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The Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001

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PART VU.K. CERTAIN NON-CASH VOUCHERS TO BE DISREGARDED AS PAYMENTS IN KIND

1.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), a non-cash voucher provided, to or for the benefit of the employed earner, by the employer or any other person on his behalf is to be disregarded in the calculation of an employed earner’s earnings by virtue of paragraph 1 of Part II only if it falls within any of paragraphs 2 to [F19].U.K.

[F2(2) A non-cash voucher may also be disregarded—

(a)by virtue of paragraph 7D of Part VIII (car fuel); F3...

[F4(aa)by virtue of paragraph 7E of Part 8 (van fuel); or]

(b)in the circumstances specified in paragraph 4 of Part X (payments by way of [F5incidental overnight expenses]).]

Textual Amendments

F5 Words in sch. 3 Pt. 05 para. 1(2)(b) substituted (6.4.2004) by The Social Security (Contributions, Categorisation of Earners and Intermediaries) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/770), regs. 1(1), 28(3)(a)

2.  A non-cash voucher which is not treated as [F6general earnings] from employment for the purposes of [F7section 86 of ITEPA 2003 (transport vouchers under pre-26th March arrangements).]U.K.

Textual Amendments

[F8This paragraph only applies in the case of an employee who is in lower paid employment, within the meaning of section 217 of ITEPA 2003]

Textual Amendments

[F93.  A non-cash voucher exempted from liability to income tax under Chapter 4 of Part 3 by virtue of sections 266(1)(a) or 269 of ITEPA 2003 (exemptions: non-cash vouchers and credit-tokens).]U.K.

Textual Amendments

F9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F94.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .U.K.

Textual Amendments

[F105.  A non-cash voucher in respect of which no liability to income tax arises by virtue of section 266(1) of ITEPA 2003 to the extent that the voucher is used to obtain anything the direct provision of which would fall within any of the following provisions of that Act—U.K.

(a)section 246 (transport between work and home for disabled employees: general);

(b)section 247 (provision of cars for disabled employees);

(c)section 248 (transport home: late night working and failure of car-sharing arrangements)[F11;

[F12(d)section 320C (recommended medical treatment).]]

Textual Amendments

5A.  A non-cash voucher in respect of which no liability to income tax arises by virtue of section 266(2) of ITEPA 2003 if the voucher evidences entitlement to use anything the direct provision of which would fall within any of the following provisions of that Act—U.K.

(a)section 242 (works transport services);

(b)section 243 (support for public bus services);

(c)section 244 (cycles and cyclist’s safety equipment);

[F13(d)section 319 (mobile telephones).]

Textual Amendments

5B.  A non-cash voucher in respect of which no liability to income tax arises by virtue of section 266(3) of ITEPA 2003 if the voucher can be used only to obtain anything the direct provision of which would fall within any of the following provisions of that Act—U.K.

(a)section 245 (travelling and subsistence during public transport strikes);

(b)section 261 (recreational benefits);

(c)section 264 (annual parties and functions);

(d)section 296 (armed forces' leave travel facilities);

(e)section 317 (subsidised meals);

[F14(f)section 320A (eye tests and special corrective appliances).]

Textual Amendments

6.  A non-cash voucher to the extent that no liability to income tax arises by virtue of any of the following sections of ITEPA 2003—U.K.

(a)section 270 (exemption for small gifts of vouchers and tokens from third parties);

(b)section 305 (offshore oil and gas workers: mainland transfers);

(c)section 321 (suggestion awards);

(d)section 323 (long service awards);

[F15(da)section 323A (trivial benefits provided by employers)]

(e)section 324 (small gifts from third parties).]

Textual Amendments

Meal vouchersU.K.

F166A.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F16Sch. 3 Pt. V para. 6A omitted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by virtue of The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment and Application of Schedule 38 to the Finance Act 2012) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/622), regs. 1, 40(a)(i)

[F17Interpretation – qualifying childcare vouchersU.K.

