Attack On Self-Employed In Budget 2017!

In his first Budget on 8th March, the new Chancellor Phillip Hammond announced that he would  level the playing field between employees and the self-employed by increasing Class 4 National Insurance Contributions (NICs) from 9% to 10% from 6 April 2018 and then to 11% from 6 April 2019. His justification is that the self-employed are now entitled to more generous state benefits than in the past and thus NIC rate should be increased towards the 12% Class 1 NIC employee rate.
Note that the flat rate Class 2 NIC contributions, currently £2.80 a week, cease on 5 April 2018.

The chancellor stated that only the self-employed with profits in excess of £16,250 will pay more national insurance.

Tax Free Dividend Allowance To Be Reduced To £2,000

The Chancellor also announced measures to limit the rise in tax-driven incorporation. The £5,000 tax free dividend allowance introduced by George Osborne will be reduced to just £2,000 from 6 April 2018. Mr Hammond claimed that many smaller owner-managed businesses have incorporated as limited companies mainly for tax reasons. Typically the director/shareholders of such businesses have paid themselves in dividends and paid less tax than similar unincorporated businesses.

Currently, once the dividend allowance has been used the remaining dividends are taxed at 7.5%, 32.5% and then 38.1% depending upon whether the dividends fall into the basic rate band, higher rate band or the additional rate. There are rumours that these dividend rates may also be increased in future years.

Although the cut in the tax-free dividend allowance is clearly aimed at owner managed companies, it will also impact on those with substantial share portfolios. Mr Hammond reminded us in his speech that the annual ISA investment limit increases to £20,000 from 6 April 2017 and that dividends on shares held within an ISA continue to be tax free.

Start Of Digital Reporting Delayed For Smaller Businesses

The Government is committed to the "Making Tax Digital" (MTD) project which is scheduled to start in April 2018 with the first quarterly updates being submitted by the self-employed and property landlords in July 2018.

Many business owners, professional advisors and the Treasury select committee had

expressed concerns about the timescale for the introduction of MTD. The Chancellor announced that there will be a one year deferral in the start date to 2019 for self-employed businesses and property landlords with gross income below the VAT registration limit.

Contact us if you need more information or business help:
APJ Accountancy | ☎ 020 89310165 | ☏ 07900537459 | ✉ info@apjaccountancy.com

More bad news for public sector workers “off payroll”

In his Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that the Government will implement significant changes to the taxation of workers providing their services to the public sector through their own company or via an agency. These new measures have now been included in draft clauses to be included in Finance Act 2017 which were issued for consultation on 5 December 2016. If brought in, new rules will apply from 6 April 2017.

“Public sector” includes central and local government, the NHS, state schools, and bodies such as the BBC.

The new rules will put the onus on the public sector engager  or agency supplying the public sector  body to determine whether or not the IR35 personal service company and intermediary rules apply to the relationship, and if so deduct and pay over income tax and national insurance on behalf of the worker.

This will be a major change as currently the worker and his company/ intermediary has to determine whether or not IR35 applies.

A further change proposed from 6 April 2017 is that the worker will no longer qualify for a 5% deduction currently deemed to cover administration costs.

These changes come on top of restrictions to relief for such workers’ travelling expenses that came into effect from 6 April 2016.

Please contact us if these changes are likely to apply to you.

PJ | ☎ 020 8931 0165 | ☏ 0790 053 7459 | ✉ info@apjaccountancy.com

Getting The UK “Match Fit” for BREXIT!

Introduction
The Chancellor Philip Hammond announced that his first Autumn Statement will also be his last.  In future the main Budget announcements will be made in the autumn rather than the spring.

We were not expecting that many tax announcements, and many that were made we already knew about. He could not afford too many give-aways as he expects the economy to have a bumpy ride during the BREXIT transition.

There will still be a Budget next March but thereafter the annual Budget will be in the Autumn to allow longer consideration of the announcements and draft legislation before enactment the following summer.

