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Power to waive, reduce, remit and refund subscription regulations

Regulations setting out how much a member must pay; and information for retired members and those applying for life membership.

Effective from 1 November 2019. 

The regulations

1

These regulations were made by the Council under Bye-law 49(a).

Definitions

2

Words and expressions defined in the bye-laws have the same meanings in these regulations:
3

The following definitions are relevant to these regulations

admission fee means the fee for admission to membership.

annual subscription means the subscription payable by a member from time to time.

applicant means a member of the Institute applying for a waiver, reduction, remission or refund of a fee or subscription.

application means an application to the Members' Registrar for a waiver, reduction, remission or refund of a fee or subscription.

designated countries means countries which are known to the Members' Registrar as having Exchange Control regulations with delays of three or more months before release of funds or which otherwise prevent payment of the annual subscription.

half rate means half of the annual subscription which would normally be payable by a member.

income means all income of the applicant, whether earned or unearned, from all sources except that, for the purposes of calculating such income all pensions and State Benefits shall not be taken into account.

life membership fee means the fee payable by an applicant seeking life membership.

low rate means the rate of reduced subscription payable by an applicant granted such a reduction.

the members' registrar means the person of that title appointed by the chief executive.

Income limits

4

Reduced subscriptions shall be authorised in accordance with this regulation. The rate payable shall be calculated as follows:

Level A An applicant with an income less than £16,819 shall pay the low rate; or,

Level B An applicant with an income greater than £16,819 but less than £33,638 shall pay the half rate.

Reduced subscriptions

5 Applications must be received by the Members' Registrar before 31 March in the year to which the subscription applies but no application shall be considered in respect of previous years.
6

Applications are invited from any member whose status on 1 January in any year is covered by one of the categories below;

  • a member taking a career break to bring up a young family, the youngest child of whom is under 12 years of age on 1 January;
  • a member who is registered unemployed on 1 January;
  • a member registered as a full-time student attending structured study, on 1 January, subject to a maximum of one year;
  • a member suffering from any illness that prevents the taking up of gainful employment for a period of not less than 3 months which includes 1 January and, is not receiving income from any company scheme;
  • a member with an income below Level B of Regulation 4.

Retired members

7

Applications are invited from any member who has attained the age of 60 years and whose status on 1 January in any year is that they are retired from all remunerated business and professional activities and do not hold a current practicing certificate.
8

Retired members shall pay the half rate.
9

Applications must be received by the Members’ Registrar before 31 March in the year to which the subscription applies but no application shall be considered in respect of previous years.

Life membership

10

Life membership shall be granted in accordance with one of the following conditions:

  • A member who has attained the age of 60 years and has been a member for at least 30 years shall, on payment of the life membership fee, be granted life membership provided that all remunerated business and professional activities have ceased and that a practising certificate, if held, is surrendered.
  • A member who has attained the age of 75 years or who has been a member of the Institute for at least 50 years shall be granted life membership provided that all remunerated business and professional activities have ceased and that a practising certificate, if held, is surrendered. The life membership fee shall be waived.
  • A member who has attained the age of 90 years shall be granted life membership and shall be given a waiver of the life membership fee. Any practising certificate, Practice Assurance, Faculty and Community fees and subscriptions shall also be waived.
  • A member who is prevented from taking up gainful employment due to illness diagnosed as incurable and or progressive shall, on production of adequate documentary medical justification, be granted life membership provided that a practising certificate, if held, is surrendered. The life membership fee and any Faculty and Community fees and subscriptions shall be waived.
11

The life membership fee shall be one and a half times the full rate annual subscription fee payable by a member.
12

Applications are invited by the members’ registrar before 31 March in the year to which the subscription applies but no application shall be considered in respect of previous years.

Documentation and justification

13

It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that his application is supported by documentation in a form prescribed from time to time by the Members' Registrar, the cost of which shall be met by the applicant.

Deferment of payment

14

The Members' Registrar may defer the period within which payment of the annual subscription or other fees must be made as follows:

  • where payment of the annual subscription is due from a member residing in a Designated Country;
  • where payment of the annual subscription is due from a member retained in membership at the request of the Secretary of the Investigation Committee;
  • where advance payment of the subscription or fee would cause unnecessary hardship;
  • where a member has applied for a reduction of subscription and is awaiting a decision;
  • where the Members' Registrar considers a deferment to be appropriate.

Practising certificate fees

15 A member who applies for a practising certificate shall be exempt from the requirement to pay the practising certificate fee if at the date of the application he has not held a practising certificate at any time during the three preceding years and he certifies that he intends to practise as a sole practitioner, or as the sole director and sole shareholder of a limited company. Such exemption will be given on the initial application and at the first renewal of the practising certificate provided that at the date of renewal the member remains in practice as a sole practitioner or as the sole director and sole shareholder of a limited company.
16 Where a member applies for a practising certificate and is able to give the certification referred to in Regulation 9 but he has held a practising certificate at some point in the preceding three years, the Members' Registrar may grant the exemption under Regulation 9 from the need to pay the practising certificate fee if he is satisfied that the member has not previously benefited from such an exemption and that in all circumstances it would be just and equitable to do so.

Appeals

17 Any member aggrieved at any determination by the Members' Registrar under these regulations shall have a right of appeal to the treasurer or a person nominated by the treasurer provided that he gives the Members' Registrar written notice of his intention to appeal within 28 days of receiving such notification.
18 On hearing an appeal the treasurer or a person nominated by the treasurer shall have power on the basis of written representation from the applicant to make whatever determinations in accordance with these regulations he sees fit.