Chapter 3: Taxable UK social security benefits
Overview
2604.This Chapter sets out the rules for taxing United Kingdom social security benefits.
2605.The charge on United Kingdom social security benefits in ICTA is under Schedule E. The charge is under paragraph 5 of Schedule E (section 19(1) of ICTA):
“…any other provision of the Tax Acts directing tax to be charged under this Schedule …”
2606.Section 150(a) of ICTA charges allowances under Job Release schemes. The last Order under the Job Release Act 1977 extended the effect of the Act to 29 September 1988. So this Act does not rewrite paragraph (a) of the section (or section 191 of ICTA). The other paragraphs, which charge statutory adoption pay, statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity pay and statutory sick pay, are rewritten in this Act - see paragraph 2608.
2607.The Chapter sets out the income chargeable. It also identifies the basis of assessment and the person chargeable.
Section 660: Taxable benefits: UK benefits – Table A
2608.This section sets out the United Kingdom benefits that are taxable. It derives from section 617(1) of ICTA. That subsection deals with most United Kingdom benefits (some of which are taxed in Part 9 as pensions). The table in this section also lists other benefits that are not within section 617:
statutory adoption pay, statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity pay and statutory sick pay, from section 150 of ICTA;
income support, from section 151 of ICTA;
jobseeker’s allowance, from section 151A of ICTA; and
incapacity benefit, from section 139 of FA 1994.
2609.Subsection (1) is the first of the tables (“Table A”). This table lists the taxable UK benefits. The second table (“Table B”) is in section 677 – see paragraph 2682.
2610.The table identifies each benefit by the section of the social security Act under which it is paid. The table also identifies the corresponding Northern Ireland provision if it has been enacted. The suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly has prevented the enactment of some proposed Northern Ireland provisions. Those provisions are described rather than identified in the table.
2611.The table arranges the benefits in alphabetical order. This means that a particular benefit should be easy to find. And it should be easy to maintain the clarity of the table because it will be easy to insert any new benefit into the table in the right place.
2612.Incapacity benefit is included in the table of taxable benefits. See Change 143 in Annex 1.
2613.Subsection (2) is a special rule for statutory adoption pay, statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity pay and statutory sick pay. It derives from the opening words “if they would not otherwise be (chargeable)” in section 150 of ICTA.
2614.In most cases these payments are earnings from an employment and charged to tax under the employment income Parts of this Act. This subsection ensures that a charge under the employment income Parts takes precedence over a charge under the social security income Part.
2615.In other cases the payments are made by the government. Then there is no charge to tax on them as earnings and they are charged as social security income.
Section 661: Taxable social security income
2616.This section sets out the basis of assessment for some United Kingdom social security benefits. It derives from section 41(2) of FA 1989, which applies only to the benefits (and pensions) mentioned in section 41(1) of FA 1989.
2617.Incapacity benefit is explicitly brought within the rule in section 41 of FA 1989 by section 139(3) of FA 1994.
2618.Five benefits in Table A are not covered by the rule in section 41 of FA 1989. They are statutory adoption pay, statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity pay statutory sick pay (all charged to tax by section 150 of ICTA) and jobseeker’s allowance (charged to tax by section 151A of ICTA). There is no statutory basis of assessment for these benefits in ICTA.
2619.So the section applies only to the first four benefits listed in Table A.
Section 662: Person liable for tax
2620.This section identifies the person chargeable. It is new.
2621.The rule in this section applies only to United Kingdom social security income. But an identical rule applies to foreign social security income – see section 680.
2622.The social security income Part includes income that ICTA taxes under Schedule E and income that ICTA taxes under Schedule D. For income taxed under Schedule D section 59(1) of ICTA identifies the person chargeable as the person “receiving or entitled” to the income.
2623.There is no equivalent of section 59(1) of ICTA for social security benefits that ICTA taxes under Schedule E. It would be inconsistent to identify a person chargeable for some but not all social security income. The social security income Part avoids this inconsistency. It makes the person liable for tax on social security income the person receiving or entitled to the income in all cases where ICTA does not specify the person chargeable. See Change 135 in Annex 1.
