York asks Government to review tax treatment of police overtime

Member of Parliament Darryl York asked Government to examine whether the tax treatment of police overtime can be changed so officers retain more of their extra earnings. He raised the issue during Parliament's deliberations on the draft 2027 national budget, saying officers are working additional hours because the police force has vacancies.

Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling told Parliament that KPSM had about Cg 1.2 million budgeted for overtime in 2025 and spent about Cg 2.7 million. For 2026, she said about Cg 1.9 million had been spent against an overtime allocation of about Cg 1.2 million.

York asked whether overtime is paid with an officer's regular salary or separately, and whether Government can lawfully structure the compensation differently. He said he had been told the tax treatment is based on an officer's total annual earnings and asked Tackling to clarify whether that is correct.

Tackling said staffing shortages across the Justice chain mean services that operate around the clock still need coverage, requiring available officers to work additional hours. York did not present a specific alternative tax rate, but asked the Minister to examine the legal and financial options.