Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

Miscellaneous

649 Minimum contributions under Social Security Act 1986

(1) Where under Part I of the [1986 c. 50.] Social Security Act 1986 the Secretary of State pays minimum contributions for the purposes of approved personal pension arrangements, the amount of the employee’s share of those contributions shall, instead of being the amount provided for in that Part, be the grossed-up equivalent of the amount so provided for.

(2) For the purposes of this section—

• “the employee’s share” of minimum contributions is so much of the contributions as is attributable to the percentage mentioned in paragraph (a) of the definition of “rebate percentage” in section 3(3) of the Social Security Act 1986;

• “the grossed-up equivalent” of an amount is such sum as, after deduction of income tax at the basic rate in force for the year of assessment for which the contributions are paid, is equal to that amount.

(3) The employee’s share of minimum contributions paid for a year of assessment by the Secretary of State for the purposes of approved personal pension arrangements shall be treated for the purposes of income tax—

(a) as the income for that year of the individual in respect of whom it is paid; and

(b) as contributions paid in that year by that individual under those arrangements.

(4) The Board may make regulations—

(a) providing for the recovery by the Secretary of State from the Board, in such circumstances as may be prescribed by the regulations, of any increase attributable to this section in the sums paid by the Secretary of State out of the National Insurance Fund;

(b) requiring the Secretary of State to give the Board such information as may be so prescribed about minimum contributions paid by the Secretary of State;

(c) prescribing circumstances in which this section or any provision of it shall not apply;

(d) making such provision as appears to the Board to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of supplementing the provisions of this section.

(5) Any payment received by the Secretary of State by virtue of this section shall be paid into the National Insurance Fund.

(6) In relation to Northern Ireland, this section shall have effect as if—

(a) references to the Secretary of State were references to the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland;

(b) references to Part I and section 3(3) of the [1986 c. 50.] Social Security Act 1986 were references to Part II and Article 5(3) of the [S.I. 1986/1888 (N.I. 18).] Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1986; and

(c) references to the National Insurance Fund were references to the Northern Ireland National Insurance Fund.

650 Withdrawal of approval

(1) If in the opinion of the Board the facts concerning an approved personal pension scheme or its administration or arrangements made in accordance with it do not warrant the continuance of their approval of the scheme, they may at any time by notice given to the scheme administrator withdraw their approval of the scheme.

(2) If in the opinion of the Board the facts concerning any approved personal pension arrangements do not warrant the continuance of their approval in relation to the arrangements, they may at any time by notice given to the individual who made them and to the scheme administrator withdraw their approval in relation to the arrangements.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2) above, the Board may withdraw their approval in relation to any personal pension arrangements if they are of the opinion that securing the provision of benefits under the arrangements was not the sole purpose of the individual in making them.

(4) A notice under subsection (1) or (2) above shall state the grounds on which, and the date from which, approval is withdrawn.

(5) The Board may not withdraw their approval from a date earlier than the date when the facts were first such that they did not warrant the continuance of their approval (so, however, that in a case within subsection (3) above their approval may be withdrawn from the day the arrangements in question were made).

651 Appeals

(1) Where the Board—

(a) refuse an application by notice under section 631; or

(b) withdraw an approval by notice under section 650;

the person to whom the notice is given may appeal to the Special Commissioners against the refusal or, as the case may be, the withdrawal.

(2) An appeal under this section shall be made by notice stating the grounds for the appeal and given to the Board before the end of the period of 30 days beginning with the day on which the notice of refusal or withdrawal was given to the appellant.

(3) On an appeal under this section against the withdrawal of an approval, the Special Commissioners may, instead of allowing or dismissing the appeal, order that the withdrawal shall have effect from a date other than that determined by the Board.

(4) The bringing of an appeal under this section shall not affect the validity of the decision appealed against pending the determination of the proceedings.

652 Information about payments

(1) An inspector may give a notice to a scheme administrator requiring him to provide the inspector with—

(a) such particulars as the notice may require relating to contributions paid under approved personal pension arrangements made in accordance with the scheme;

(b) such particulars as the notice may require relating to payments by way of return of contributions;

(c) copies of such accounts as the notice may require.

(2) A person to whom a notice is given under this section shall comply with the notice within the period of 30 days beginning with the day on which it is given.