KEY TAX ANNOUNCEMENTS:
• Personal allowance to increase to £11,500 in 2017/18, rising to £12,500 by 2020/21
• Higher rate tax threshold to increase to £45,000 in 2017/18, rising to £50,000 by 2020/21
• National Insurance threshold to be raised to £157 a week for employees and employers
• Corporation tax rate to reduce to 17% in 2020
• Business tax “roadmap” to continue, in particular new rules for company losses
• Insurance premium tax to increase from10% to 12% from 1 June 2017
• More anti-avoidance measures, in particular a new VAT flat rate percentage for “limited cost traders”

HELP FOR THOSE JUST ABOUT MANAGING (JAM)

The Chancellor made a number of announcements that were intended to help those families that a just about managing, given the acronym - JAM. Raising the personal allowance to £11,500 and higher rate threshold to £45,000 will mean they pay less income tax and keep more of what they earn.

This group will also benefit from the increase in the National Living Wage to £7.50 an hour and the changes to Universal Credit.

The Universal Credit taper rate will be cut from 65% to 63% from April  2017 which will mean that fewer benefits will be clawed back as claimants’ income increases. The planned reductions in the overall benefits caps will however go ahead.

CORPORATE AND BUSINESS TAX CHANGES

Many of the corporate tax changes had already been announced and are set out in the business tax "roadmap" which details the government tax strategy for the life of this Parliament and beyond.

The currently 20% corporation tax rate is planned to fall to 19% from 1 April 2017 and then to 17% on 1 April 2020. The government is committed to keeping the UK corporate tax rate the lowest in the G20 and there is talk of a rate as low as 15% in the future.

The Chancellor raised concerns that there continues to be a rise in tax-driven incorporations as there are still tax savings compared to unincorporated businesses operating at a similar level of profit. That may suggest that the government is still considering the introduction of a new “look through entity” suggested by the Office of Tax Simplification so that the tax treatment will be the same, thereby creating a level playing field.

The new flexible corporate tax loss rules announced in the spring budget have been subject to consultation and will go ahead from 1 April 2017.

CAPITAL ALLOWANCES

From 23 November 2016 to 31 March/ 5 April 2019, businesses will be entitled to a 100% First Year Allowance (FYA) for the cost of installing electric charge-point equipment for electric vehicles. This measure is intended to complement the 100% FYA available for low CO₂ emission vehicles and to encourage their uptake.

HIGHER RATE TAX RELIEF FOR PENSIONS CONTINUES

There has been much speculation that the government would further limit tax relief for pension contributions by removing higher rate tax relief. That measure would save the country £34 billion in tax but the only change announced concerns a new lower limit on amounts that can be saved in a pension when individuals have started drawing down from their private pension.

Currently the net effect of pension tax relief for a higher rate taxpayer is that saving £10,000 in a pension costs £6,000. The taxpayer pays £8,000 into their pension and the government tops this up by £2,000 with a further £2,000 deducted from the individual’s income tax liability, reducing the net cost to £6,000. For additional rate taxpayers the net cost would be just £5,500.

Remember that there is currently an annual pension input limit of £40,000 which caps the combined contributions by an individual and his or her employer. For those with high income this is tapered and can be as low as £10,000.

One new pension restriction that was announced was a measure to limit pension “recycling”. Those individuals who have started drawing down their personal pension will in future only be able to reinvest up to £4,000 in their pension.  Please contact us if you want to discuss pension planning further.

SALARY SACRIFICE RULES TO BE TIGHTENED UP

Many employers now provide flexible remuneration packages that allow employees to give up some of their contractual salary in exchange for benefits in kind. This can have the effect of saving tax and national Insurance contributions for both the employee and employer, particularly where the benefit provided is exempt from tax.

These tax and NIC advantages are to be withdrawn from 6 April 2017. Arrangements involving pensions, childcare, Cycle to Work and ultra-low emission cars will be excluded; existing arrangements will be protected for a transitional period until April 2018, and existing arrangements for cars, accommodation and school fees will be protected until April 2021.

The Chancellor has announced a wider review of the taxation of benefits, with the intention of making this area ‘fairer and more coherent’. This appears likely to have a significant effect on any employee who is in receipt of benefits from their employer.

