Showing posts with label Accounting Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Accounting Tips. Show all posts

Friday, 3 March 2017

New Tax Rules Starting April 2017!



New Rules For IR35 Workers In The Public Sector Start  6 April 2017

There are significant changes that commence on 6 April 2017 for workers in the public sector supplying their services via their own personal service companies or other intermediaries.

From 6 April 2017 the public sector employer or agency that engages the worker will have to review the employment status of the worker and decide whether or not to deduct tax and national insurance from payments to the worker even though he or she invoices for the services through their own company.

An online tool called “The Employment Status Service” is expected to be made available by the end of February 2017 and can help them make that decision. The tool can be used if the worker uses either an employment agency, or other third-party to get work.

These changes come on top of the restrictions on the tax deductibility of travelling expenses for IR35 workers that came into effect on 6 April 2016.

Please contact us if you want to discuss whether or not these rules affect you or your organisation.


Making Tax Digital To Start In April 2018 

Legislation to introduce Making Tax Digital (MTD) will be included in the Finance Bill 2017 and despite many objections that it was too soon, the new system of quarterly reporting will commence in April 2018 for the self-employed and property landlords.

There were 1200 responses to the consultation documents issued in summer 2016 and a number of changes have been made to the original proposals.

Much of the detail will be introduced by secondary legislation and there will be further consultation on a number of measures but the key proposals are:

Businesses will be allowed to use spreadsheets to keep their accounting records.

Businesses eligible for three line accounts will be able to submit a quarterly update with only three lines of data (income, expenses and profit).

Free software will be available to businesses with more straightforward affairs.

Businesses will not have to make and store invoices and receipts digitally.

There will be no late filing penalties in the  first year of the new system.

The deadline for finalising taxable profit for a period will be the earlier of:

10 months after the last day of the period of account, or
31 January following the year of assessment in which the profits for that period of account are chargeable

Businesses and property landlords with a turnover up to £150,000 will be able to prepare accounts on a cash basis

Digital quarterly reporting for companies and larger partnerships will not be introduced until April 2020. These changes will have a significant impact on how you keep your business accounts and communicate with HMRC. Please contact us to discuss the impact of these changes on the way that you keep your accounts.

New Company Loss Relief Rules Start On 1 April 2017


New rules that will allow greater flexibility in the way that companies obtain relief for losses will apply to losses incurred from 1 April 2017 onwards.

These rules have been introduced to encourage  companies to diversify as the losses may be available to offset against profits of another activity in a future period and even those of a company in the same group.

The proposed new rules were consulted on last summer and are included in the latest Finance Bill.

Although there will be greater flexibility for “new” losses arising after 1 April 2017, “old” trading losses incurred prior to that date  will continue to be restricted and will only be available to be offset against future profits from that same trade. The new rules are very complicated and we will of course work with you to ensure that your company obtains relief for  losses in the most advantageous way.

Buying A Company With Losses 


The new flexible loss relief rules coming into effect from 1 April 2017, will make the purchase of a loss-making company attractive. For many years there has been anti-avoidance to block the use of such losses and it is proposed that these rules will continue to apply.

The draft clauses in Finance Bill 2017 will continue to block such losses where within a five year period there is both a change in the ownership of the company and a major change in the nature or  conduct of the trade carried on by the acquired company.

Don’t Lose Your Personal Allowance!


For every £2 that your adjusted net income exceeds £100,000, the £11,000 personal allowance is reduced by £1. Pension contributions and Gift Aid can help to reduce adjusted net income and save tax at an effective rate of 60%.

The restriction applies between £100,000 and £122,000 adjusted net income. Another way that you could avoid this trap would be to agree with your employer to sacrifice some of your salary in exchange for a tax free benefit in kind. These rules are changing from 6 April 2017 but employer pension contributions and childcare vouchers will continue to be effective.

New Tax Rules Starting April 2017!



