Introduction Details of the Section
2.Subsection (1) provides for the amendment of section 684 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (ITEPA). Section 684 requires the Commissioners for HMRC (the Commissioners) to make regulations governing the operation of PAYE (PAYE Regulations). Section 684(2) of ITEPA contains a list of items which may be included in the regulations.
3.Subsection (2)(a) inserts into section 684(2) a new item 4ZA. This allows for PAYE Regulations to authorise or require anyone who provides a payment service to supply information to HMRC about payments of PAYE income made by means of that payment service. PAYE Regulations may also include provision authorising or requiring the provision of information about the payment service provided with respect to particular payments. The Commissioners are provided with a power to specify, by means of directions, circumstances in which the above obligations do not apply.
4.New item 4ZA also allows PAYE Regulations to provide that where anyone provides information to HMRC in accordance with one of the above authorisations the supply of that information will not be treated as breaching any obligation of confidence.
5.Subsection (2)(b) inserts new item 8A into the list in section 684(2). It allows PAYE Regulations to require compliance with any directions the Commissioners may give about the form and manner in which information must be provided under the Regulations. It also allows PAYE Regulations to require compliance with directions specifying the information that a person who makes a payment of PAYE income must provide to HMRC about the method by which the payment is made.
6.New subsection (3C) provides that directions made under new items 4ZA and 8A in section 684(2) may make different provision for different cases.
7.Subsection (4) inserts new subsections (4ZA), (4ZB) and (4ZC) after section 684(4).
8.New subsection (4ZA) confirms that new item 8A in subsection (2) of that section, which allows PAYE Regulations to require compliance with certain directions, does not prejudice the power of the Commissioners under section 684 to make provision in PAYE Regulations dealing with the same subject matter as the directions.
9.New subsection (4ZB) provides that PAYE Regulations may provide for information required under the Regulations to be provided to persons who provide payment services covered by regulations made under new item 4ZA in section 684(2). Item 4ZA provides that PAYE Regulations may require the provider of that service to ensure that means are put in place to allow this to happen, including by directions under new item 8A in section 684(2), and prohibiting the service provider from disclosing that information other than to HMRC.
10.New subsection (4ZC) sets out the meaning of “PAYE information regulations” for the purposes of new subsection (4ZB).