OTHER EMPLOYEE BENEFIT CHANGES

MAKING GOOD

An employee who repays to their employer, or ‘makes good’, the cost of a benefit, avoids a tax charge. As previously announced, from April 2017 such making good will have to take place by 6 July in the following tax year if it is to be effective.

CHANGES TO TERMINATION PAYMENTS TO GO AHEAD

As announced in March, from April 2018 termination payments over £30,000, which are subject to Income Tax, will also be subject to employer’s NIC. Tax will only be applied to the equivalent of an employee’s basic pay if their notice is not worked. The first £30,000 of a genuine termination payment will remain exempt from tax and NIC.

“ABUSE” OF THE VAT FLAT RATE SCHEME

The VAT flat rate scheme is a simple scheme that enables small businesses to calculate and pay their VAT based on a flat rate percentage of total takings rather than deducting input tax on purchases and expenses and deducting that from total output tax on sales in the period. HMRC believe that the scheme is being abused by certain traders who have minimal costs who charge 20% VAT to their customers and then pay a lower percentage over to HMRC.

The flat rate percentage varies depending on the nature of the trade, ranging from 4% for food retailers up to 14.5% for IT consultants and labour only construction workers. A new 16.5% rate will apply from 1 April 2017 for businesses spending less than 2% of their turnover or less than £1,000 per year on goods, excluding capital goods, food, vehicles and fuel. Any business affected will almost certainly be better off returning to the normal VAT system with effect from that date. If you are currently using the flat rate scheme please contact us to check whether this change is likely to affect your business.

Please call us and we’d be delighted to discuss the above further.
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

Monthly UK Tax Updates - May/June 2016

Changes Next Year for Public Sector Workers “Off Payroll”

It was announced in the March Budget that Finance Bill 2017 will include measures to change the rules for those workers supplying their services to public sector bodies via their own company. The current rules require the intermediary to consider whether or not the IR35 rules apply to the engagement, and if so apply PAYE and National Insurance (NIC) to the income paid via the intermediary company.

If the proposed changes go ahead the public sector body will be required to assess whether the IR35 rules apply and operate PAYE and NIC.

For these purposes public sector includes central Government departments, Local Authorities, the NHS, schools and other bodies such as the BBC.

Tax Relief for Travel Expenses For IR35 Workers

Another measure affecting such workers, and those in the private sector, concerns tax relief for travel and subsistence expenses. New legislation in the current Finance Bill 2016 seeks to deny relief for travel and subsistence expenses incurred by workers caught by the IR35 rules. The restriction will also apply to agency workers where there is supervision, direction and control (SDC) over the worker by the end user client.

According to updated HMRC guidance the SDC test will be the only test used to determine whether the new rules will apply and ignores the other employment status factors. The HMRC examples suggest that if there is no expertise within the end user organisation then there is likely to be limited SDC and the worker will continue to be entitled to relief for travelling to the client’s premises.

Possible New “Look Through” Entity Will Change Small Company Taxation

The Chancellor announced in his Budget Speech that the Government is considering further major changes to small company taxation following a review by the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS).

As in many small companies the directors are also shareholders the OTS believe that it would simplify matters if the shareholders of such companies were to be taxed on their share of profits made by the company in proportion to their shareholdings. In other words the shareholders would be subject to income tax in a similar way to members of a partnership or LLP and there would be no corporation tax paid by the company. This would clearly level the playing field between limited companies and unincorporated businesses. However it is likely to result in more tax payable than under the current rules!

We will monitor further discussions on this possible future change and keep you updated.

Changes to Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) Reporting

Following the abolition of monthly paper CIS returns from 6 April 2016 HMRC have indicated that some leniency will be allowed for late returns for the first three months of the new tax year. Contractors and other businesses required to operate CIS now have to submit their returns online.

It is proposed that from April 2017 contractors will also be required to verify subcontractors online.

Remember that it is not just mainstream contractors that are required to operate CIS. The system extends to property developers who pay plumbers, electricians, and others in the building trade. However CIS does not apply to home owners and property investors who renovate a property prior to renting out to tenants.

