(1) In this section "basis period", in relation to a year of assessment, means the period on the profits or gains of which income tax for the year of assessment is to be finally computed under the Income Tax Acts.

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Income Tax Acts other than section 1006A, this section applies where in the year of assessment 2002 or any subsequent year of assessment an individual (in this section referred to as the "relevant individual") who is resident in the State for that year of assessment and engaged in an occupation (in this section referred to as the "specified occupation"), or carries on a profession (in this section referred to as the "specified profession"), specified in Schedule 23A proves to the satisfaction of the Revenue Commissioners that he or she has in that year of assessment ceased permanently to be engaged in the specified occupation or to carry on the specified profession, as the case may be.

(3) Where this section applies, the relevant individual shall, on the making of a claim in that behalf, within 4 years from the end of the year of assessment in which he or she ceases permanently to be engaged in the specified occupation, or to carry on the specified profession, as the case may be, be entitled to have a deduction made from his or her total income for up to any 10 of the years of assessment mentioned in subsection (4).

(3A) Subsection (3) shall apply notwithstanding any limitation in section 865(4) on the time within which a claim for a repayment of tax is required to be made. Section 865(6) shall not prevent the Revenue Commissioners from repaying an amount of tax as a consequence of a timely claim for relief under this section where a valid claim for a repayment of tax (within the meaning of section 865(1)(b)) has been made.

(4) The years of assessment referred to in subsection (3) are the year of assessment in which the relevant individual ceases permanently to be engaged in the specified occupation or to carry on the specified profession, as the case may be, and any previous year of assessment not being earlier than the year of assessment 1990-91, for which the relevant individual was resident in the State.

(5) The amount of the deduction to be made under subsection (3) for any year of assessment shall be an amount equal to 40 per cent of the receipts, before deducting expenses, of the relevant individual for the basis period for that year of assessment which arose wholly and exclusively from the engagement of the relevant individual in the specified occupation or from the carrying on by the relevant individual of the specified profession, as the case may be.

(6) For the purposes of subsection (5), receipts shall be regarded as deriving wholly and exclusively from the engagement of the relevant individual in the specified occupation or from the carrying on by the relevant individual of the specified profession, as the case may be, only to the extent that such receipts derive directly from the actual participation by the relevant individual in the sport associated with the specified occupation or the specified profession, and accordingly-

(a) include-

(i) where the relevant individual is an employee, so much of all salaries, fees, wages, bonuses or perquisites paid to the relevant individual by his or her employer as a direct consequence of the participation by the relevant individual in the sport associated with the specified occupation, and

(ii) where the relevant individual carries on the specified profession, all match or performance fees, prize moneys and appearance moneys paid to the relevant individual by any other person as a direct consequence of the participation of the relevant individual in the sport associated with the specified profession,

but

(b) do not include-

(i) sponsorship moneys received by the relevant individual, or

(ii) receipts received by the relevant individual for participation in advertisements, promotions, videos or television or radio programmes, or for personal appearances or interviews, newspaper or magazine articles, or for the right to use the individual's image or name to promote or endorse products or services or in any other manner.

(7) A claim under this section shall be included in the return of income to be made by the relevant individual for the year of assessment in which the relevant individual ceases permanently to be engaged in the specified occupation, or to carry on the specified profession, as the case may be.

(8)(a) Relief from income tax under this section shall in all cases be given by means of repayment.

(b) Any repayment of income tax due under this section shall not carry interest.

(c) Relief under this section for any year of assessment shall not create or augment a loss for that year of assessment for the purposes of Chapter 1 of Part 12.

(9) A deduction given under this section for any year of assessment shall not be taken into account in determining the net relevant earnings (within the meaning of section 787) of the relevant individual for that year of assessment.

(10) Where any relief has been given to a relevant individual under this section and the relevant individual subsequently recommences to be engaged in the specified occupation or to carry on the specified profession, as the case may be, that relief shall be withdrawn by making an assessment to income tax under Case IV of Schedule D for the year of assessment for which that relief was given and, notwithstanding anything in the Income Tax Acts, such an assessment may be made at any time.