New Rules For IR35 Workers In The Public Sector Start  6 April 2017

There are significant changes that commence on 6 April 2017 for workers in the public sector supplying their services via their own personal service companies or other intermediaries.

From 6 April 2017 the public sector employer or agency that engages the worker will have to review the employment status of the worker and decide whether or not to deduct tax and national insurance from payments to the worker even though he or she invoices for the services through their own company.

An online tool called “The Employment Status Service” is expected to be made available by the end of February 2017 and can help them make that decision. The tool can be used if the worker uses either an employment agency, or other third-party to get work.

These changes come on top of the restrictions on the tax deductibility of travelling expenses for IR35 workers that came into effect on 6 April 2016.

Please contact us if you want to discuss whether or not these rules affect you or your organisation.


Making Tax Digital To Start In April 2018 

Legislation to introduce Making Tax Digital (MTD) will be included in the Finance Bill 2017 and despite many objections that it was too soon, the new system of quarterly reporting will commence in April 2018 for the self-employed and property landlords.

There were 1200 responses to the consultation documents issued in summer 2016 and a number of changes have been made to the original proposals.

Much of the detail will be introduced by secondary legislation and there will be further consultation on a number of measures but the key proposals are:

Businesses will be allowed to use spreadsheets to keep their accounting records.

Businesses eligible for three line accounts will be able to submit a quarterly update with only three lines of data (income, expenses and profit).

Free software will be available to businesses with more straightforward affairs.

Businesses will not have to make and store invoices and receipts digitally.

There will be no late filing penalties in the  first year of the new system.

The deadline for finalising taxable profit for a period will be the earlier of:

10 months after the last day of the period of account, or
31 January following the year of assessment in which the profits for that period of account are chargeable

Businesses and property landlords with a turnover up to £150,000 will be able to prepare accounts on a cash basis

Digital quarterly reporting for companies and larger partnerships will not be introduced until April 2020. These changes will have a significant impact on how you keep your business accounts and communicate with HMRC. Please contact us to discuss the impact of these changes on the way that you keep your accounts.

New Company Loss Relief Rules Start On 1 April 2017


New rules that will allow greater flexibility in the way that companies obtain relief for losses will apply to losses incurred from 1 April 2017 onwards.

These rules have been introduced to encourage  companies to diversify as the losses may be available to offset against profits of another activity in a future period and even those of a company in the same group.

The proposed new rules were consulted on last summer and are included in the latest Finance Bill.

Although there will be greater flexibility for “new” losses arising after 1 April 2017, “old” trading losses incurred prior to that date  will continue to be restricted and will only be available to be offset against future profits from that same trade. The new rules are very complicated and we will of course work with you to ensure that your company obtains relief for  losses in the most advantageous way.

Buying A Company With Losses 


The new flexible loss relief rules coming into effect from 1 April 2017, will make the purchase of a loss-making company attractive. For many years there has been anti-avoidance to block the use of such losses and it is proposed that these rules will continue to apply.

The draft clauses in Finance Bill 2017 will continue to block such losses where within a five year period there is both a change in the ownership of the company and a major change in the nature or  conduct of the trade carried on by the acquired company.

Don’t Lose Your Personal Allowance!


For every £2 that your adjusted net income exceeds £100,000, the £11,000 personal allowance is reduced by £1. Pension contributions and Gift Aid can help to reduce adjusted net income and save tax at an effective rate of 60%.

The restriction applies between £100,000 and £122,000 adjusted net income. Another way that you could avoid this trap would be to agree with your employer to sacrifice some of your salary in exchange for a tax free benefit in kind. These rules are changing from 6 April 2017 but employer pension contributions and childcare vouchers will continue to be effective.

Thursday, 4 August 2016

Seed EIS Relief Denied

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the recently introduced Seed EIS provide generous tax breaks for investors who subscribe for shares in qualifying companies provided the correct procedures, and in particular the correct forms, are used to claim tax relief.


