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Guidance: CWG2: further guide to PAYE and National Insurance contributions

Published 6 April 2014

Last updated 1 February 2022
+ show all updates

  1. 1 February 2022

    The 2022 to 2023 version of the CWG2 has been added.

  2. 1 November 2021

    Information about the Convention on Social Security Coordination between the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Swiss Confederation has been added to section 4.5 and if an employee does not give you a certificate showing they must pay another country has been added to section 4.5.1.

  3. 10 September 2021

    European Free Trade Association countries have been added to the list in Section 4.5. The section has also been updated with information about agreements that include employer obligations. Section 4.5.1 has been updated with information about when employees must pay Class 1 National Insurance contribution.

  4. 12 May 2021

    Information on the treatment of National Insurance contributions for employees coming to or leaving the UK and employers resident, present or having place of business in the UK has been updated in section 4.5.

  5. 24 March 2021

    Social security agreements information has been updated in sections 4.5.1 and 4.5.2.

  6. 19 February 2021

    The 2021 to 2022 version of the CWG2 and information about Tax and primary Class 1 National Insurance contributions on expenses and benefits paid by employer have been added.

  7. 31 December 2020

    This page has been updated because the Brexit transition period has ended.

  8. 26 October 2020

    Section 1.7 of the 2020 to 2021 version of CWG2 has been updated.

  9. 14 May 2020

    Section 4.7 of the 2020 to 2021 version of CWG2 has been updated.

  10. 28 April 2020

    Paragraphs 1.5, 3.8.4 example 1 and example 2, 4.7 and 5.5.1 of the 2020 to 2021 version of CWG2 have been amended.

  11. 21 April 2020

    Section 1.8 and 3.1.5 example 3 of the 2020 to 2021 version of CWG2 has been updated

  12. 6 April 2020

    Section 3.1.5 of the 2020 to 2021 version of CWG2 has been updated.

  13. 22 February 2020

    The 2020 to 2021 version of the CWG2 has been added.

  14. 5 December 2019

    Details of how to treat a regular payment made early for December 2019 have been added.

  15. 8 May 2019

    Section 1.14 of CWG2 for 2019 to 2020 has been updated.

  16. 7 March 2019

    Guidance CWG2 for 2019 to 2020 has been updated.

  17. 19 February 2019

    Guidance CWG2 for 2019 to 2020 has been added to this page.

  18. 17 July 2018

    The 2018 to 2019 guidance has had multiple updates to sections 2.2.6, 2.2.7 and 2.2.8.

  19. 6 June 2018

    Section 1.21 of CWG2 for 2018 to 2019 has been updated.

  20. 26 April 2018

    Update to section 5.14.7 ‘Employment income provided through third parties’ about the 2019 loan charge.

  21. 19 April 2018

    Updates to the ‘Online filing’ section to remove information about Electronic Data Interchange which is no longer available from 19 April 2018.

  22. 22 March 2018

    Sections 5.11.2 and 5.11.4 in the 2018 to 2019 version of the CWG2 have been updated.

  23. 1 March 2018

    Section 1.14 has been updated in the 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019 versions of the CWG2.

  24. 22 February 2018

    Guidance CWG2 for 2018 to 2019 has been added to this page.

  25. 1 December 2017

    Section 5.13.2 Valuation of assets has been amended, the service for checking whether an amount on which employers propose to operate PAYE is reasonable is no longer provided.

  26. 2 November 2017

    Section 2.2.5 Trivial commutation payments relating to registered pension schemes has been amended to clarify the details about commutation.

  27. 30 May 2017

    The address to ask for a Tax Awards Scheme information pack has been changed.

  28. 22 February 2017

    2017 to 2018 CWG2 has been added to this page.

  29. 23 August 2016

    Change note on 16 August 2016 2:32pm is incorrect. It should read:- There are text amendments to Chapter 2, paragraphs 24a and 24b in the 2016 to 2017 version of the CWG2.

  30. 16 August 2016

    Text amendments to Chapter 24A and B in the CWG2 pdf.

  31. 22 February 2016

    2016 to 2017 version of the CWG2

  32. 11 May 2015

    The employer helpbook CWG2 has been updated. Ch1 page 4: Amendment to who is treated as an employee for NICs purposes. Ch2 para 24a: Update to new pension flexibility.

  33. 6 April 2015

    Ch1 para4: regulatory limit of no more than 50% of their pay extended to all tax codes. Ch2 para20: Update to pension scheme lump sum payments. Ch2 para24a: new Pension Flexibility.

  34. 23 February 2015

    The 2015 to 2016 helpbook CWG2 has been published

  35. 6 April 2014

    First published.

