91 Provision for, or use by, member of employee’s family

For the purposes of this Chapter—

(a) any reference to a credit-token being provided for an employee includes a reference to it being provided for a member of the employee’s family, and

(b) use of a credit-token by a member of an employee’s family is to be treated as use of the token by the employee.

Meaning of “credit-token”

92 Meaning of “credit-token”

(1) In this Chapter “credit-token” means a credit card, debit card or other card, a token, a document or other object given to a person by another person (“X”) who undertakes—

(a) on the production of it, to supply money, goods or services on credit, or

(b) if a third party (“Y”) supplies money, goods or services on its production, to pay Y for what is supplied.

(2) A card, token, document or other object can be a credit-token even if—

(a) some other action is required in addition to its production in order for the money, goods or services to be supplied;

(b) X in paying Y may take a discount or commission.

(3) For the purposes of this section—

(a) the use of an object given by X to operate a machine provided by X is to be treated as its production to X, and

(b) the use of an object given by X to operate a machine provided by Y is to be treated as its production to Y.

(4) A “credit-token” does not include a cash voucher or a non-cash voucher.

Credit-tokens: exception

93 Credit-token made available to public generally

This Chapter does not apply to a credit-token if—

(a) it is of a kind made available to the public generally, and

(b) it is provided to the employee or a member of the employee’s family on no more favourable terms than to the public generally.

Benefit of credit-token treated as earnings

94 Benefit of credit-token treated as earnings

(1) On each occasion on which a credit-token to which this Chapter applies is used by the employee in a tax year to obtain money, goods or services, the cash equivalent of the benefit of the token is to be treated as earnings from the employment for that year.

(2) The cash equivalent is the difference between—

(a) the cost of provision, and

(b) any part of that cost made good by the employee to the person incurring it.

(3) In this section the “cost of provision” means the expense incurred—

(a) in or in connection with the provision of the money, goods or services obtained on the occasion in question, and

(b) by the person at whose cost they are provided.

(4) If a person incurs expense in or in connection with the provision of credit-tokens for two or more employees as members of a group or class, the expense incurred in respect of one of them is to be such part of that expense as is just and reasonable.

General supplementary provisions

95 Disregard for money, goods or services obtained

(1) This section applies if the cash equivalent of the benefit of a cash voucher, a non-cash voucher or a credit-token—

(a) is to be treated as earnings from an employee’s employment under this Chapter, or

(b) would be so treated but for a dispensation given under section 96.

(2) Money, goods or services obtained—

(a) by the employee or another person in exchange for the cash voucher or non-cash voucher, or

(b) by the employee or a member of the employee’s family by use of the credit-token,

are to be disregarded for the purposes of the Income Tax Acts.

(3) But the goods or services are not to be disregarded for the purposes of applying sections 362 and 363 (deductions where non-cash voucher or credit-token provided).

(4) In the case of a transport voucher, the reference in subsection (2)(a) to the services obtained in exchange for the voucher is to the passenger transport services obtained by using it.

96 Dispensations relating to vouchers or credit-tokens

(1) This section applies where a person (“P”) supplies the Inland Revenue with a statement of the cases and circumstances in which—

(a) cash vouchers,

(b) non-cash vouchers, or

(c) credit-tokens,

are provided for employees whether they are the employees of P or some other person.

(2) If the Inland Revenue are satisfied that no additional tax is payable by virtue of this Chapter by reference to the vouchers or credit-tokens mentioned in the statement, they must give P a dispensation under this section.

(3) A “dispensation” is a notice stating that the Inland Revenue agree that no additional tax is payable by virtue of this Chapter by reference to the vouchers or credit-tokens mentioned in the statement supplied by P.

(4) If a dispensation is given under this section, nothing in this Chapter applies to the provision or use of the vouchers or credit-tokens covered by the dispensation.

(5) If in their opinion there is reason to do so, the Inland Revenue may revoke a dispensation by giving a further notice to P.

(6) That notice may revoke the dispensation from—

(a) the date when the dispensation was given, or

(b) a later date specified in the notice.

(7) If the notice revokes the dispensation from the date when the dispensation was given—

(a) any liability to tax that would have arisen if the dispensation had never been given is to be treated as having arisen, and

(b) P and the employees in question must make all the returns which they would have had to make if the dispensation had never been given.

(8) If the notice revokes the dispensation from a later date—

(a) any liability to tax that would have arisen if the dispensation had ceased to have effect on that date is to be treated as having arisen, and

(b) P and the employees in question must make all the returns which they would have had to make if the dispensation had ceased to have effect on that date.

