Explanatory Notes

Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003

2003 CHAPTER 1

6th March 2003

Commentary on Sections

Example 3

Ne = £5,000; Da = 183; De = 183; Smg = 0
Part 5: Employment income: deductions allowed from earnings
Travel costs and expenses of non-domiciled employees where duties performed in UK
Chapter 6: Deductions from seafarers’ earnings
Section 378: Deduction from seafarers’ earnings: eligibility

1660.This section sets out the conditions for eligibility for the deduction. Broadly speaking, seafarers must spend no less than half of a qualifying period of at least 365 days outside the United Kingdom and not more than 183 consecutive days in the United Kingdom during the qualifying period.

1661.It is possible to combine various periods of absence from the United Kingdom to determine whether the test has been satisfied. Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12 to ICTA deals with this by using the terms “qualifying period”, “relevant periods”, “a single qualifying period”, “the last qualifying period” and the “intervening period”. These concepts and their various combinations are difficult to follow.

1662.So, in subsection (2) the new term “eligible period”, which consists of either a period of continuous absence from the United Kingdom or a “combined period” (another new term which is itself defined in subsection (3)) has been introduced.