653 Information: penalties

A person who knowingly makes a false statement or false representation on making an application under section 631 or for the purpose of obtaining for himself or any other person any relief from or repayment of tax under this Chapter shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £500.

654 Remuneration of Ministers and other officers

(1) This section applies to any salary—

(a) payable to the holder of a qualifying office who is also a Member of the House of Commons; and

(b) payable for a period in respect of which the holder is not a participant in relation to that office in arrangements contained in the Parliamentary pension scheme but is a participant in relation to his membership of the House of Commons in any such arrangements, or for any part of such a period.

(2) So much of any salary to which this section applies as is equal to the difference between a Member’s pensionable salary and the salary which (in accordance with any such resolution as is mentioned in subsection (4)(a) below) is payable to him as a Member holding that qualifying office, shall be treated for the purposes of this Chapter as remuneration from the office of Member and not from the qualifying office.

(3) In this section—

• “Member’s pensionable salary” means a Member’s ordinary salary under any resolution of the House of Commons which, being framed otherwise than as an expression of opinion, is for the time being in force relating to the remuneration of Members or, if the resolution provides for a Member’s ordinary salary thereunder to be treated for pension purposes as being at a higher rate, a notional yearly salary at that higher rate;

• “qualifying office” means an office mentioned in paragraph (b), (c) or (d) of subsection (2) of section 2 of the [1987 c. 45.] Parliamentary and other Pensions Act 1987;

• “the Parliamentary pension scheme” has the same meaning as in that Act;

and, without prejudice to the power conferred by virtue of paragraph 13 of Schedule 1 to that Act, regulations under section 2 of that Act may make provision specifying the circumstances in which a person is to be regarded for the purposes of this section as being or not being a participant in relation to his membership of the House of Commons, or in relation to any office, in arrangements contained in the Parliamentary pension scheme.

(4) In subsection (3) above “a Member’s ordinary salary”, in relation to any resolution of the House of Commons, means—

(a) if the resolution provides for salary to be paid to Members at different rates according to whether or not they are holders of particular offices or are in receipt of salaries or pensions as the holders or former holders of particular offices, a Member’s yearly salary at the higher or highest rate; and

(b) in any other case, a Member’s yearly salary at the rate specified in or determined under the resolution.

655 Transitional provisions

(1) Where approved personal pension arrangements are made by an individual who pays qualifying premiums within the meaning of section 620(1)—

(a) the amount that may be deducted or set off by virtue of section 639(1) in any year of assessment shall be reduced by the amount of any qualifying premiums which are paid in the year by the individual and in respect of which relief is given for the year under section 619(1)(a); and

(b) the relief which, by virtue of section 625, may be given under section 619 by reference to the individual’s unused relief for any year shall be reduced by the amount of any contributions paid by him in that year under the approved personal pension arrangements.

(2) Where an individual elects under section 641 that a contribution or part of a contribution shall be treated as paid in the year of assessment 1984-85, 1985-86 or 1986-87, the payment shall be treated as the payment of a qualifying premium for the purposes of Chapter III of this Part; and in such a case references in section 641 to an amount of unused relief shall be construed in accordance with section 625.

(3) The references in section 642 to unused relief for any year are, for years of assessment before 1987-88, references to unused relief within the meaning of section 625.

(4) The Board shall not grant any application under section 631 so as to approve a scheme with effect from a date earlier than 4th January 1988.

(5) The Board may by regulations make provision for applications for approval of personal pension schemes to be granted provisionally in cases where the applications are made before 1st August 1989, notwithstanding that the Board have not satisfied themselves that the schemes comply with the requirements of sections 632 to 638; and such regulations may, in particular, provide—

(a) for the contents and form of certificates or other documents which the Board may require the applicant to give them before they grant an application provisionally;

(b) for the making of such amendments of the rules of the scheme after the provisional grant of an application as are necessary to enable the scheme to comply with the requirements of sections 632 to 638, and for those amendments to have effect as from the date of approval of the scheme;

(c) for the withdrawal of approval of the scheme as from that date if it does not comply with the requirements of sections 632 to 638 and such amendments as are mentioned in paragraph (b) above are not made;

and may make such supplementary provision as appears to the Board to be necessary or expedient.