NIM02492 - Class 1: Vouchers - non-cash vouchers – qualifying childcare vouchers from 6th April 2005 – how to calculate the exempt amount – example 2 – employee with two lump sum payments of vouchers in 2005/06 tax year – calculation based on the legislation - payment in tax month 6 – earnings paid 30th September 2005

NIM02471 and NIM02472 explain, respectively, how to calculate the exempt amount:

  • generally; and
  • in respect of a qualifying childcare voucher provided during the period 6th April 2005 and 5th October 2005.

The following example illustrates those calculations.

Employee B has been employed by employer M since 2004. The latter provides B with qualifying childcare vouchers twice a year: one, with a face value of £3,000 (the chargeable expense; see NIM02461) as part of their September 2005 earnings; the other, to the same value, as part of their March 2006 earnings.

Step 1 – calculating the chargeable expense

The chargeable expense is an amount equal to the cost of provision - £3,000.

Step 2 – calculating the exempt amount

Employer M calculates the exempt amount using the formula E x QW where:

  • E is the total of:
  • £50; plus
  • the administration costs for the voucher

QW is the number of qualifying weeks:

(a) for which the employee has been employed by the secondary contributor during the tax year in which in which the qualifying childcare voucher is provided; and

(b) for which no other qualifying childcare voucher has been provided by the secondary contributor.

But as the qualifying childcare voucher is provided during the period 6th April 2005 to 5th October 2005:

  • the figure in (a) of QW above is taken as 26; and
  • the maximum amount that can be exempted during that period is £1,300.

The exempt amount is calculated thus:

E = £50. For the purposes of the example, the administrative costs have been ignored.

QW = 26. The figure in (b) of QW is zero. As this is the first payment of childcare vouchers in the tax year, there are no other qualifying weeks for which such vouchers have been provided.

The exempt amount is calculated as £50 x 26 = £1,300.

As the chargeable expense of £3,000 is more than the exempt amount, only that latter amount may be disregarded. So employer M must include £1,700 - £3,000 minus £1,300 - in employee B’s earnings for the purposes of calculating the amount of Class 1 NICs due.

For details of how to calculate the exempt amount in month 12, see NIM02493.