Chapter 5 Taxable benefits: living accommodation

Living accommodation

97 Living accommodation to which this Chapter applies

(1) This Chapter applies to living accommodation provided for—

(a) an employee, or

(b) a member of an employee’s family or household,

by reason of the employment.

(2) Living accommodation provided for any of those persons by the employer is to be regarded as provided by reason of the employment unless—

(a) the employer is an individual, and

(b) the provision is made in the normal course of the employer’s domestic, family or personal relationships.

Exceptions

98 Accommodation provided by local authority

This Chapter does not apply to living accommodation provided for an employee if—

(a) the employer is a local authority,

(b) it is provided for the employee by the authority, and

(c) the terms on which it is provided are no more favourable than those on which similar accommodation is provided by the authority for persons who are not their employees but whose circumstances are otherwise similar to those of the employee.

99 Accommodation provided for performance of duties

(1) This Chapter does not apply to living accommodation provided for an employee if it is necessary for the proper performance of the employee’s duties that the employee should reside in it.

(2) This Chapter does not apply to living accommodation provided for an employee if—

(a) it is provided for the better performance of the duties of the employment, and

(b) the employment is one of the kinds of employment in the case of which it is customary for employers to provide living accommodation for employees.

(3) But if the accommodation is provided by a company and the employee (“E”) is a director of the company or of an associated company, the exception in subsection (1) or (2) only applies if, in the case of each company of which E is a director—

(a) E has no material interest in the company, and

(b) either—

(i) E’s employment is as a full-time working director, or

(ii) the company is non-profit-making or is established for charitable purposes only.

(4) “Non-profit-making” means that the company does not carry on a trade and its functions do not consist wholly or mainly in the holding of investments or other property.

(5) A company is “associated” with another if—

(a) one has control of the other, or

(b) both are under the control of the same person.

100 Accommodation provided as result of security threat

This Chapter does not apply to living accommodation provided for an employee if—

(a) there is a special threat to the security of the employee,

(b) special security arrangements are in force, and

(c) the employee resides in the accommodation as part of those arrangements.

101 Chevening House

This Chapter does not apply to living accommodation provided for an employee if the accommodation is—

(a) Chevening House, or

(b) any other premises held on the trusts of the trust instrument set out in the Schedule to the Chevening Estate Act 1959 (c. 49),

and the employee is a person nominated in accordance with those trusts.

Benefit of living accommodation treated as earnings

102 Benefit of living accommodation treated as earnings

(1) If living accommodation to which this Chapter applies is provided in any period—

(a) which consists of the whole or part of a tax year, and

(b) throughout which the employee holds the employment,

the cash equivalent of the benefit of the accommodation is to be treated as earnings from the employment for that year.

(2) In this Chapter that period is referred to as “the taxable period”.

(3) Section 103 indicates how the cash equivalent is calculated.

Calculation of cash equivalent

103 Method of calculating cash equivalent

(1) The cash equivalent is calculated—

(a) under section 105 if the cost of providing the living accommodation does not exceed £75,000; and

(b) under section 106 if the cost of providing the living accommodation exceeds £75,000.

(2) Section 104 (general rule) sets out how to calculate the cost of providing living accommodation for the purpose of determining whether or not it exceeds £75,000.

(3) In this Chapter—

• “annual value”,

• “person involved in providing accommodation”, and

• “the property”,

have the meaning given by sections 110 to 113, and “the taxable period” has the meaning given by section 102(2).

104 General rule for calculating cost of providing accommodation

For any tax year the cost of providing living accommodation is given by the formula—

Accommodation costing £75,000 or less

105 Cash equivalent: cost of accommodation not over £75,000

(1) The cash equivalent is to be calculated under this section if the cost of providing the living accommodation does not exceed £75,000.

(2) The cash equivalent is the difference between—

(a) the rental value of the accommodation for the taxable period, and

(b) any sum made good by the employee to the person at whose cost the accommodation is provided that is properly attributable to its provision.

(3) The “rental value of the accommodation” for the taxable period is the rent which would have been payable for that period if the property had been let to the employee at an annual rent equal to the annual value.

(4) But if the person at whose cost the accommodation is provided pays rent for the whole or part of the taxable period at an annual rate greater than the annual value—

(a) subsection (3) does not apply to that period or (as the case may be) that part of it; and

(b) instead the “rental value of the accommodation” for that period or part is the rent payable for it by that person.

