The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Chapter IVSelf-Employed Earners

Earnings of self-employed earners

100.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), “earnings”, in the case of employment as a self-employed earner, means the gross receipts of the employment and shall include any allowance paid under any scheme referred to in regulation 19(1)(q) (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as actively seeking employment: schemes for assisting persons to become self-employed earners) to the claimant for the purpose of assisting him in carrying on his business.

(2) “Earnings” shall not include—

(a)where a claimant is involved in providing board and lodging accommodation for which a charge is payable, any payment by way of such a charge;

(b)any payment to which paragraph 27 or 28 of Schedule 6 (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings) refers.

Calculation of net profit of self-employed earners

101.—(1) For the purposes of regulation 95 (calculation of earnings of self-employed earners), the earnings of a claimant to be taken into account shall be—

(a)in the case of a self-employed earner who is engaged in employment on his own account, the net profit derived from that employment;

(b)in the case of a self-employed earner whose employment is carried on in partnership, or is that of a share fisherman within the meaning of regulation 156, his share of the net profit derived from that employment less—

(i)an amount in respect of income tax and of social security contributions payable under the Benefits Act calculated in accordance with regulation 102 (deduction of tax and contributions for self-employed earners), and

(ii)one half of any premium paid in the period that is relevant under regulation 95 in respect of a personal pension scheme.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), there shall be disregarded from a claimant’s net profit any sum, where applicable, specified in paragraphs 1 to 16 of Schedule 5.

(3) For the purposes of calculating the amount to be deducted in respect of earnings under regulation 80 (contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance: deductions in respect of earnings) the disregards in paragraphs 5 to 8 and 11 of Schedule 5 shall not apply.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a) the net profit of the employment shall, except where paragraph (10) applies, be calculated by taking into account the earnings of the employment over the period determined under regulation 95 less—

(a)subject to paragraphs (6) to (8), any expenses wholly and exclusively defrayed in that period for the purposes of that employment;

(b)an amount in respect of—

(i)income tax, and

(ii)social security contributions payable under the Benefits Act,

calculated in accordance with regulation 102, and

(c)one half of any premium paid in the period that is relevant under regulation 95 in respect of a personal pension scheme.

(5) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b), the net profit of the employment shall be calculated by taking into account the earnings of the employment over the period determined under regulation 95 less, subject to paragraphs (6) to (8), any expenses wholly and exclusively defrayed in that period for the purposes of that employment.

(6) Subject to paragraph (7), no deduction shall be made under paragraph (4)(a) or (5) in respect of—

(a)any capital expenditure;

(b)the depreciation of any capital asset;

(c)any sum employed or intended to be employed in the setting up or expansion of the employment;

(d)any loss incurred before the beginning of the period determined under regulation 95;

(e)the repayment of capital on any loan taken out for the purposes of the employment;

(f)any expenses incurred in providing business entertainment.

(7) A deduction shall be made under paragraph (4)(a) or (5) in respect of the repayment of capital on any loan used for—

(a)the replacement in the course of business of equipment or machinery;

(b)the repair of an existing business asset except to the extent that any sum is payable under an insurance policy for its repair, and

(c)the purchase of land under the Northern Ireland Land Act 1925(1).

(8) An adjudication officer shall refuse to make a deduction under paragraph (4)(a) or (5) in respect of any expenses where he is not satisfied that the expense has been defrayed or, having regard to the nature of the expense and its amount, that it has been reasonably incurred.

(9) For the avoidance of doubt—

(a)a deduction shall not be made under paragraph (4)(a) or (5) in respect of any sum unless it has been expended for the purposes of the business;

(b)a deduction shall be made thereunder in respect of—

(i)the excess of any value added tax paid over value added tax received in the period determined under regulation 95;

(ii)any income expended in the repair of an existing asset except to the extent that any sum is payable under an insurance policy for its repair;

(iii)any payment of interest on a loan taken out for the purposes of the employment.

(10) Where a claimant is engaged in employment as a child minder the net profit of the employment shall be one third of the earnings of that employment, less—

(a)an amount in respect of—

(i)income tax, and

(ii)social security contributions payable under the Benefits Act,

calculated in accordance with regulation 102, and

(b)one half of any premium paid in the period that is relevant under regulation 95 in respect of a personal pension scheme.

(11) Notwithstanding regulation 95 and paragraphs (1) to (10), an adjudication officer may assess any item of a claimant’s income or expenditure over a period other than that determined under regulation 95 such as may, in the particular case, enable the weekly amount of that item of income or expenditure to be determined more accurately.

(12) For the avoidance of doubt where a claimant is engaged in employment as a self-employed earner and he is engaged in one or more other employments as a self-employed or employed earner, any loss incurred in any one of his employments shall not be offset against his earnings in any other of his employments.

(13) Where the claimant is a self-employed earner in the Republic of Ireland the amounts to be deducted for income tax and social security contributions under this regulation shall be such amounts as, in the opinion of the adjudication officer, would have been deducted had the claimant been employed in Northern Ireland.

Deduction of tax and contributions for self-employed earners

102.—(1) The amount to be deducted in respect of income tax under regulation 101(1)(b)(i), (4)(b)(i) or (10)(a)(i) (calculation of net profit of self-employed earners) shall be calculated on the basis of the amount of chargeable income and as if that income were assessable to income tax at the lower rate or, as the case may be, the lower rate and the basic rate of tax less only the personal relief to which the claimant is entitled under sections 257(1), 257A(1) and 259 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988(2) (personal reliefs) as is appropriate to his circumstances; but, if the period determined under regulation 95 (calculation of earnings of self-employed earners) is less than a year, the earnings to which the lower rate of tax is to be applied and the amount of the personal relief deductible under this paragraph shall be calculated on a pro rata basis.

(2) The amount deducted in respect of social security contributions under regulation 101(1)(b)(i), (4)(b)(ii) or (10)(a)(ii) shall be the total of—

(a)the amount of Class 2 contributions payable under section 11(1) or, as the case may be, 11(3) of the Benefits Act at the rate applicable at the date of claim except where the claimant’s chargeable income is less than the amount specified in section 11(4) of that Act (small earnings exception) for the tax year in which the date of claim falls; but if the period determined under regulation 95 is less than a year, the amount specified for that tax year shall be reduced pro rata, and

(b)the amount of Class 4 contributions (if any) which would be payable under section 15 of that Act (Class 4 contributions recoverable under the Income Tax Acts) at the percentage rate applicable at the date of claim on so much of the chargeable income as exceeds the lower limit but does not exceed the upper limit of profits and gains applicable for the tax year in which the date of claim falls; but if the period determined under regulation 95 is less than a year, those limits shall be reduced pro rata.

(3) In this regulation “chargeable income” means—

(a)except where sub-paragraph (b) applies, the earnings derived from the employment less any expenses deducted under regulation 101(4)(a) or, as the case may be, (5);

(b)in the case of employment as a child minder, one third of the earnings of that employment.