Thinking of Building Your Own House? You Can Reclaim The VAT

You can apply to HMRC for a VAT refund on building materials and services if you are building a new home, or converting a property into a home. In order to qualify the home must be separate and self-contained, be for you or your family to live or holiday in, and not be for business purposes (although you can use one room as a work from home office). Builders working on new buildings should zero rate their work anyway and you won’t pay any VAT on their services.

Where there is an existing dwelling on the site you will normally need to demolish the existing building, however it will count as a new build where a single façade is retained if that is a condition of the planning consent. You may also claim a refund for builders’ work on a conversion of non-residential building into a home, or a residential building that hasn’t been lived in for at least 10 years.

When you make your claim you must supply a copy of the planning permission, a full set of building plans, the invoices - including tenders or estimations if the invoice isn’t itemised, and proof the building work is finished. Please contact us if you need advice or assistance on this or any other VAT matters.

Scottish Taxes

In these newsletters we tend to focus on tax matters that apply generally throughout the UK. However, under powers devolved to the Scottish Government there is now a different system of tax for the transfer of property in Scotland instead of SDLT.

Please contact us if you are considering buying a property in Scotland. We will also keep you up to date with other Scottish tax developments from time to time. 

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!
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The Key Points From Budget 2015

The Chancellor’s Budget March 2015 was clearly aimed at winning the votes of savers and pensioners in the May General Election.

However, it was not the usual pre-election giveaway as the Chancellor stressed his prudence in concentrating on debt repayment and the importance of “mending the roof while the sun shines”, something that he accused the previous Government of failing to attend to.

 Personal Allowances

As already announced the basic personal allowance for 2015/16 will be £10,600. The Budget on 18 March announced that there will be a further above inflation increase to £10,800 for 2016/17 and £11,000 in 2017/18. Those aged 75 and over will continue to receive a personal allowance of £10,660 for 2015/16 and by 2016/17 they will receive the basic personal allowance. Note that if your adjusted net income exceeds £100,000, the personal allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 over £100,000 giving an effective rate of 60% on income between £100,000 and £121,200 for 2015/16. 

Contact us for advice on planning to avoid this 60% rate.

Income Tax Bands

The 20% basic rate band is £31,785 for 2015/16 and will be £31,900 for 2016/17. This means that you pay 40% tax if your taxable income exceeds £42,385 for 2015/16 and £42,700 for 2016/17. It is proposed that the higher rate tax threshold will increase to £43,300 for 2017/18.  The 45% top rate continues to apply to taxable income over £150,000 for 2015/16.

Further Changes To ISAs

The current £15,000 ISA limit is to be increased to £15,240 from 6 April 2015. Remember that the 50% cash ISA restriction was abolished from 1 July 2014 so that any combination of cash and stocks and shares can be held within the ISA wrapper up to the overall £15,240 limit. The Junior ISA limit increases to £4,080 from 6 April 2015.

In the 2015/16 tax year individuals will be able to take money out of their ISA and put it back in within the same year, without losing their ISA tax benefits as long as the repayment is made in the same financial year as the withdrawal.

Zero Tax Rate On Savings 2015/16

As announced last year there will be a zero rate on the first £5,000 of savings income from 2015/16 onwards. Note however that this will only provide full benefit to those with taxable income between the basic rate band £10,600 and £15,600.

£1,000 Interest Income Tax Free 2016/17

From April 2016, a tax-free allowance of £1,000 (or £500 for higher rate taxpayers) will be introduced for the interest that people earn on savings. If they are a basic rate taxpayer and have a total income up to £42,700 a year, they will be eligible for the £1,000 tax-free savings allowance.
If they are a higher rate taxpayer and earn between £42,701 and £150,000, they’ll be eligible for a £500 tax-free savings allowance, but those with income in excess of £150,000 a year will be taxed in full on their interest income.

New Help To Buy ISA

These new accounts to help first time buyers save for a deposit to buy their first home will be available from Autumn 2015.  First time buyers  over 16 will be able to open these special  ISAs, make an initial deposit of up to £1,000 and then save up to £200 a month, and the Government will boost it by 25%. That’s a £50 bonus for every £200 saved, up to £3,000 in total topping up their £12,000 savings to £15,000.

