EPAPP/4 - Criteria for Short Term Business Visitors

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Appendix 4 : Criteria for Short Term Business Visitors

The Employer's Further Guide to PAYE and NICs (CWG2) advises employers that it may be possible to relax strict PAYE requirements for employees on short term business visits to the UK, and tells the employers to contact their local Inland Revenue Office.

You must consider such applications as set out in EP 8127 and 8128. Where appropriate PAYE requirements can be relaxed as set out in this appendix.

Short Term Business Visitors

This arrangement provides that PAYE can be disregarded in certain circumstances. If an employer has only one or two employees potentially affected they may like to consider applying for an NT code (see EP8126) on an individual basis instead.

Conditions

This arrangement must ONLY be applied where individuals are

resident in a country with which the UK has a Double Taxation Agreement under which the Dependent Personal Services/Income from Employment Article (Article 15 or the equivalent) is likely to be competent
coming to work in the UK for a UK company or the UK branch of an overseas company
expected to stay in the UK for 183 days or less in any twelve month period

PROVIDED THAT

it can be shown that for specifically named employees the UK company or branch will not in fact ultimately bear the remuneration specified. Where agreement is reached and in all other aspects the employee falls within the guidelines then that part of the remuneration not ultimately borne by the UK company or branch can fall within this arrangement. See also the first three notes below regarding employees receiving some remuneration that is ultimately borne by the company or branch and some which is not.

These arrangements will not apply where the expense of the remuneration is passed on to another UK company or branch and not recharges overseas.

Notes: Definitions

Where used in this arrangement the term remuneration has its widest possible meaning and includes for example, benefits, allowances and expenses.
Where an employee otherwise falling within this arrangement receives remuneration borne by companies in different countries then

Remuneration not ultimately borne in the UK - falls within this agreement
Remuneration ultimately borne in the UK - does not fall within this agreement unless the local Inland Revenue Office has agreed a dispensation for it. It is therefore possible for an employee falling within this arrangement to also have a PAYE liability. If otherwise appropriate this PAYE liability can be met using modified PAYE procedures as described in EP Appendix 6.

'Ultimately borne' means the company finally bearing the cost after all recharging of any nature.

Notes: Double Taxation Treaties

Some Double Taxation Treaties (for example that with The Netherlands) specify 183 days in a tax year. When looking at residents of those countries therefore this is the test to apply and not the 183 days in any twelve month period now more commonly used.
When counting to 183 days for these purposes a part day counts as a part day (see the example below *) and days of arrival and departure and all other days spent in the UK should be included in the calculation.
* an employee who spends 8 hours working in the UK on three successive days (returning home at the end of each day) can legitimately claim that he has been present in the UK for just one day (3x8 hours = 24)
The Double Taxation Manual (DT1920 to DT1924 inclusive) is relevant to this arrangement and should be consulted initially in cases of doubt.
Forms P85, P85S and P86 do not need to be completed for Appendix 4 employees.

General principles of an Appendix 4

arrangement

In all cases involving short term assignment of employees to the UK the employer will put in place some form of internal reporting system to keep as accurate as possible a record of employees visiting the UK on business. It is expected that this system will have the following minimum requirement:

staff of all grades will periodically report days spent in the UK on business to the central point controlling this arrangement
staff should not spend more than 30 days intermittently in the UK in any 12 month period without reporting to that central point.

All records to be kept under this arrangement are within Regulation 97 IT (Pay As You Earn) Regulations 2003 (formerly Regulation 55 IT (Employments) Regulations 1993) and so must be retained and produced for inspection.
Where liability is subsequently found to arise on payments of PAYE income made to an employee the employer will be expected to pay the tax that ought to have been deducted from or otherwise paid in respect of each payment. Late payment of PAYE tax will attract interest in the usual way.
Should it become apparent that PAYE is not being applied in the case of employees who do not satisfy the relevant criteria, the Revenue reserves the right to insist that PAYE be operated strictly for all employees from day 1.
Any employee who cannot fulfil the conditions set out below should have PAYE operated from day 1.
The treatment for NICs purposes of employees coming to the UK is covered in the Employer's Further Guide to PAYE and NICs (CWG2).

The time limits given in Appendix 4 are administrative only and are over-ridden by any legislative time limits. For example if a taxpayer needs to complete a Self Assessment return then the normal rules relating to Self Assessment apply.

Visitors to the UK 1 - 30 days

No requirements for either employer or employee to fulfill.

Visitors to the UK 31 - 60 days

For an employee who spends no more than 60 days in the UK during the tax year PAYE can be disregarded provided that it is confirmed that:

there is no formal contract of employment
the 60 days do not form part of a more substantial period. See DT1922.

Visitors to the UK 61 - 90 days

For an employee in the UK for not more than 90 days in the tax year, PAYE can be disregarded provided that the employer supplies the information below by 31 May following the end of the tax year:

full name of employee
last known UK and overseas addresses of employee
nature of duties undertaken
date commenced
date ceased
to which country a tax return covering worldwide income is submitted

and confirms that

the UK company does not

ultimately bear the cost of the employee's remuneration
function as the employee's employer during the UK assignment. (See Double Taxation Guidance at DT1922 for further information)

in the last four tax years visits to the UK were less than

364 days in total, and
183 days in any tax year.

(see Residence Guide at RG2.5 for further information).

Visitors to the UK 91 to 183 days

For an employee in the UK for a period of 91 days but not exceeding 183 days in the tax year PAYE can be disregarded provided that

all of the information requested for visitors up to 90 days is provided and in addition:
in the case of non US citizens and Green Card holders the employee provides a statement from the overseas Revenue authority confirming residence in the other state for tax purposes during the period in the UK. This statement should be passed to the Inland Revenue Office by 31 May following the end of the relevant overseas tax year. This arrangement is only provisional until the relevant certificate is received.

In the case of US citizens it will only be necessary for the employee to provide evidence of continuing residence in the US.

a statement giving the following information is received from the employee by 31 May following the end of the UK tax year:-

i) What is your Nationality?

On what grounds do you claim this Nationality?
Where were you born?

ii) In which country do you usually live?
iii) When did you arrive in the United Kingdom?
iv) Have you visited the UK during the five years before the date entered at (iii)?
If so in that time did you spend

more than 183 days in the UK in any UK tax year?
more than 364 days in the UK in total?

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