The Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001

Calculation of earnings-related contributions U.K.

12.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), earnings-related contributions shall be calculated as follows—

(a) primary and secondary Class 1 contributions under section 6 of the Act (liability for Class 1 contributions) and any primary and secondary Class 1 contributions at the normal rate and at the contracted-out rate shall each be calculated separately; and

(b) as regards the calculation referred to in sub-paragraph (a) primary and secondary Class 1 contributions shall be calculated to the nearest penny and any amount of a halfpenny or less shall be disregarded.

(2) In the alternative, but subject to the provisions of paragraphs (3) to (5), the contributions specified in paragraph (1) may be calculated in accordance with the appropriate scale or, for contributions payable on earnings above the upper earnings limit or the prescribed equivalent of that limit, a contributions calculator prepared by the Board.

(3) Where the amount of earnings to which—

(a) the appropriate scale is to be applied does not appear in the scale, the amount of contributions payable shall be calculated by reference to the next smaller amount of earnings in the appropriate column in the scale;

(b) the appropriate contributions calculator is to be applied does not appear in the calculator, the amount of contributions payable shall be calculated—

(i) by obtaining from the calculator the amounts of contributions payable on the largest components of the earnings provided for in the calculator, and

(ii) by adding together the amounts so obtained.

(4) Where a scale or a contributions calculator would, but for the period to which it relates, be appropriate and the earnings period in question is a multiple of the period in the scale or, as the case may be, calculator, the scale or calculator shall be applied by dividing the earnings in question so as to obtain the equivalent earnings for the period to which the scale or calculator relates and—

(a) in the case of the scale, by multiplying the amount of contributions shown in the scale as appropriate to those equivalent earnings by the same factor as the earnings were divided;

(b) in the case of the calculator, by multiplying the amount of contributions shown in the calculator as appropriate to those equivalent earnings or, where no equivalent earnings are shown, the amount of contributions calculated in accordance with paragraph (3)(b), by the same factor as the earnings were divided.

(5) Unless the Board agree to the contrary, all the contributions payable in a year in respect of the earnings paid to or for the benefit of an earner in respect of his employed earner’s employment or, where he has more than one such employment and the earnings from those employments are aggregated under paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 1 to the Act (Class 1 contributions where more than one employment), in respect of those employments, shall be calculated either in accordance with paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) but not partly in accordance with one and partly in accordance with the other of those paragraphs, save that the contributions calculator may also be used where the contributions have been calculated in accordance with paragraph (1).