Further Pension Flexibility

The Government will bring in new legislation from 6 April 2016 to allow people who are already receiving income from an annuity to agree with their provider to assign their annuity income to a third party in exchange for a lump sum or an alternative retirement product. Currently such action would give rise to a 55% charge, but this is to be abolished. This change will allow those who are already in receipt of a pension annuity to access the new flexible pension rules.

Pension Fund Lifetime Allowance Reduced

From 6 April 2016 the pension fund lifetime allowance will be reduced from £1.25million to £1million. Transitional protection for pension rights already over £1million will be introduced alongside this reduction to ensure the change is not retrospective. The lifetime allowance will then be indexed annually in line with CPI from 6 April 2018.

Capital Taxes

It had already been announced that the CGT annual exempt amount would increase to £11,100 for 2015/16. With a top CGT rate of 28% this allowance potentially saves £3,108 a year, or £6,216 for a married couple.

There has been no change in the inheritance tax nil rate band which remains at £325,000 until 2018.  There are a number of changes to the inheritance tax treatment of trusts.  Please contact us if you wish to discuss these or any other capital tax planning matters.

Further Restrictions To CGT Entrepreneurs’ Relief

You may recall that in the 2014 Autumn Statement it was announced that it is no longer possible to claim CGT entrepreneurs’ relief against the gains arising on the sale on or after 3 December 2014 of goodwill by a sole trader or partnership to a limited company in which they have a controlling interest.

It has now been announced that from 18 March 2015 CGT entrepreneurs’ relief will be restricted on certain “associated disposals”. The 10% CGT rate will no longer be available on the disposal of personal assets used in a business carried on by a company or a partnership unless they are disposed of in connection with a disposal of at least a 5% shareholding in the company or a 5% share in the partnership assets.

Tax Relief On Small Donations To Charity Increased To £8,000

The Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS) allows charities to treat small donations such as those in collecting boxes as if Gift Aided.

With effect from 6 April 2016 the maximum annual donation amount which can be claimed through GASDS will be increased from £5,000 to £8,000 allowing charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs to claim Gift Aid style top-up payments of up to £2,000 a year.

Single 20% Corporation Tax Rate

A single corporation tax rate of 20% will apply from 1 April 2015 whatever the level of your company’s profits.

As already announced in the 2014 Autumn Statement there will be a new 25% rate of tax on profits artificially diverted by multi-national companies away from the United Kingdom, being labelled “Google Tax”.

Annual Investment Allowance

The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) provides a 100% tax write off for the cost of most plant and machinery acquired by businesses, a notable exception being motor cars. In Budget 2014 the Chancellor announced that the allowance would be increased to £500,000 per annum for expenditure incurred between 1 April 2014 and 31 December 2015 (from 6 April 2014 for unincorporated businesses).

This generous allowance was due to fall to just £25,000 from 1 January 2016 and the Chancellor acknowledged that such a level would be too low. However, the new limit will not be announced until later this year. Remember that the AIA is available for assets bought on hire purchase as well as those bought for cash. It can also be claimed in respect of fixtures and fittings within buildings. Contact us to help you maximise tax relief for capital expenditure as the timing of expenditure can be critical.

R&D Tax Credit Rate Increased

As already announced  in the 2014 Autumn Statement, companies  that are Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) carrying out qualifying Research and Development can currently claim a corporation tax deduction of 225% of their qualifying spend. This relief is being increased to 230% with effect from 1 April 2015. In order to improve the cash flow of loss making SMEs the tax rules allow the company to surrender the loss attributable to the enhanced R&D spend for a tax refund. The current tax refund rate is 14.5% of the loss attributable to the enhanced expenditure.  Contact us if you would like to discuss whether your company could qualify for R&D tax relief.

VAT Registration Limit £82,000

The VAT registration limit has been increased by £1,000 to £82,000 from 1 April 2015. The de-registration limit also increased by £1,000 to £80,000.

The End Of Tax Returns?