Seed EIS provides income tax relief of 50% of the amount invested and EIS 30% relief, both given by way of a deduction from the investor’s income tax liability. Furthermore there is an exemption from capital gains tax when the shares are sold after 3 years.

In a recent case before the Tax Tribunal, tax relief for Seed EIS investors was denied by HMRC and the Tribunal as the directors had filled in the wrong HMRC forms! They tried to save costs by not using professional advisers - a very costly mistake!

Contact us for all your accounting and taxation needs:
APJ Accountancy | ☎ 020 89310165 | ☏ 07900537459 | ✉ info@apjaccountancy.com

Wednesday, 3 August 2016

New Rules For Buy-To Let Landlords - August 2016!

The 2016 Finance Bill sees the introduction of important tax changes for property investors that were originally announced in the 2015 Budget.

From 6 April 2016 onwards, there are important tax changes affecting the replacement of furnishings for buy to let landlords. 6 April 2017 will see the start of mortgage interest being restricted to basic rate only.


Wear and tear allowance abolished

Until 5 April 2016 landlords who were letting residential property on a fully furnished basis were able to claim a 10% "wear and tear” allowance towards the cost of the depreciation of furnishings. This simple allowance was an alternative to claiming a deduction for the actual cost of replacing furnishings which was a concession that applied up until April 2013.

So for example, where the gross annual rent was £9,000 there would have been an allowable deduction of £900.

This change seems to be inconsistent with the government's stated desire to simplify the tax system.

The new relief for replacement of furnishings in property businesses

Up until April 2013 it used to be the case that where furnishings were replaced in a property rental business there was deduction for the cost of the replacement items in arriving at rental profits.

This was never a statutory deduction and was accepted by HM Revenue and Customs on a concessionary basis. That concession was controversially withdrawn at relatively short notice in 2013 so for a three year period, unless landlords were eligible for the "wear And tear" allowance there was no relief for furnishings.

As the result of extensive lobbying by the accounting profession, and the residential landlords association, the relief has been restored on a statutory basis from 6 April 2016 by the latest Finance Bill.

The new relief provides a deduction for the actual cost of replacing furniture, furnishings, appliances and kitchenware for the use of the tenant in the let property.

Note that there is no allowable deduction for the initial fitting out of the rental property, just the cost of replacement Items. Furthermore the allowable tax deduction applies on a like for like basis so if there is any significant Improvement then the tax relief will be restricted. So, for example, where a washing machine is replaced with a washer/dryer costing £600, tax relief would only be available for the cost of the equivalent washing machine costing say £400.

No renewals relief for other businesses

Although the renewals basis has been reintroduced for rental businesses from April 2016, it has been withdrawn for other trading business. This relief was previously referred to as the "loose tools" deduction.

Consequently there is no longer relief for the replacement or alteration tooling. In future HMRC would expect such expenditure to be dealt with through the capital allowances rules, most likely by making a short life asset claim.

No change for Furnished Holiday Lettings

The above changes to the renewals basis do not apply where the property rental business falls within the definition of a qualifying furnished holiday lettings (FHL) business.

Such businesses continue to qualify for capital allowances when plant and machinery used In the course of that business is acquired and would benefit from the100% write off under the Annual Investment Allowance rules.

There are strict conditions for the property business to qualify as FHL, the most important condition being that the property is let for at least 105 days (15 weeks) in the tax year, and comprises a series of short term lets.

Note that under the capital allowances rules, relief is not just available for replacing assets but also for the initial furnishing of the holiday property.

Interest relief restriction starts 6 April 2017

As previously announced the current deduction available for mortgage interest and other finance costs starts to be phased out from 6 April 2017.  In 2017/18 only 75% of finance costs will be deductible in arriving at rental profits, the remaining 25% will only qualify for basic rate tax relief.

In 2020/21 there will be no deduction against rental profits for finance costs, just a basic rate tax reduction. This will not only affect higher rate taxpayers but will also have the effect of pushing some landlords into higher rates of tax.

