Professional February 2024

REWARD

“We ensure we’re well equipped with the latest updates to prepare for an influx of calls and emails which could be due to changes announced within a fiscal statement, for example”

l holiday pay l redundancies. We may also refer to guidance from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) for queries in this area. Income Tax (Earnings and Pension) Act 2003 (ITEPA) (https://ow.ly/oGzg50QhSIR) This Act governs payment of personal and payroll tax in the UK and defines how employment income is taxed. We may also consult the CWG2 (https:// ow.ly/fcax50QhSnu), as this guidance gives more detailed information. If expenses questions are raised, we will also seek information from the 480: expenses and benefits for directors and employees - a tax guide (https://ow.ly/ FWqz50QhSqh), and the 490: overview of tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs) for employee travel (https://ow.ly/ RREI50QhSur). National Insurance Contributions Act 2015 (https://ow.ly/o5fT50QhSKc) Legislation for social security in the UK is governed using this Act, including payments and penalties for companies. Alongside HMRC legislative pages, the CWG5 (https://ow.ly/ZFRO50QhSiL) may also be reviewed, as this guide gives more comprehensive information regarding an employer’s class 1A NICs on non-cash benefits. We’re an extra member of your payroll team Remember to treat us like a member of your payroll team! Reach out to the Advisory Service whenever you need reassurance, further guidance or any help with tricky questions, unusual situations or just anything you haven’t come across before. We hope that with our varied experience, we can understand the complexities of your query, to then locate and relay reliable and accurate sources of information which solve your questions. When an email is submitted for resolution, we hope to deal with your query within 48 hours. This becomes within four hours for any telephone queries. CIPP members can contact our team during the office hours of Monday-Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am-4.30pm via 0121 712 1099 or you can email us, at advisory. service@cipp.org.uk . n

legislation, regulations and procedures relevant to the payroll industry. We regularly check our understanding of guidance published by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) so we can assist members and put things into practice for them. We also take time out to develop knowledge for our continuing professional development (CPD) by researching a chosen subject area. We understand that members expect an answer from us within a certain timeframe, but we sometimes need to research various pieces of guidance or legislation due to the complexity of their queries. As payroll legislation and changes get increasingly common and complex, so do the queries we receive. Helping members to ensure compliance with payroll legislation will always be our main ambition. This has become even more crucial in recent years. The advisory team has a responsibility to ensure companies comply with legislation which affects them, including any associated with: l national minimum wage (NMW) l the apprenticeship levy l statutory payments l redundancies l pensions l expenses reimbursement l non-cash benefits l real time information filing. And this list hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface! As a team, all calls and emails we receive are recorded, so we can review the questions being asked. This may result in further communications being issued to members via email, social media or through a BeKnowledgeable webinar. We want to ensure we’re reaching out to as many payroll, pensions and reward professionals as we can. We have helped thousands of members across the country in offering trusted payroll advice and will continue to do so. The policy and research team represents our members at government consultation forums addressing the various legislation which affects payroll, pensions

and reward in the UK. If the advisory team receives the same query from multiple members experiencing a particular problem, we will discuss this with the policy and research team, who will take appropriate action, such as speaking to HMRC or publishing guidance within a News Online article. So, where do we go to help you with your queries? There are many sources we review to keep our knowledge correct and up to date. The main ones we refer to are the government legislative pages and HMRC manuals. We also research other sources and Acts, of which we offer some examples below: National Minimum Wage Act 1998 (https://ow.ly/8x5050QhSEm) In the UK, there’s stringent minimum wage legislation, which sets out the rules and application for and of the minimum wage in the UK. We may also refer to the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC’s) website and examine reports published by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The LPC makes recommendations to the government on future NMW and national living wage (NLW) rates, and policy responsibility for NMW and NLW enforcement lies with the DBT.

Pensions Act 2008 (https://ow.ly/XMic50QhSGc)

Under automatic enrolment rules, every employer in the UK must put certain staff into a pension scheme and contribute towards it. Along with this Act, we also look at information published on The Pensions Regulator’s website. Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 (https://ow.ly/IeLc50QhSHm) These regulations make it unlawful for part- time workers to be treated less favourably than full-time workers with regards to (amongst other things): l pay rates l pension opportunities

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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |

Issue 97 | February 2024

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