The Government proposes to transform the tax system over the next Parliament by introducing online tax accounts to remove the need for individuals and small businesses to complete annual tax returns.  These online accounts will show details of how much tax has been paid and how much is owed and will be pre-populated with information such as employment and pension income provided by RTI. This may work for individual taxpayers with straightforward affairs, but many accountants will have concerns, based on past experience, about the accuracy of the data and the calculations.
 

Taxpayers will still need to provide any details HMRC does not have and will be responsible for checking that the information is correct.

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12 Key Points from Budget 2014!

The Chancellor’s 2014 Budget was clearly aimed at winning the votes of savers, pensioners and those paying for expensive childcare. Increases in ISA limits, a £5,000 zero rate band on savings income, more flexible pension drawdown rules and an increase in the proposed childcare tax relief to £2,000 reflect this goal. There was also good news for businesses with the extension of the Annual Investment Allowance until 31 December 2015 and an increase in the qualifying spend up to £500,000 from April 2014.

George Osborne - Chancellor's Budget 2014

1. Personal Allowances

Personal allowances are fixed for 2014/15 at £10,000, the level promised in the Coalition Agreement. However, the Budget announced that there will be a further (above inflation) increase to £10,500 for 2015/16, in line with the allowance currently available to taxpayers aged 65 to 74. Those aged 75 and over will continue to receive a personal allowance of £10,660. Note that if adjusted net income exceeds £100,000, the personal allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 over £100,000. This gives an effective rate of 60% on income between £100,000 and £120,000 for 2014/15. Contact us for planning advice to avoid this 60% rate.

2. Income Tax Bands
The 20% basic rate band is £31,865 for 2014/15 and will be £31,785 for 2015/16. This means that you pay 40% tax if your taxable income exceeds £41,865 for 2014/15 and £42,285 for 2015/16.
The 45% top rate continues to apply to taxable income over £150,000 for 2014/15.

3. Important Changes To ISAs
In order to encourage savers, the current £11,520 ISA limit is to be significantly increased to £15,000 from 1 July 2014. Furthermore, the current 50% cash ISA limit of £5,760 is to be abolished so that any combination of cash and stocks and shares can be held within the ISA wrapper up to the overall £15,000 limit. These products will be termed “New ISAs” or NISAs. The Junior ISA limit will increase to £4,000 from 1 July 2014.

4. More Good News For Savers
The 10% starting rate will apply to the first £2,880 of savings income for 2014/15. However, this rate will be abolished and replaced with a zero rate on the first £5,000 of savings income from 2015/16 onwards.

5. Capital Taxes
It had already been announced that the CGT annual exempt amount would increase to £11,000 for 2014/15 and £11,100 for 2015/16. With a top CGT rate of 28%, this allowance potentially saves just over £3,000 a year, or £6,000 for a married couple.

There has been no change in the inheritance tax nil rate band, which remains at £325,000 until 2018.
Please contact us if you wish to discuss capital gains tax and inheritance tax planning, as we can help you take advantage of these valuable allowances.

The only significant change to inheritance tax is the proposed extension in the exemption that applies to the military who die on active service to those in the emergency services.

6. New Flexible Pensions
There are significant changes being proposed which will make it easier to access your pension fund pot if you have a defined contribution (money purchase) pension scheme. As a general rule, 25% of the pension fund can be taken as a tax free lump sum at age 55, although this age will be increased in future to be 10 years before State Pension age (age 57 in 2028). Remember also that the requirement to buy an annuity at age 75 had already been abolished with the introduction of “flexible drawdown” pensions that are currently available.

From 27 March 2014 the Government have increased the maximum amount you can take out each year from a capped drawdown arrangement from 120% to 150% of an equivalent annuity. For example, if the equivalent annuity rate is 6%, then up to 9% of the fund can now be drawn down each year. This is in response to concerns about low annuity rates which are linked to savings rates.
The Government has published a consultation document to consider proposals to make the drawdown rules even more flexible from April 2015. This would allow you to withdraw more than the current 25% of the fund limit, subject to a tax charge. This charge would be at your marginal tax rate instead of the current penal 55% charge on the fund.

