Commentary on Sections Overview Overview Section 159: Ministers of religion
644.This section sets out special rules for self-employed ministers of religion. It is based on section 332(3) of ICTA. The rest of that section was rewritten as sections 290 and 351 of ITEPA.
645.Subsection (1) provides that the section applies in calculating the profits of the profession or vocation of a minister of religion. This brings the wording of the rule into line with the other rules for permitting deductions. See Change 43 in Annex 1.
646.Section 332 of ICTA was originally intended to give a comprehensive set of rules for the expenses of ministers of religion. In practice, the Inland Revenue apply the usual trading rules if they are more generous. Anything within section 332(3)(a) of ICTA would not be disallowed by section 74(1)(a) of ICTA. But there may be items not within section 332(3)(a) of ICTA which are allowed in practice as being within the usual rules.
647.A self-employed minister can in practice make deductions for revenue expenses that are wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the profession or vocation. For such a minister the rule in paragraph (a) of section 332(3) of ICTA, which provides for a deduction where expenses are incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of the duties, imposes a harsher test.
648.So section 332(3)(a) of ICTA is not rewritten, leaving the more generous rule in section 34 of this Act to apply. See Change 44 in Annex 1.
649.Subsection (2)(b) introduces a “just and reasonable apportionment” which does not have a special appeal mechanism. See Change 45 in Annex 1.
650.Subsection (3) uses the term “incurs” in preference to “borne”. See Change 43 in Annex 1.
651.Subsection (4) sets out how to calculate the deduction under subsection (3). If the expenses of maintenance, repair, insurance or management incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the profession or vocation exceed one quarter of the expenses within subsection (3) no further deduction is due but the deduction is not restricted to one quarter. If the expenses of maintenance etc do not exceed one quarter, a further deduction is due. So the total deduction for expenses within subsection (3) varies according to the extent to which they are expenses incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the profession or vocation.