this section”.

(8) For sections 395 to 397 substitute—

“395 Reduction where employee has contributed

(1) This section applies in relation to a relevant benefit under an employer-financed retirement benefits scheme in the form of a lump sum where, under the scheme, an employee has paid any sum or sums by way of contribution to the provision of the lump sum.

(2) The amount which, by virtue of section 394, counts as employment income, or is chargeable to tax under Case VI of Schedule D, is the amount of the lump sum reduced by the sum, or the aggregate of the sums, paid by the employee by way of contribution to the provision of the lump sum.

(3) A reduction under this section may not be claimed in respect of the same contribution in relation to more than one lump sum.

(4) It is to be assumed, unless the contrary is shown, that no reduction is applicable under this section.”

(9) In subsection (1) of section 399 (valuation of benefit in form of loan), for “administrator of” substitute “person who is (or any of the persons who are) the responsible person in relation to”.

(10) In subsection (2) of that section, for “administrator” substitute “responsible person”.

(11) For section 400 substitute—

“399A Responsible person

(1) The following heads specify the person who is, or persons who are, the responsible person in relation to an employer-financed retirement benefits scheme for the purposes of this Chapter.

(2) But if a person is, or persons are, the responsible person in relation to the scheme by virtue of being specified under one head, no-one is the responsible person in relation to the scheme by virtue of being specified under a later head.

• Head 1

  If there are one or more trustees of the scheme who are resident in the United Kingdom, that trustee or each of those trustees.

• Head 2

  If there are one or more persons who control the management of the scheme, that person or each of those persons.

• Head 3

  If alive or still in existence, the employer, or any of the employers, who established the scheme and any person by whom that employer, or any of those employers, has been directly or indirectly succeeded in relation to the provision of benefits under the scheme.

• Head 4

  Any employer of employees to or in respect of whom benefits are, or are to be, provided under the scheme.

• Head 5

  If there are one or more trustees of the scheme who are not resident in the United Kingdom, that trustee or each of those trustees.

400 Interpretation

In this Chapter—

• “employer-financed retirement benefits scheme” has the meaning given by section 393A;

• “relevant benefits” has the meaning given by section 393B; and

• “responsible person” has the meaning given by section 399A.”

(12) In Part 2 of Schedule 1 to ITEPA 2003 (defined expressions), insert at the appropriate places—

“employer-financed retirement benefits scheme (in Chapter 2 of Part 6)

section 393A”

“relevant benefits (in Chapter 2 of Part 6)

section 393B”

“responsible person (in Chapter 2 of Part 6)

section 399A”.