(5) If the rental value of the accommodation for the taxable period does not exceed any sum made good by the employee as mentioned in subsection (2)(b), the cash equivalent is nil.

Accommodation costing more than £75,000

106 Cash equivalent: cost of accommodation over £75,000

(1) The cash equivalent is calculated under this section if the cost of providing the living accommodation exceeds £75,000.

(2) To calculate the cash equivalent—

Step 1

Calculate the amount that would be the cash equivalent if section 105 applied (cash equivalent: cost of accommodation not over £75,000).

Step 2

Calculate the following amount (“the additional yearly rent”)—

Step 3

Calculate the rent which would have been payable for the taxable period if the property had been let to the employee at the additional yearly rent calculated under step 2.

Step 4

Calculate the cash equivalent by—

(a) adding together the amounts calculated under steps 1 and 3, and

(b) (if allowed by subsection (3)) subtracting from that total the excess rent paid by the employee.

(3) In step 4—

(a) paragraph (b) only applies if, in respect of the taxable period, the rent paid by the employee in respect of the accommodation to the person providing it exceeds the rental value of the accommodation for that period as set out in section 105(3) or (4)(b), as applicable, and

(b) “the excess rent” means the total amount of that excess.

107 Special rule for calculating cost of providing accommodation

(1) This section contains a special rule for calculating the cost of providing living accommodation which—

(a) operates for the purposes of step 2 of section 106(2) (calculating the additional yearly rent), and

(b) accordingly only operates where the cost of provision for the purposes of section 106(1) (as calculated under section 104) exceeds £75,000.

(2) This section applies if, throughout the period of 6 years ending with the date when the employee first occupied the accommodation (“the initial date”), an estate or interest in the property was held by a person involved in providing the accommodation.

It does not matter whether it was the same estate, interest or person throughout.

(3) For any tax year the cost of providing the living accommodation for the purposes mentioned in subsection (1)(a) is given by the formula—

(4) In estimating MV no reduction is to be made for an option in respect of the property held by—

(a) the employee,

(b) a person connected with the employee, or

(c) a person involved in providing the accommodation.

Apportionment of cash equivalent

108 Cash equivalent: accommodation provided for more than one employee

(1) If, for the whole or part of a tax year, the same living accommodation is provided for more than one employee at the same time, the total of the cash equivalents for all of the employees is to be limited to the amount that would be the cash equivalent if the accommodation was provided for one employee.

(2) The cash equivalent for each of the employees is to be such part of that amount as is just and reasonable.

Other tax implications

109 Priority of this Chapter over Chapter 1 of this Part

(1) This section applies if—

(a) under this Chapter the cash equivalent of the benefit of living accommodation is to be treated as earnings from an employee’s employment for a tax year, and

(b) under Chapter 1 of this Part an amount would, apart from this section, constitute earnings from the employment for the year in respect of the provision of the accommodation.

(2) The full amount of the cash equivalent is to be treated as earnings from the employment for that year under this Chapter.

(3) The amount mentioned in subsection (1)(b) is to constitute earnings from the employment for the year under Chapter 1 of this Part only to the extent that it exceeds the amount mentioned in subsection (2).

Supplementary

110 Meaning of “annual value”

(1) For the purposes of this Chapter the “annual value” of living accommodation is the rent which might reasonably be expected to be obtained on a letting from year to year if—

(a) the tenant undertook to pay all taxes, rates and charges usually paid by a tenant, and

(b) the landlord undertook to bear the costs of the repairs and insurance and the other expenses (if any) necessary for maintaining the property in a state to command that rent.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) that rent—

(a) is to be taken to be the amount that might reasonably be expected to be so obtained in respect of the letting of the accommodation, and

(b) is to be calculated on the basis that the only amounts that may be deducted in respect of services provided by the landlord are amounts in respect of the cost to the landlord of providing any relevant services.

(3) If living accommodation is of a kind that might reasonably be expected to be let on terms under which—

(a) the landlord is to provide any services which are either—

(i) relevant services, or

(ii) the repair, insurance or maintenance of any premises which do not form part of the accommodation but belong to or are occupied by the landlord, and

(b) amounts are payable in respect of the services in addition to the rent,

the rent to be established under subsection (1) in respect of the accommodation is to be increased under subsection (4).

(4) That rent is to include—

(a) where the services are relevant services, so much of the additional amounts as exceeds the cost to the landlord of providing the services;

(b) where the services are within subsection (3)(a)(ii), the whole of the additional amounts.

