PWC have noted that:
Two new Statutory Instruments provide a formal exemption for medical check ups or vouchers used to pay for them - but only where they are provided to all staff or focused on those who have been identified as at special risk for some reason. This is a significant change in practice.
New regulations provide for one health screening and one medical check up per employee per year to be exempt from income tax and NIC, where health screenings are made available to all employees and medical check ups are available to all employees, or those who have been identified as at particular risk. The regulations have effect for the tax year 2007/08 onwards.
As PWC note, this is a major change in practice. These have been considered tax free to date even if not available to all employees.
But I, for one applaud the change. The health of all people is important. So the provision should be universal if it is provided. And it should be taxed otherwise: there is after all an alternative with which many people are very happy. It's called the NHS, in which doctors get just about the highest approval rating of any professional group in the UK.
But I should add, I am married to one and if the average accountant had to work as hard, or to the standards an average (let alone good) GP does then they would earn their money. As for the City, maybe a week in a general practice might show them what work, and stress, is.
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I wonder about the mechanism though, Richard. A mass series of SIs, all issued right at the end of the parliamentary session, just before the big recess. And in this case, the reason quoted by the notes relate that the HMRC practice of allowing this as a non-taxable benefit has been questioned – but no sign of who had been doing the questioning, no consultation on what is correct.
You might agree with the end, but do you agree with the means?
Trevor
No I don’t think the mechanism is good
I am addressing this in the Code of Comduct for taxation I have written and which will be published this autumn
Richard