Finance Act 1999

48 Provision and support of bus services

(1) In Chapter IV of Part V of the Taxes Act 1988 (provisions relating to the Schedule E charge: exemptions and deductions), after section 197A insert—

“197AA Works bus services

(1) There is no charge to tax under section 154 (taxable benefits: general charging provision) in respect of the provision for employees of a works bus service.

(2) A “works bus service” means a service provided by means of a bus for conveying employees of one or more employers on qualifying journeys.

(3) For the purposes of this section—

• “bus” means a road passenger vehicle with a seating capacity of 12 or more; and

• “qualifying journey”, in relation to an employee, means a journey—

  (a)

  between his home and workplace, or

  (b)

  between one workplace and another,

  in connection with the performance of the duties of the employment.

(4) The exemption conferred by this section is subject to the following conditions—

(a) the service must be available generally to employees of the employer (or each employer) concerned;

(b) the main use of the service must be for qualifying journeys by those employees.

(5) The exemption is also subject to substantial compliance with the condition that the service must be used only by the employees for whom it is provided or their children.

• For this purpose “children” includes stepchildren and illegitimate children but does not include children aged 18 or over.

(6) If under this section there is no charge to tax under section 154 (or would be no charge if the employee were in employment to which Chapter II of Part V applies), there is no charge to tax under section 141 (non-cash vouchers) in respect of a voucher evidencing the employee’s entitlement to use the service.

(7) In this section—

• “employment” includes an office and related expressions have a corresponding meaning; and

• “workplace” means a place at which the employee’s attendance is necessary in the performance of the duties of the employment.

(8) For the purposes of this section the seating capacity of a vehicle is determined in the same way as for the purposes of Part III of Schedule 1 to the [1994 c. 22.] Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 (vehicle excise duty on buses), whether or not the vehicle is a bus within the meaning of that Part.

197AB Support for public transport road services

(1) There is no charge to tax under section 154 (taxable benefits: general charging provision) in respect of financial or other support for a public transport road service used by employees of one or more employers for qualifying journeys.

(2) For this purpose—

• “public transport road service” means a public passenger transport service provided by means of a road vehicle; and

• “qualifying journey”, in relation to an employee, means a journey—

  (a)

  between his home and workplace, or

  (b)

  between one workplace and another,

  in connection with the performance of the duties of the employment.

(3) The exemption conferred by this section is subject to the following conditions—

(a) the terms on which the service is available to the employees referred to in subsection (1) above must not be more favourable than those available to other passengers;

(b) the service must be available generally to employees of the employer (or each employer) concerned.

(4) In this section—

• “employment” includes an office and related expressions have a corresponding meaning; and

• “workplace” means a place at which the employee’s attendance is necessary in the performance of the duties of the employment.”

(2) This section has effect for the year 1999-00 and subsequent years of assessment.