6B.  In paragraphs 7 and 7A—

(a)“care”, “child” and “parental responsibility” have the same meaning as in section 318B of ITEPA 2003;

(b)“chargeable expense” has the meaning given in paragraph 14 of Schedule 2;

[F18(ba)“eligible employee” has the meaning given in section 270AA of ITEPA 2003;]

(c)“qualifying child care” has the same meaning as in section 318C of ITEPA 2003;

(d)“qualifying week” means a tax week in respect of which a qualifying childcare voucher is received;

(e)“relevant salary sacrifice arrangements” means arrangements (whenever made) under which the employees for whom the vouchers are provided give up the right to receive an amount of general earnings or specific employment income in return for the provision of the vouchers;

(f)“relevant flexible remuneration arrangements” means arrangements (whenever made) under which the employees for whom the vouchers are provided agree with the employer that they are to be provided with the vouchers rather than receive some other description of employment income;

(g)“relevant low-paid employees” means any of the employer’s employees who are remunerated by the employer at a rate such that, if the relevant salary sacrifice arrangements or relevant flexible remuneration arrangements applied to them, the rate at which they would then be so remunerated would be likely to be lower than the national minimum wage;

(h)“scheme” means the manner by which an employer provides qualifying childcare vouchers and an employee is taken to join a scheme or have joined a scheme when the employer has agreed that vouchers will be provided to the employee under the scheme and there is a child falling within Condition A of paragraph 7(7); and

(i)the administration costs for a voucher means the difference between the cost of provision of a voucher and its face value and the face value is the amount stated on or recorded in the voucher as the value of the provision of care for a child that may be obtained by using it.]

Textual Amendments

[F19[F20Qualifying childcare vouchers for [F21eligible] employees who joined a scheme before 6th April 2011]U.K.

7.—(1) [F22A qualifying childcare voucher, where an [F23eligible] employee joined a scheme—

(a)before 6th April 2011;

(b)before 6th April 2011 but ceased to be employed by the employer and was subsequently re-employed by the employer and re-joined the scheme before 6th April 2011; or

(c)before 6th April 2011 and there was a continuous period of 52 weeks ending before 6th April 2011 throughout which vouchers were not being provided for the employee under the scheme,

subject to the qualifications in sub-paragraphs (2) and (5).]

F24[F25(1A)] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) Where the chargeable expense of the voucher exceeds the exempt amount, only that amount shall be disregarded by virtue of sub-paragraph (1).

(3) The exempt amount is the amount found by the formula—

Here—

E is the sum of—

(a)

[F26£55]; and

(b)

the administration costs for the qualifying childcare voucher;

QW is the number of qualifying weeks—

(a)

for which the earner has been employed by the secondary contributor during the tax year in which the qualifying childcare voucher is provided; and

(b)

for which no other qualifying childcare voucher has been provided by the secondary contributor.

(4) Where an earner has two or more employed earner's employments, the earnings from which fall to be aggregated in accordance with regulation 14 or 15, the reference to the secondary contributor in paragraph (b) of the definition of QW is a reference to the secondary contributor in respect any of those employments.

(5) An earner is only entitled to one exempt amount even if childcare vouchers are provided in respect of more than one child.

(6) [F27In this paragraph “qualifying childcare voucher” means a non-cash voucher in relation to which Conditions A to C are met.]

[F28(7) Condition A is that the voucher is provided to enable an employee to obtain care for a child who—

(a)is a child or stepchild of the employee and is maintained (wholly or partly) at the employee’s expense; or

(b)is resident with the employee and is a person in respect of whom the employee has parental responsibility.

(8) Condition B is that the voucher can only be used to obtain qualifying child care.

(9) Condition C is that the vouchers are provided under a scheme that is open—

(a)to the employer’s [F29eligible] employees generally; or

(b)generally to those at a particular location,

subject to sub-paragraph (10).

(10) Where the scheme under which the vouchers are provided involves—

(a)relevant salary sacrifice arrangements; or

(b)relevant flexible remuneration arrangements,

Condition C is not prevented from being met by reason only that the scheme is not open to relevant low-paid employees.]]