Currently where a buy to let landlord has £10,000 a year net rental profits after deducting £30,000 mortgage interest, in  2020/21 his rental profits would increase to £40,000.

If his other income is £25,000 a year, the rents would currently be taxed at basic rate 20%. Assuming his other income stays the same, his taxable income would increase to £65,000 with a significant portion being taxed at the 40% higher rate. The £30,000 mortgage interest would only qualify for a £6,000 (20%) set off against the 2020/21 tax liability.

Note again that the restrictions do not apply to any part of the amount borrowed for the commercial letting of furnished holiday accommodation. Furthermore, the restriction does not apply to loans for property development trades, or loans secured on a let dwelling house which are applied for the purposes of a trade.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: 
APJ Accountancy | ☎ 020 89310165 | ☏ 07900537459 | ✉ info@apjaccountancy.com

Brexit – What are the Tax Implications?

One of the main reasons that individuals voted "leave" was to restore fiscal sovereignty to the UK so that we are able to set our own laws, in particular tax law, without interference from Brussels.


Significant tax changes currently require “State Aid” approval and we have seen many recent tax changes forced on us by the EU such as the extension of Furnished Holiday Letting treatment to EU properties and the extension of EIS and EMI to companies with a PE in the UK instead of trading wholly or mainly in the UK.

New Chancellor, a new tax strategy?

George Osborne, a leading member of the “remain” campaign, pledged to cut corporation tax to encourage investment in the UK in response to the referendum result. In an interview with the Financial Times, the former chancellor said he would reduce the rate to below 15%, although he did not mention any timescale and may not remain chancellor post Brexit. It will be interesting to find out whether the new chancellor Phillip Hammond will adopt a similar approach to corporation tax

VAT is the one tax that is likely to see the most significant changes as a result of leaving the EU. However, it is well known that it will take 2 years following the UK’s notification of Article 50 before we leave the EU. So until then, businesses will trade as normal, with business to business trade (“B2B”) in the EU being largely VAT and Duty free.

Possible VAT changes

VAT is a European tax.  Withdrawal from the EU means that UK VAT law will no longer be governed by the EU VAT Directive.

In Budget 2016 it was announced that VAT would raise £138bn revenue for the UK Treasury in 2016/17, second only to income tax and about £100bn more than corporation tax.  Therefore, it is expected that VAT or something equivalent will remain in place as an important revenue raiser for the UK, but the UK will in future have more freedom to set VAT rates.  On the plus side, more zero-rating may emerge, whereas on the downside VAT may be raised above 20%, to cope with a possible recession and to generate additional revenue.

The biggest VAT impact will be the change to Intra-EU trade.  At the moment B2B transactions are zero rated for VAT purposes. In future such sales will be imports into the EU and subject to EU VAT, which has a number of potential consequences. On the plus side, there will be no more Intrastat or European Sales Lists (ESLs) for UK business to complete.

However, businesses and their advisers will need to consider the following points:

  • Will a local EU VAT registration be required?
  • There will be increased freight agent costs of arranging imports and exports. There will be a requirement to “enter and clear goods”;
  • Whilst UK businesses should still be able to recover VAT on overseas expenses, the system is paper based and is a more onerous and lengthy procedure.

Possible Customs Duty changes

This potentially has a major impact and very much depends on the negotiation of a Free Trade Agreement (“FTA”) with the EU.

Without an FTA, the normal WTO tariffs apply.

For example, for a UK car manufacturer selling cars to its’ French subsidiary would result in a 10% duty tariff, being imposed on the transaction.  Therefore, an FTA is critical to businesses with EU supply chains.

Contact us to know it better and what changes your business should make!
APJ Accountancy | ☎ 020 89310165 | ☏ 07900537459 | ✉ info@apjaccountancy.com

Monday, 9 May 2016

Supplying Digital Services to Customers in Other EU Countries

The VAT place of supply rules changed on 1 January 2015 where digital services are supplied to non-business customers. The place of supply changed from where the supplier was based to where the customer is located as some companies were avoiding UK VAT.

