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28 March 2022 - This roundup sets out the most important changes to HMRC manuals over the past week as curated by our editors.

These two sets of Regulations revoke provisions which enabled individuals who were absent from work for reasons relating to coronavirus to qualify for statutory sick pay and preserve the legal effect of a ‘waiting days’ waiver which otherwise would have expired.

The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has responded to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement of 23 March 2022, welcoming the announcement to align income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) thresholds. However, the CIOT have commented that the alignment and the separate announcement to reduce the basic rate of income tax suggest conflicting approaches to the two taxes. It was also stated that the income tax and NICs thresholds will not be equalised in 2022/23 and that the prospect of further income tax divergence between Scotland and the rest of the UK has increased.

HMRC’s Stakeholder Digest (23 March 2022) provides a round-up of the latest news and updates including information on the Spring Statement, introduction of Plastic Packaging Tax and closure of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme (SSP).

The Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) has responded to HMRC’s call for evidence on Income Tax Self-Assessment registration for the self-employed and landlords.

The Chancellor delivered his Spring Statement on 23 March 2022, detailing several new tax announcements.

The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has published an online survey and call for evidence seeking views on simplifying the taxation of property income.

HMRC has published Employment Related Securities Bulletin 41 for March 2022.

These Regulations make consequential and miscellaneous amendments, and modifications, to existing pensions legislation in relation to collective money purchase schemes.

HMRC is making changes to the process for claiming tax relief for employment expenses by post.

The CIOT has responded to HMRC’s call for evidence on Income Tax Self Assessment registration for the self-employed and landlords.

These Regulations make provisions in consequence of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order, SI 2022/292 which provides for the annual up-rating of social security benefits.

These Regulations make amendments to the Child Benefit (General) Regulations, SI 2006/223 and the Tax Credits (Definition and Calculation of Income) Regulations, SI 2002/2006 to ensure that persons who left Ukraine in connection with the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022 are exempt from the requirement to have been living in the UK for at least three months before becoming entitled to Child Benefit. They will also ensure that payments under the Homes for Ukraine scheme are disregarded for the purposes of calculating entitlement to tax credits.

The Order fulfils the statutory duty of the Secretary of State to review the rates of social security benefits and provides for the up-rating of certain benefits.

HMRC has announced that the interest rates for late payments will be revised following the Bank of England’s interest rate rise from 0.50% to 0.75%.

These Regulations increase the special rate of Class 2 NICs payable by share fishermen to £3.80 per week from 6 April 2022.

These Regulations extend the income tax exemption for employer-provided or reimbursed coronavirus tests for the 2022–23 tax year.

These Regulations extend the current NICs disregard for employer-provided or employer-reimbursed coronavirus tests for the tax year 2022–23.

The Government of Jersey has stated that all forms of tax cooperation with Russia are suspended with immediate effect. The Minister for External Relations and Financial Services, Senator Ian Gorst, stated that Jersey should not be providing the Russian government with information that can be used to increase its tax revenues. This suspension follows from a similar announcement from the UK government on Thursday 17 March 2022.

These Regulations temporarily modify the formulae used to calculate the NICs annual maxima, as a consequence of the 1.25 percentage point increase in NICs rates for the tax year 2022–23.