Textual Amendments

F20Sch. 3 Pt. V para. 7(1) heading substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1000), regs. 1(1), 4(a)

F25Sch. 3 Pt. V para. 7(1A) inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1000), regs. 1(1), 4(b)

F27Sch. 3 Pt. V para. 7(6) substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1000), regs. 1(1), 4(c)

F28Sch. 3 Pt. V added (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) (6.4.2011) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1000), regs. 1(1), 4(d)

[F30[F31Qualifying childcare vouchers for [F32eligible] employees who joined a scheme on or after 6th April 2011, or before 6th April 2011 where there has been a break in employment or a 52 week break in receiving vouchers recommencing on or after 6th April 2011U.K.

7A.—(1) A qualifying childcare voucher, where an [F33eligible] employee joined a scheme—

(a)on or after 6th April 2011;

(b)before 6th April 2011 but ceased to be employed by the employer and was subsequently re-employed by the employer and re-joined the scheme on or after 6th April 2011; or

(c)before 6th April 2011 and there was a continuous period of 52 weeks ending on or after 6th April 2011 throughout which vouchers were not being provided for the employee under the scheme,

subject to the qualifications in sub-paragraphs (3) and (6).]

(2) In this paragraph a “qualifying childcare voucher” means a non-cash voucher in relation to which conditions A to D (see sub-paragraphs (7) to (11)) are met.

(3) Where the chargeable expense of the voucher exceeds the exempt amount, only that amount shall be disregarded by virtue of sub-paragraph (1).

(4) The exempt amount is the amount found by the formula—

Here—

  • E is, in the case of an employee the sum of—

    (a)

    [F34£25,] if the relevant earnings amount for the tax year, as estimated in accordance with Condition D, exceeds the higher rate limit for the tax year;

    (b)

    £28, if the relevant earnings amount for the tax year, as estimated in accordance with Condition D, exceeds the basic rate limit but does not exceed the higher rate limit for the tax year; or

    (c)

    £55, in any other case; and

    (d)

    the administration costs for the qualifying childcare voucher;

  • QW is the number of qualifying weeks—

    (a)

    for which the earner has been employed by the secondary contributor during the tax year in which the qualifying childcare voucher is provided; and

    (b)

    for which no other qualifying childcare voucher has been provided by the secondary contributor.

(5) Where an earner has two or more employed earner’s employments, the earnings from which fall to be aggregated in accordance with regulation 14 or 15, the reference to the secondary contributor in paragraph (b) of the definition of QW is a reference to the secondary contributor in respect of any of those employments.

(6) An earner is only entitled to one exempt amount even if childcare vouchers are provided in respect of more than one child.

(7) Condition A is that the voucher is provided to enable an employee to obtain care for a child who—

(a)is a child or stepchild of the employee and is maintained (wholly or partly) at the employee’s expense; or

(b)is resident with the employee and is a person in respect of whom the employee has parental responsibility.

(8) Condition B is that the voucher can only be used to obtain qualifying child care.

(9) Condition C is that the vouchers are provided under a scheme that is open—

(a)to the employer’s [F35eligible] employees generally; or

(b)generally to those at a particular location,

subject to sub-paragraph (10).

(10) Where the scheme under which the vouchers are provided involves—

(a)relevant salary sacrifice arrangements; or

(b)relevant flexible remuneration arrangements,

Condition C is not prevented from being met by reason only that the scheme is not open to relevant low-paid employees.

(11) Condition D is that the employer has, at the required time, made an estimate of the employee’s relevant earnings amount for the tax year in respect of which the voucher is provided.

(12) In sub-paragraph (11) “the required time”, in the case of an employee, means—

(a)if the employee joins the scheme under which the vouchers are provided at a time during the tax year, that time, and

(b)otherwise, the beginning of the tax year.