This rule change had serious implications for small businesses supplying digital services such as software downloads to non-business customers. Where those customers are in other EU countries the UK trader may be required to register for VAT in that country and charge that country’s VAT rate on the supply. This is because unlike the £83,000 UK threshold many EU countries have a zero threshold. To simplify compliance with the EU VAT rules HMRC introduced the VAT Mini One Stop Shop (MOSS).


How UK VAT MOSS works?

Once you register your business for the scheme, you must account for the VAT due on any qualifying sales by sending HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) a VAT MOSS Return and payment each calendar quarter.

This means you only need to send a single VAT MOSS Return, each calendar quarter. You don’t have to declare the VAT due separately in each EU member state.

HMRC will send the relevant parts of your return and payment to the tax authority of the country where your customers are based.

Please contact us for further assistance if this may apply to your business. 

☎ 020 89310165 ☏ 07900537459  info@apjaccountancy.com 

Friday, 29 April 2016

New Accounting Rules for Businesses-SMEs 2016!

Tax Implications Of New Accounting Rules

The calculation of profits for tax purposes is based on the profits of the business computed in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The introduction of a new accounting standard (FRS 102) means that some of the figures in your accounts may need to be restated and these changes may have tax implications.

We will discuss these changes with you and seek to minimise the tax impact where possible.

Interest Free Loans and The New Accounting Rules

The treatment of interest-free loans is complicated under The New Accounting Rules - FRS 102.

One of the areas where there may be a change in your company’s accounts is where you have received or made a loan that is interest free or at less than market rates. Unless the loan is repayable on demand the new accounting rules require the loan to be recorded in the accounts on an amortised cost basis.  For example, this means that a £20,000 interest free loan repayable in two years time would be valued at £18,141 if the market rate of interest is 5%.

This method recognises that £20,000 today is worth more than £20,000 in two years time. If your company is borrowing the £20,000 then there would be finance expenses of £907 in year 1 and £952 in year 2 reflecting the initial £1,859 discount. These finance expenses would be deductible for corporation tax provided the lender is also charged to UK corporation tax on the interest. But if the interest free loan was from an individual such as a director there would be no tax deduction, a point clarified in the latest Finance Bill.

Is Paying Interest On Directors Loans Better Than Dividends Now?

The new 32.5% rate on dividends received by higher rate taxpayers means paying interest on directors’ loan account credit balances is now more tax efficient than paying dividends, once the new £5,000 dividend allowance has been used. This will also avoid the accounting issue mentioned above if a market rate of interest is paid. Unlike bank interest the company is still required to deduct 20% basic rate income tax and pay this over to HMRC quarterly with form CT61. Remember that higher rate taxpayers can receive £500 interest income tax free from 6 April 2016.

Inheritance Tax Planning using the New Lifetime ISA

Budget 2016 announced a new “Lifetime ISA” that will be available to those aged between 18 and 40 from 6 April 2017. The Government will add 25% to the amount saved subject to a maximum of £4,000 a year (plus £1,000 from the Government). It seems there will be no requirement that the savings come from the person named on the account so parents, grandparents, or other relatives could make payments into the account.

Where you have excess income and have concerns about inheritance tax (IHT), what about taking advantage of the exemption for normal expenditure out of income by committing to regular payments into the account. £4,000 a year would save you £1,600 IHT, so £2,400 net turns into £5,000 gross, per recipient!

Contact us to know more on how these will affect your business:
☎ 020 89310165 ☏ 07900537459  info@apjaccountancy.com 

Monday, 1 June 2015

Monthly Tax and Accounting News and Updates - What you need to know on June?