(5) In this section “relevant service” means a service other than the repair, insurance or maintenance of the accommodation or of any other premises.

111 Disputes as to annual value

(1) This section applies if there is a dispute as to the amount of the annual value of living accommodation for the purposes of this Chapter.

(2) The question is to be determined by the General Commissioners.

(3) The Commissioners must hear and determine the question in the same way as an appeal.

112 Meaning of “person involved in providing the accommodation”

For the purposes of this Chapter “person involved in providing the accommodation” means any of the following—

(a) the person providing the accommodation;

(b) the employee’s employer (if not within paragraph (a));

(c) any person, other than the employee, who is connected with a person within paragraph (a) or (b).

113 Meaning of “the property”

For the purposes of this Chapter “the property”, in relation to living accommodation, means the property consisting of that accommodation.

Chapter 6 Taxable benefits: cars, vans and related benefits

General

114 Cars, vans and related benefits

(1) This Chapter applies to a car or a van in relation to a particular tax year if in that year the car or van—

(a) is made available (without any transfer of the property in it) to an employee or a member of the employee’s family or household,

(b) is so made available by reason of the employment (see section 117), and

(c) is available for the employee’s or member’s private use (see section 118).

(2) Where this Chapter applies to a car or van—

(a) sections 120 to 148 provide for the cash equivalent of the benefit of the car to be treated as earnings,

(b) sections 149 to 153 provide for the cash equivalent of the benefit of any fuel provided for the car to be treated as earnings, and

(c) sections 154 to 166 provide for the cash equivalent of the benefit of the van to be treated as earnings.

(3) This Chapter does not apply if an amount constitutes earnings from the employment in respect of the benefit of the car or van by virtue of any other provision (see section 119).

(4) The following provisions of this Chapter provide for further exceptions—

• section 167 (pooled cars);

• section 168 (pooled vans);

• section 169 (car available to more than one member of family or household employed by same employer).

115 Meaning of “car” and “van”

(1) In this Chapter—

• “car” means a mechanically propelled road vehicle which is not—

  (a)

  a goods vehicle,

  (b)

  a motor cycle,

  (c)

  an invalid carriage, or

  (d)

  a vehicle of a type not commonly used as a private vehicle and unsuitable to be so used;

• “van” means a mechanically propelled road vehicle which—

  (a)

  is a goods vehicle, and

  (b)

  has a design weight not exceeding 3,500 kilograms,

  and which is not a motor cycle.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)—

• “design weight” means the weight which a vehicle is designed or adapted not to exceed when in normal use and travelling on a road laden;

• “goods vehicle” means a vehicle of a construction primarily suited for the conveyance of goods or burden of any description;

• “invalid carriage” has the meaning given by section 185(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52);

• “motor cycle” has the meaning given by section 185(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

116 Meaning of when car or van is available to employee

(1) For the purposes of this Chapter a car or van is available to an employee at a particular time if it is then made available, by reason of the employment and without any transfer of the property in it, to the employee or a member of the employee’s family or household.

(2) References in this Chapter to—

(a) the time when a car is first made available to an employee are to the earliest time when the car is made available as mentioned in subsection (1), and

(b) the last day in a year on which a car is available to an employee are to the last day in the year on which the car is made available as mentioned in subsection (1).

(3) This section does not apply to section 138 (automatic car for a disabled employee).

117 Meaning of car or van made available by reason of employment

For the purposes of this Chapter a car or van made available by an employer to an employee or a member of the employee’s family or household is to be regarded as made available by reason of the employment unless—

(a) the employer is an individual, and

(b) it is so made available in the normal course of the employer’s domestic, family or personal relationships.

118 Availability for private use

(1) For the purposes of this Chapter a car or van made available in a tax year to an employee or a member of the employee’s family or household is to be treated as available for the employee’s or member’s private use unless in that year—

(a) the terms on which it is made available prohibit such use, and

(b) it is not so used.

(2) In this Chapter “private use”, in relation to a car or van made available to an employee or a member of the employee’s family or household, means any use other than for the employee’s business travel (see section 171(1)).

119 Where alternative to benefit of car offered

(1) This section applies where in a tax year—

(a) a car is made available as mentioned in section 114(1), and

(b) an alternative to the benefit of the car is offered.

(2) The mere fact that the alternative is offered does not result in an amount in respect of the benefit constituting earnings by virtue of Chapter 1 of this Part (earnings).