Published 6 April 2014

Last updated 1 February 2022
+ show all updates

  1. 1 February 2022

    The 2022 to 2023 version of the CWG2 has been added.

  2. 1 November 2021

    Information about the Convention on Social Security Coordination between the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Swiss Confederation has been added to section 4.5 and if an employee does not give you a certificate showing they must pay another country has been added to section 4.5.1.

  3. 10 September 2021

    European Free Trade Association countries have been added to the list in Section 4.5. The section has also been updated with information about agreements that include employer obligations. Section 4.5.1 has been updated with information about when employees must pay Class 1 National Insurance contribution.

  4. 12 May 2021

    Information on the treatment of National Insurance contributions for employees coming to or leaving the UK and employers resident, present or having place of business in the UK has been updated in section 4.5.

  5. 24 March 2021

    Social security agreements information has been updated in sections 4.5.1 and 4.5.2.

  6. 19 February 2021

    The 2021 to 2022 version of the CWG2 and information about Tax and primary Class 1 National Insurance contributions on expenses and benefits paid by employer have been added.

  7. 31 December 2020

    This page has been updated because the Brexit transition period has ended.

  8. 26 October 2020

    Section 1.7 of the 2020 to 2021 version of CWG2 has been updated.

  9. 14 May 2020

    Section 4.7 of the 2020 to 2021 version of CWG2 has been updated.

  10. 28 April 2020

    Paragraphs 1.5, 3.8.4 example 1 and example 2, 4.7 and 5.5.1 of the 2020 to 2021 version of CWG2 have been amended.

  11. 21 April 2020

    Section 1.8 and 3.1.5 example 3 of the 2020 to 2021 version of CWG2 has been updated

  12. 6 April 2020

    Section 3.1.5 of the 2020 to 2021 version of CWG2 has been updated.

  13. 22 February 2020

    The 2020 to 2021 version of the CWG2 has been added.

  14. 5 December 2019

    Details of how to treat a regular payment made early for December 2019 have been added.

  15. 8 May 2019

    Section 1.14 of CWG2 for 2019 to 2020 has been updated.

  16. 7 March 2019

    Guidance CWG2 for 2019 to 2020 has been updated.

  17. 19 February 2019

    Guidance CWG2 for 2019 to 2020 has been added to this page.

  18. 17 July 2018

    The 2018 to 2019 guidance has had multiple updates to sections 2.2.6, 2.2.7 and 2.2.8.

  19. 6 June 2018

    Section 1.21 of CWG2 for 2018 to 2019 has been updated.

  20. 26 April 2018

    Update to section 5.14.7 ‘Employment income provided through third parties’ about the 2019 loan charge.

  21. 19 April 2018

    Updates to the ‘Online filing’ section to remove information about Electronic Data Interchange which is no longer available from 19 April 2018.

  22. 22 March 2018

    Sections 5.11.2 and 5.11.4 in the 2018 to 2019 version of the CWG2 have been updated.

  23. 1 March 2018

    Section 1.14 has been updated in the 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019 versions of the CWG2.

  24. 22 February 2018

    Guidance CWG2 for 2018 to 2019 has been added to this page.

  25. 1 December 2017

    Section 5.13.2 Valuation of assets has been amended, the service for checking whether an amount on which employers propose to operate PAYE is reasonable is no longer provided.

  26. 2 November 2017

    Section 2.2.5 Trivial commutation payments relating to registered pension schemes has been amended to clarify the details about commutation.

  27. 30 May 2017

    The address to ask for a Tax Awards Scheme information pack has been changed.

  28. 22 February 2017

    2017 to 2018 CWG2 has been added to this page.

  29. 23 August 2016

    Change note on 16 August 2016 2:32pm is incorrect. It should read:- There are text amendments to Chapter 2, paragraphs 24a and 24b in the 2016 to 2017 version of the CWG2.

  30. 16 August 2016

    Text amendments to Chapter 24A and B in the CWG2 pdf.

  31. 22 February 2016

    2016 to 2017 version of the CWG2

  32. 11 May 2015

    The employer helpbook CWG2 has been updated. Ch1 page 4: Amendment to who is treated as an employee for NICs purposes. Ch2 para 24a: Update to new pension flexibility.

  33. 6 April 2015

    Ch1 para4: regulatory limit of no more than 50% of their pay extended to all tax codes. Ch2 para20: Update to pension scheme lump sum payments. Ch2 para24a: new Pension Flexibility.

  34. 23 February 2015

    The 2015 to 2016 helpbook CWG2 has been published

  35. 6 April 2014

    First published.