Our Monthly Tax and Accounting News and Updates post is designed to keep you informed of the latest tax and accounting issues for businesses.
We are here to help you if you need further information on any of the topics covered.

 

Emergency PAYE Tax Code To Be Applied To Certain Pension Withdrawals

The new flexible pension rules came into force from 6 April 2015 for those aged 55 or over with money purchase pension schemes. As announced by the Chancellor in last year’s Budget, these individuals will be able to withdraw as much as they wish from their pension fund but will be taxed on the amount withdrawn at their marginal tax rate. In some cases, the pension fund administrator will apply an emergency PAYE tax code to the payment on a month 1 basis which may result in more tax being deducted than the amount eventually due. This can either be reclaimed at the end of the tax year or during the year if you complete the appropriate HMRC form. Note that we can advise you of the tax implications of the amounts that you are considering to withdraw from your pension fund and, where necessary, assist you in reclaiming any excess PAYE deducted.

Further Budget On 8th July

Following the Election result on 8 May, the Chancellor has announced that there will be a second Budget. We expect this to include a number of Conservative manifesto tax pledges.

HMRC Don’t Yet Have The Power To Raid Taxpayers’ Bank Accounts

HMRC are seeking the power to recover unpaid tax over £1,000 from taxpayers’ private bank accounts and legislation was originally going to be included in the 2015 Finance Act. However the new measures were not included in the first Finance Act but may be included in the next one!

This new power will only be used where the taxpayer has ignored several demands for payment. Additionally, the taxpayer’s bank account should not be reduced below £5,000 by HMRC.  If enacted, this proposed new power will extend to joint bank accounts in the tax debtor’s name, but not those in the spouse’s sole name.

Considering Giving Shares In Your Company To Employees?

More and more companies now give their employees the opportunity to acquire company shares. If correctly structured, this can be a very tax efficient way of attracting and retaining staff, as they are able to share in the success of the company. However, if you get things wrong there can be significant tax charges on the employee and employer. As a general rule, if employees are allowed to acquire shares at less than market value, the discount is taxable as employment income and PAYE; national insurance may also be due. So for example, where the employee pays just £1 for a share worth £10, the £9 difference would be taxable.

The issue of shares to an employee also needs to be reported to HMRC using Form 42 by 6 July following the end of the tax year. There are a number of schemes that you may wish to consider where the receipt of the shares will not be taxed as employment income and in some cases will only be subject to capital gains tax when the shares are eventually sold. It used to be possible to ask HMRC for confirmation that the share scheme satisfied the rigid rules for the tax advantages to apply, but this is no longer possible and employers are now required to “self certify” that the share scheme complies with the legislation. We can assist you with this process if you would like to consider putting a share scheme in place.

Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) Share Option Scheme

The best employee share option scheme currently available is the EMI share option scheme. In order to take advantage of this, both the company and employees must meet certain conditions. The company must carry on a qualifying trading activity and have a gross asset value of no more than £30 million. The employee or director must work at least 25 hours a week for the company and not hold more than 30% of the company’s shares at the time that the EMI options are granted. The main tax advantages of EMI share options are that provided the option price is set at the correct value there would be no income tax or national insurance when the option is granted or exercised. Furthermore, the employee will then usually benefit from CGT entrepreneurs’ relief which provides a 10% rate when the shares acquired under the option are eventually sold, such as on the sale of the business.

Corporation Tax Relief For Employee Shares

A further tax advantage of allowing employees to acquire shares in the company is that the employing company may be entitled to a corporation tax deduction. This deduction is the difference between the amount payable by the employee and the market value of those shares at the time they are acquired. This will generally be the amount taxable on the employee so, for example, if the employee pays £1 a share when the shares are worth £10 each then the £9 per share discount will be deductible for the company.

