10/10/2006

Soldiers to receive tax free bonuses

Military personnel serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans are to receive a tax-free bonus of up to £2,240, the government has announced.

The amount is the equivalent to the amount of tax a typical private soldier would pay during the six month operational tour.

Defence Secretary Des Browne said that the move would mean that at least half of the personnel on operational duties would be better off.

The most junior officers would be better off by over £500, Mr Browne said. He said: "Our service personnel are doing a fantastic job in Iraq and Afghanistan, often in very difficult circumstances. The bonus is intended to compensate them for the dangers and harsh conditions they are experiencing there."

The bonus will be funded by additional new resources from the Treasury and will be backdated to April 1, 2006.

Commenting on the move, Chancellor Gordon Brown said: "It is right that our Armed Forces should be properly rewarded. So, increasing the award our forces receive when on operational service in the most dangerous conflict zones ensures that the extraordinary job our forces do is once again acknowledged. This will make them amongst the best paid of any Armed Forces in the world."

(KMcA)

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