Finance Act 1991

32 Relief

(1) This section applies where—

(a) on or after 6th April 1992 an individual resident in the United Kingdom makes a payment in respect of a qualifying course of vocational training,

(b) the payment is made in respect of an allowable expense,

(c) the payment is made in connection with the individual’s own training,

(d) at the time the payment is made, the individual has not received in relation to the course, and is not entitled to receive in relation to it, any public financial assistance of a description specified in regulations made by the Treasury for the purposes of this paragraph, and

(e) the individual is not entitled to claim any relief or deduction in respect of the payment under any other provision of the Income Tax Acts.

(2) The payment shall be deducted from or set-off against the income of the individual for the year of assessment in which it is made; but relief under this subsection shall be given only on a claim made for the purpose, except where subsections (3) to (5) below apply.

(3) In such cases and subject to such conditions as the Board may specify in regulations, relief under subsection (2) above shall be given in accordance with subsections (4) and (5) below.

(4) An individual who is entitled to such relief in respect of a payment may deduct and retain out of it an amount equal to income tax on it at the basic rate for the year of assessment in which it is made.

(5) The person to whom the payment is made—

(a) shall accept the amount paid after deduction in discharge of the individual’s liability to the same extent as if the deduction had not been made, and

(b) may, on making a claim, recover from the Board an amount equal to the amount deducted.

(6) The Treasury may make regulations providing that in circumstances prescribed in the regulations—

(a) an individual who makes, in respect of a qualifying course of vocational training, a payment in respect of an allowable expense shall cease to be and be treated as not having been entitled to relief under subsection (2) above in respect of the payment or such part of it as may be determined in accordance with the regulations; and

(b) he or the person to whom the payment was made (depending on the terms of the regulations) shall account to the Board for tax from which relief has been given on the basis that the individual was so entitled.

(7) Regulations under subsection (6) above may include provision adapting or modifying the effect of any enactment relating to income tax in order to secure the performance of any obligation imposed under paragraph (b) of that subsection.

(8) In subsection (1)(a) above, the reference to an individual resident in the United Kingdom includes an individual performing duties which are treated by virtue of section 132(4)(a) of the Taxes Act 1988 as performed in the United Kingdom.

(9) For the purposes of this section, a payment made in respect of a qualifying course of vocational training is made in respect of an allowable expense if—

(a) it is made in respect of fees payable in connection with undertaking the course, including fees payable for assessment purposes, or

(b) it is made in respect of fees payable in connection with the making, as a result of having undertaken the course, of any entry in an official register or any award.

(10) In this section, “qualifying course of vocational training” means any programme of activity capable of counting towards a qualification—

(a) accredited as a National Vocational Qualification by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications, or

(b) accredited as a Scottish Vocational Qualification by the Scottish Vocational Education Council,

except a qualification at the highest of the levels defined by the Council referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) above (as the case may be).