Tax treatment of employee covid tests

Following the government’s rethink on the tax treatment of Covid-19 tests provided by employers to employees, HMRC has updated its guidance How to treat certain expenses and benefits provided to employees during coronavirus (Covid-19) to confirm that coronavirus test kits provided by employers will not be a taxable benefit for the tax year 2020/21. This clears up earlier confusion where the guidance appeared to indicate the opposite position. The guidance also notes that the government ‘is legislating for this through regulations’ (which presumably means regulations are expected soon).