Commentary on Sections Relevance of “earned income”
2515.The term “earned income” has a long history. It is defined in section 833(4) to (6) of ICTA, and subsection (6) indicates that there are a number of further provisions under which certain sorts of income are treated as earned.
2516.Following the changes made to pensions tax legislation in FA 2004 which came into force on 6 April 2006, section 282A of ICTA is now the only place in the Income Tax Acts which makes specific use of the term earned income. (And it is not used in relation to national insurance purposes.) There is a single reference to patent income within section 833(5B) of ICTA, in the definition of “relevant UK earnings” in section 189(2)(c) of FA 2004.
2517.Rather than retain this concept, the joint property rule is rewritten in direct terms without reference to earned income, mainly by excluding all income within Part 9 of ITTOIA from the joint property rule. Accordingly, it is no longer necessary to define earned income, and specific provisions treating income as earned are repealed by this Act. In addition, the reference to section 833(5B) of ICTA in section 189 of FA 2004 is amended by Schedule 1 to this Act. See Change 125 in Annex 1.