2532.This Chapter exempts various pensions from any charge to income tax. The exemption applies whether or not the taxpayer is resident in the United Kingdom.
2533.Four of the provisions rewritten in this Chapter, sections 315, 318, 330 and 617 of ICTA, provide that the “income shall not be treated as income for any income tax purpose”. Either they use that phrase or a very similar form of words. Section 317 of ICTA, rewritten as section 638, provides that the income “shall be disregarded for all the purposes of the Income Tax Acts”.
2534.In order to make the exemptions simple and consistent the phrase “no liability to income tax arises” is used throughout this Act to express exemption from tax. See Note 28 in Annex 2.
2535.This section exempts pensions and annuities paid to holders of various awards for bravery. It derives from section 317 of ICTA.
2536.This section exempts pensions and allowances paid on death due to service in the armed forces, wartime service in the merchant navy or war injuries. It derives from section 318 of ICTA.
2537.Paragraph (a) applies to pensions and allowances paid in respect of both civilians and members of the armed forces. It derives from section 318(2)(a) of ICTA. Section 318(2) identifies the exempted pensions in general terms. This avoids the need to identify the specific schemes under which the pensions are paid. The section follows the pragmatic approach of section 318(2). This is because the pensions are paid under a range of schemes. It avoids the need to amend primary tax legislation every time a new scheme is introduced.
2538.Paragraph (b) applies to pensions and allowances paid in respect of members of the armed forces who died in peacetime service before the 1939–1945 war. It derives from section 318(2)(b) of ICTA.
2539.Paragraph (c) applies to pensions and allowances paid by countries outside the United Kingdom. It derives from section 318(2)(c) of ICTA.
2540.This section extends the exemption identified in section 639 if the pension or allowance is reduced because another pension or allowance is also payable. It derives from section 318(3) of ICTA.
2541.This section applies to wounds and disability pensions paid to members of the armed forces and civilians. It exempts the pensions from any charge to income tax. It derives from section 315 of ICTA.
2542.Paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (1) identify pensions paid to members of the armed forces. They are derived from section 315(2)(a) to (d) of ICTA. Section 315(2)(a) to (d) identifies the pensions in general terms. This avoids the need to identify each of the various schemes under which the pensions are paid. The section follows the pragmatic approach of section 315(2).
2543.The section uses the term “the armed forces of the Crown” rather than “the naval, military or air forces of the Crown”. The two terms have the same meaning. They cover all United Kingdom service personnel, including members of the regular forces, the reserve forces and the women’s services. The term has also been used in the rewrite of sections 197 and 316 of ICTA (sections 296 and 297).
2544.Paragraphs (e) and (f) of subsection (1) apply to pensions paid to civilians and members of the merchant navy who have been disabled as a result of war service. They are derived from section 315(2)(e) of ICTA. This Act does not rewrite the reference to the Injuries in War (Compensation) Act 1915 as there are no surviving beneficiaries of these schemes.
2545.Paragraph (g) of subsection (1) also applies to pensions paid to civilians and members of the merchant navy. This is new. It gives statutory effect to the practice of extending the exemption to pensions granted by schemes established under sections 3 to 5 of the Pensions (Navy, Army, Air Force and Mercantile Marine) Act 1939. See Change 141 in Annex 1.
2546.Subsection (2) prevents the exemption applying to any amount not attributable to disablement or disability. It derives from section 315(3) of ICTA.
2547.This section exempts annuities and pensions paid by the German and Austrian Governments to victims of National-Socialist persecution. It derives from section 330 of ICTA.
2548.Paragraph 46 of Schedule 6 to this Act repeals the reference to section 330 of ICTA in section 65(2) of ICTA. The exemption means the reference is unnecessary.
2549.This section exempts certain pensions paid since 6 April 1973 in respect of government service in Malawi, Trinidad and Tobago and Zambia. It derives from sections 616(1) and (2) of ICTA.
2550.Sections 616(1) and (2) of ICTA were introduced in 1973 to deal with a consequence of the Overseas Pensions Act 1973. Under the Overseas Pensions Act 1973 the United Kingdom government took over responsibility for paying certain pensions previously paid by Commonwealth governments. In 1973 the United Kingdom had double taxation agreements in force with three countries under which government service pensions paid by those countries were exempt from United Kingdom tax.
2551.The effect of the Overseas Pensions Act 1973 was to make these pensions United Kingdom pensions. The benefit of the exemptions given by the double taxation agreements would have been lost if they had not been preserved in some way. Section 616(1) and (2) of ICTA preserved the exemptions by treating the pensions as if they were still paid by the original government. The practical effect is that the pensions are exempt as long as the relevant provisions of the double taxation agreement are unchanged. The section legislates the practical effect.
2552.Subsection (5) prevents the exemption applying to any part of the pension that is paid under the Pension (Increase) Act 1971. These increases have always been paid by the United Kingdom government and have always been taxed under Schedule E as United Kingdom pensions.
2553.This section exempts disablement pensions paid solely as a consequence of work-related illness or accident or war injuries. It gives statutory effect to ESC A62. See Change 142 in Annex 1.
2554.Subsection (1) applies the section to qualifying disablement pensions.
2555.Subsection (2) defines “disablement pension”. It is a pension paid to a person who has left an employment because of disablement. The section does not apply to pensions paid by tax-approved pension schemes. These are approved retirement benefits schemes and former approved superannuation funds.
2556.Subsection (4) gives the meaning of “office”. It applies section 5 in Part 2 (Employment income: charge to tax).
2557.This section applies to a social security benefit, taxed as pension income, if the benefit is increased because the recipient is responsible for a child. It derives from section 617(1)(b) of ICTA and ESC A24.
2558.Subsection (2) defines “social security pension”. Paragraph (a) derives from section 617(1)(b) of ICTA. Paragraph (b) derives from ESC A24.
2559.This section applies to free coal and payments in lieu of free coal given to retired miners and their widow or widower. It gives statutory effect to an extension to ESC A6 published in paragraph SE 66695 of the Inland Revenue’s Schedule E manual. See Change 69 in Annex 1.
2560.Subsection (2) limits the scope of the exemption to the provision of free coal, or the payment of cash in lieu, of an amount that represents a reasonable level of personal consumption. But subsection (3) assumes that this condition is met unless the Inland Revenue can show that it is not. The purpose of these two subsections is to reproduce the restriction that applies to all ESCs - a concession will not be given where an attempt is made to use it to avoid tax.
2561.Subsection (4) gives the definition of “former colliery worker”. The definition is the same as that in section 306.