The other significant change being consulted on is the proposal to reduce the current limit of £20,000 guaranteed pension income to just £12,000 a year. Those with this level of guaranteed pension income will be able to draw as much or as little as they wish from their pension fund each year without the 150% of equivalent annuity rule applying.

7. Corporation Tax Reductions
From 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015, the main rate of corporation tax is 21% where a company’s profits exceed £1,500,000 (divided by companies under common control). The 20% small profits rate continues to apply to companies with profits up to £300,000 (also divided as above). As previously announced, a single corporation tax rate of 20% will apply from April 2015 whatever your level of profits.

8. Annual Investment Allowance Increased To £500,000
The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) provides a 100% tax write off for the cost of most plant and machinery acquired by businesses, a notable exception being motor cars. This allowance was temporarily increased to £250,000 on 1 January 2013 and was due to reduce back down to just £25,000 on 1 January 2015. The Chancellor has announced that the allowance will be increased to £500,000 per annum for expenditure incurred between 1 April 2014 and 31 December 2015 (the change takes effect from 6 April 2014 for unincorporated businesses). Remember that the AIA is available for assets bought on hire purchase as well as those bought for cash. It can also be claimed in respect of fixtures and fittings within buildings. Contact us to help you maximise tax relief for capital expenditure, as the timing of expenditure can be critical.

9. R&D Tax Credit Rate Increased
Companies that are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) carrying out qualifying research and development can currently claim a corporation tax deduction of 225% of their qualifying spend. This means that £100,000 spend would result in a £225,000 reduction in taxable profits, potentially saving £45,000 corporation tax (at 20%). However, if the company is loss making this benefit may not be received until future years when profits are made. In order to improve the cash flow of these loss- making SMEs, the tax rules allow the company to surrender the loss attributable to the enhanced R&D spend for a tax refund. This has been increased from 11% to 14.5% with effect from 1 April 2014. So the £225,000 (based on £100,000 spend) would result in a refund of £32,625. Contact us if you would like to discuss whether your company could qualify for R&D tax relief.

10. New Tax-Free Childcare Scheme
This new scheme, which starts in Autumn 2015, was originally announced in 2013 as being worth up to £1,200 per child. It has now been announced that the Government support will be even more generous with the limit being increased to £2,000 per child per year. The parents will be required to open a special childcare account. If for example they pay in £8,000, the Government will top this up to £10,000 (like pension contributions and Gift Aid) which can then be used to pay their childcare provider. It is not just parents who will be able to pay into the childcare account but grandparents and other family members will also be able to contribute to the childcare costs. To qualify, both parents will have to be in work, earning just over an average of £50 a week and not more than £150,000 per year.

Unlike the existing employer-provided childcare voucher scheme which is only available to employees and directors, this new scheme will also be available to the self-employed. Those in existing employer provided schemes have the option of staying in their employer scheme (up to £55 a week free of tax and NIC) or switching to the new scheme. To support newly self-employed parents, the government is introducing a ‘start-up’ period. During this, self-employed parents won’t have to earn the £50 a week minimum income.
It was originally proposed that the new scheme would be phased in, initially only applying to children under 5 and gradually extended to those under 12. It is now proposed that children under 12 will be eligible from the outset. If your circumstances change or you no longer want to pay into the account, you’ll be able to withdraw the money you have built up. If you do, the Government will withdraw its corresponding contribution.

11. Vat Registration Limit £81,000
The VAT registration limit has been increased by £2,000 to £81,000 from 1 April 2014. The de-registration limit also increased by £2,000 to £79,000.

12. Seed Eis Relief To Be Permanent
Seed EIS was introduced in 2012/13 to provide tax relief for individuals investing in small start-up companies and was originally scheduled to end on 5 April 2017. It was announced in the Budget that the generous tax breaks would now be made permanent:
- A 50% tax reducer on up to £100,000 invested each tax year
- A 50p reduction in capital gains made for every £1 qualifying Seed EIS investmen


Contact us if you need advice on these and other tax-efficient investments.
 
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