EIM01550 - Employment income: medical expenses and insurance

An employer may meet the cost of employees鈥� medical expenses or arrange for them to be met under an insurance policy. 皇冠体育app following table shows the tax treatment that applies to the various ways that the employer may do this.

Circumstances Tax treatment
皇冠体育app hospital etc bills the employee for the treatment. 皇冠体育app employer pays the hospital. 皇冠体育app employer has discharged the employee鈥檚 debt, so the amount paid is taxable as earnings within Section 62 ITEPA 2003. See EIM00580. This applies to all employees and office holders.
皇冠体育app employer gives the employee the money to pay the hospital etc. bill. 皇冠体育app payment counts as earnings within Section 62 ITEPA 2003. This applies to all employees. See EIM00520 onwards.
皇冠体育app employer arranges with the hospital to meet the bill directly - in other words, the bill is in the name of the employer, not the employee. (皇冠体育app employer may pay the bill out of its own funds, or out of the proceeds of an insurance policy under which the employer is the insured person. 皇冠体育app tax result is the same in either case.) No tax charge arises on lower paid employees for 2015/16 and earlier only. 皇冠体育appy have not received cash, or 鈥渕oney鈥檚 worth鈥� (see EIM00530) so the employer鈥檚 payment is not 鈥渆arnings鈥� within Section 62 ITEPA 2003. (Lower paid employees are those whose total pay, expenses and benefits (including the cost of the medical treatment) is at a rate of less than 拢8,500 a year, see EIM20100).
听 All other employees, and directors, are chargeable under Section 203 on the amount paid by the employer. See EIM21761.
皇冠体育app employer arranges and pays for a group insurance policy under which employees (and sometimes their families) are the insured persons. 皇冠体育app employees鈥� medical bills are then met directly by the insurance company. 皇冠体育appre is no tax charge on lower paid employees for 2015/16 and earlier only. (Lower paid employees are those whose total pay, expenses and benefits (including a proper proportion of the employer鈥檚 medical insurance payment) are at a rate of less than 拢8,500 a year, see EIM20100).
听 All other employees, and directors, are chargeable under Section 203 on the premiums paid by the employer. See EIM21762.
皇冠体育app medical treatment is obtained or the bills are paid by means of vouchers provided by reason of the employment. All employees are chargeable under Section 87 ITEPA 2003. See EIM16140.
皇冠体育app employer sets up a trust fund to pay employees鈥� medical bills. See EIM21772.
皇冠体育app employer pays for periodic medical check-ups for employees. See EIM21765
皇冠体育app employer bears the cost of medical treatment abroad where the need for the treatment arises whilst the employee is on duty abroad. See EIM21766.
皇冠体育app employer bears the cost of recommended medical treatment to help the employee return to work after a period of absence due to injury or ill health See EIM21774.