Changes from 6 April 2018 will align the rules for tax and employer NIC by making an employer liable to pay NIC on any part of a termination payment that exceeds the £30,000 threshold. It is anticipated that this will be collected in ‘real-time’.
In addition, all payments in lieu of notice (PILONs) will be both taxable and subject to Class 1 NIC. This will be done by requiring the employer to identify the amount of basic pay that the employee would have received if they had worked their notice period, even if the employee leaves the employment part way through their notice period. This amount will be treated as earnings and will not be subject to the £30,000 exemption.
Finally, the exemption known as Foreign Service relief will be removed and a clarification made to ensure that the exemption for injury does not apply in cases of injured feelings.
