Commentary on Sections Example 3 Ne = £5,000; Da = 183; De = 183; Smg = 0 Section 402: Meaning of “benefit”
1748.This section derives from section 148(2), (2A) and (3) of ICTA and includes a minor change to the law. See Change 107 in Annex 1.
1749.Subsection (1) explains which benefits are within the scope of this Chapter. Subsection (1)(a) defines them as any benefits received by the employee or former employee which are received as set out in subsection (1) and which, if received as an employee for performing the duties of the employment, would be taxable earnings from the employment. This will include any benefit which would come within the definition of earnings in section 62 of this Act and any benefit for which an amount is treated as earnings by a provision in the benefits code. Subsection (1)(b) includes those benefits which would be within subsection (1)(a) but to which an “earnings-only exemption” applies.
1750.“Earnings-only exemption” is defined in section 227 of this Act. Part 4 of this Act contains most of those exemptions. Section 227(4) lists exemptions that are contained in Part 7 and apply in respect of general earnings. Some of these may be “earnings-only” exemptions. Section 227(1) and (2) may be used to identify which are “earnings-only” exemptions and which are “employment income” exemptions.
1751.Subsection (1)(b) means that the only benefits that do not come within the scope of this Chapter are those which are subject to an exemption other than an “earnings-only exemption”. These wider exemptions are labelled “employment income exemptions”, defined in section 227, and serve to exempt payments and benefits from any charge under this Chapter, provided any conditions for the exemption to apply are met.
1752.There are some benefits to which an earnings-only exemption applies, but which are not to be chargeable under this Chapter in the case of a termination of the employment. These are listed in subsection (2).
1753.Subsection (3) identifies a benefit which is exempt from the scope of this Chapter in the case of a change in the terms or remuneration of the employment. This prevents the exempted removal benefits falling into this Chapter.
1754.Not all the benefits listed in section 148(2A) of ICTA are included in subsections (2) and (3) of this section. That is because there is no need to include those benefits that are now subject to “employment income exemptions” (which operate to exempt them from all charges under the employment income Parts of this Act).