(13) In sub-paragraph (11) the “relevant earnings amount”, in the case of an employee provided with vouchers by an employer for any qualifying week in a tax year, and subject to sub-paragraph (14), means—

(a)the aggregate of—

(i)the amount of any relevant earnings (see sub-paragraph (15)) for the tax year from employment by the employer; and

(ii)any amounts to be treated under Chapters 2 to 12 of Part 3 of ITEPA 2003 as earnings from such employment; less

(b)the aggregate of any excluded amounts (see sub-paragraph (16)).

(14) But if the employee becomes employed by the employer during the tax year, what would otherwise be the amount of the aggregate mentioned in sub-paragraph (13)(a) is the relevant multiple of that amount; and the relevant multiple is—

where—

  • RD is the number of days in the period beginning with the day on which the employee becomes employed by the employer and ending with the tax year.

(15) In sub-paragraph (13)(a) “relevant earnings” means—

(a)salary, wages or fees, F36...

[F37(b)guaranteed contractual bonuses;

(c)contractual commission;

(d)guaranteed overtime payments;

(e)location or cost of living allowances;

(f)shift allowances;

(g)skills allowances;

(h)retention and recruitment allowances; and

(i)market rate supplements.]

(16) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (13)(b) the following are “excluded amounts”—

(a)contributions under a F38... pension scheme allowed under section 193(2) of Finance Act 2004 (relief under net pay arrangements) to be deducted by the employer from the employee’s employment income for the tax year [F39in accordance with the PAYE Regulations];

[F40(za)contributions under a pension scheme if the employee has authorised the employer to make the deductions from relevant payments (as defined by regulation 4 of the PAYE Regulations) for which relief at source is given under section 192(1) of the Finance Act 2004 (relief at source);]

(b)donations for which a deduction is made under section 713 of ITEPA 2003 (payroll giving) in calculating the employee’s net taxable earnings from employment by the employer for the tax year [F41in accordance with the PAYE Regulations];

(c)expenses within Chapter 3 of Part 3 of ITEPA 2003 (expenses payments) which the employer is authorised to exclude from the employee’s taxable earnings for the tax year in accordance with [F42the] PAYE Regulations;

(d)payments in respect of removal expenses to which section 271 of ITEPA 2003 applies (as defined in section 272) and which are taxable earnings of the employee from employment by the employer for the tax year;

[F43(e)amounts equivalent to the amount of the personal allowance under section 35(1) of the Income Tax Act 2007, and in addition if applicable, the amount of the blind person’s allowance under section 38 of that Act.]]

Textual Amendments

F30Sch. 3 Pt. V para. 7A inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(3) of the amending S.I.) (6.4.2011) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1000), regs. 1(1), 5

F32Word in Sch. 3 Pt. V para. 7A heading inserted (6.4.2018) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/120), regs. 1, 7(4)(a)

F34Sum in Sch. 3 Pt. V para. 7A(4)(a) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment and Application of Schedule 38 to the Finance Act 2012) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/622), regs. 1, 40(a)(ii)

F36Word in Sch. 3 Pt. V para. 7A(15)(a) omitted (6.12.2011) by virtue of The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 5) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/2700), regs. 1(1), 5(b)(i)

F38Word in Sch. 3 Pt. V para. 7A(16)(a) omitted (6.12.2011) by virtue of The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 5) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/2700), regs. 1(1), 5(c)(ii)

8.  A non-cash voucher provided to or for the benefit of an employed earner in respect of employed earner’s employment by a person who is not the secondary contributor in respect of the provision of that voucher.U.K.

[F449  A non-cash voucher providing for health screening or medical check-ups to the extent that no liability to income tax arises in the provision of such health screening or medical check-ups [F45by virtue of any provision of or under the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 which exempts from liability to income tax the provision by employers to employees of health screening and medical check-ups.]]U.K.

Textual Amendments

F45Words in Sch. 3 Pt. V para. 9 substituted (1.4.2009) (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2)(b) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/600), regs. 1(1), 7(1) (with reg. 7(2))

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