Forms P11D Due By 6 July

As mentioned in the tax diary, the deadline for filing the 2014/15 returns of benefits and expenses paid to employees is 6 July 2015. Note that there can be significant penalties for incorrect returns so they need to be completed with great care. Remember that unless the employer holds a dispensation from HMRC, employees’ and directors’ reimbursed expenses (such as travel and subsistence) also need to be reported. We can assist you in completing the forms and to put in place control procedures that will satisfy HMRC requirements to grant a dispensation from reporting certain expenses.

Contact us for if you have any doubts or Accountancy needs!
020 89310165 ☏ 07900537459 | info@apjaccountancy.com


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Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Collection Of Unpaid Tax Through Your Tax Code!

Currently, HM Revenue & Customs can collect tax debts of up to £3,000 by adjusting your Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax code. HMRC refers to this as ‘coding out’. The effect of this is to recover the debt from your income, by increasing the amount deducted from your income during the tax year.

This applies if you have a debt with HMRC and:
are an employee paying tax through (PAYE), and/or
receive a taxable UK-based private pension

HMRC are now increasing the amount of debt that can be recovered through your tax code if your annual earnings are £30,000 or more. To do this, HMRC will apply a sliding scale to your main PAYE income. The maximum amount that can be coded out is being increased to £17,000 (where earnings exceed £90,000 a year).

These changes will only apply to underpaid Self-Assessment and Class 2 National Insurance debts and Tax Credit overpayments. Changes will be reflected in your 2015-16 tax code and we will write to you before we collect any debts through your PAYE code from April 2015.

If your earnings are less than £30,000, there’s no change. Check the table below if your earnings are above £30,000 & its coding out limits from HMRC website:

More information on this at Collecting overdue tax through your tax code: changes to the amount HMRC can collect

Coding out the unpaid 2013/14 tax is only possible if you submitted your paper tax return by 31 October 2014 or file your tax return online by 30 December 2014.

If you have any queries, post them as comments below.

Contact us to know more on these changes and what changes you need to make to your small business!

Friday, 27 June 2014

What should I do if my contract is caught within IR 35?

Accounting Tips for Contractors:


We often get asked about the best way to extract money from a limited company if contract is caught by IR 35.

First and foremost, the only way to be sure whether your contract falls inside or outside IR35 is to have it review by professional accountant firm who are specialised in Contractor Accountancy services.
Note : At APJ Accountancy, we offer this free within our standard package service

And by the way, it works on a contract by contract basis. So, for one contract you may fall under IR35 but for some others you may be outside.

Be aware that every contractors need to be evaluated on their own merits and every contract can be different.

If you aren't sure, you can take the 10 minute Contractor IR35 Test to see if you are likely to be working under IR35 from HMRC website yourself. Click this link to know more information that you need to know about IR35 -  http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ir35/guidance.pdf

What is the best method to pay yourself?


How to Pay Yourself inside and outside IR35?

Going back to your question the best method to pay yourself, in simple terms

  • For Income from all contracts that fall outside scope of IR 35 – you can pay yourself combination of small salary and big dividend to maximise your tax savings.
  • For income related to contracts that fall inside scope of IR 35 – You may need to pay some additional PAYE and National Insurance on the taxable income from these contracts at the end of the financial year.

So your company will continue you pay you as usual throughout the year deducting PAYE and NICs as applicable.

At the end of the tax year you will need to check you have paid the right amount of tax and NI by calculating the deemed employment payment due on the IR35 contract(s) undertaken.

If you don’t know much about deemed payment then a step-by-step guide for and related NICs can be found on the HMRC website.

HMRC also have a IR35 ‘deemed salary’ calculation spreadsheet which can be downloaded. Click link to download the spreadsheet. www.hmrc.gov.uk/ir35/ir35.xlt 

Alternatively, contact us to discuss how we can be of help in calculating your IR35 contract(s) ‘deemed salary’ and NIC liabilities.

Visit www.apjaccountancy.com/contractor-accountant.html for more information.

Are you a contractor working under IR35 ? Let us know how you do the salary payment. Feel free to post your thoughts as comments below and share it with your friends.