Tag: Tip

How do you create a Tronc?

Tip jar

Typically, an employee is appointed to administer the tronc and is usually referred to as the troncmaster. HMRC does not prescribe who the troncmaster should be.

Frank owns a pub and restaurant. Tips paid by cheque, debit and credit card are all passed to Sharon, the troncmaster, who has been appointed by Frank. Sharon operates PAYE on the tips that she distributes. A staff committee decides on the allocation and Frank has nothing to do with this.

Even though Frank has appointed Sharon as troncmaster he has played no part, directly or indirectly, in the allocation of the tips because he is not involved in determining who should receive tips and how much each employee should receive. In these circumstances, no NICs will be due on the tips received by the tronc members. Example from NIM02942

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How Troncmasters can keep your tips NI and VAT Free

The Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) Regulations 2003 require an employer to

  • Notify HMRC of the existence of a tronc created on or after 6 April 2004

And

  • Give the troncmaster’s name (if known)

When you are notified of a tronc you should

  • Confirm that there is an organised arrangement for sharing tips and determine
    • How the tronc receives monies (for example employees paying in cash tips or an employer paying in credit card tips)
    • Who holds the tronc monies and how (for example, is there a tronc bank account and if so who operates it?)
    • On what basis are distributions made from the tronc and who decides that basis
    • Which employees are tronc members
    • Whether the person said to be the troncmaster accepts and understands the role (including the obligation to operate PAYE)

If you are satisfied that there is a tronc for PAYE purposes (bear in mind that a business could have more than one tronc, for example a hotel could have separate troncs for restaurant staff and housekeeping staff and each should be dealt with separately)

  • Arrange for a PAYE scheme to be set up in the name of the troncmaster. Further information can be found in PAYE20160

steve@bicknells.net