On 22 November 2023, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt presented his Autumn Statement to Parliament and started making, in his words, the long-term decisions necessary to strengthen the economy and build a brighter future. Fueled by falling inflation and stabilised public finances, focus is now being applied to reducing debt, cutting tax and rewarding hard work.

Headlines included generous National Insurance Contribution (NIC) cuts for workers and the self-employed and the ‘biggest permanent tax cut in modern British history for businesses’. Some other anticipated measures appear to be on hold ahead of a full Budget next Spring and an expected 2024 general election.

Below, we talk more about the Autumn Statement headlines and other measures announced. Please note that ‘tax years’ run to 5 April each year and that, for example, 2024/25 signifies the year to 5 April 2025.

Cutting Tax and Rewarding Hard Work

For employees

In addition to income tax, all employees earning more than £12,570 a year pay Class 1 NICs. The main rate of Class 1 NICs will be cut from 12% to 10% from 6 January 2024. This will come into effect from January 2024 and, over a full year, the average worker on £35,400 will receive a NIC reduction of over £450. Workers earning more than £50,270 a year will receive a NIC reduction of £754.

The Class 1 NIC rate will remain at 2% for earnings above £50,270 a year.

Similarly, there are no changes to the rate of employer’s Class 1 NICs, which remains at 13.8%.

For the self-employed

Self-employed individuals with profits of more than £12,570 a year pay two types of NIC: Class 2 and Class 4.

• Class 2 NICs have been at a flat rate sum of £179.40 a year (£3.45 a week) in 2023/24 but no one will be required to pay the charge from 6 April 2024.
• The main rate of Class 4 NICs will be cut from 9% to 8% from 6 April 2024. Class 4 NICs will continue to be calculated at 2% on profits over £50,270.

Taken together these changes will result in an average self-employed person with profits of £28,200 saving £336 in 2024/25.

Class 2 NICs currently provide the self-employed with access to a range of state benefits, including the State Pension. From 6 April 2024, self-employed people with annual profits;

• Above £12,570 – will continue to receive access to the benefits.
• Between £6,725 and £12,570 – will continue to receive access to the benefits, via a National Insurance credit.
• Under £6,725 (or with losses) – will be able to continue to pay Class 2 NICs on a voluntary basis in order to maintain their access to state benefits. Class 2 NICs had been due to increase in 2024/25 but it seems that these will be maintained at the current £3.45 weekly level for those in this bracket.

State Benefits

The government will uprate all working age benefits for 2024/25 by the September 2023 Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 6.7% and will continue to protect pensioner incomes by maintaining the promised ‘triple lock’ and uprating the basic State Pension, new State Pension and Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee for 2024/25 in line with highest of the three possible measures, namely average earnings growth of 8.5%.

National Minimum Wage (NMW)

The biggest ever increase to the National Living Wage has been announced, with the government fully accepting the recommendations made by the Low Pay Commission. Eligibility for the National Living Wage will also be extended by reducing the age threshold to 21-year-olds for the first time. It was previously for those aged 23 and over only. From 1 April 2024 the minimum pay rates will be as follows:

	NMW rate £	Increase £	Increase %
National Living Wage (age 21 and over)	11.44	1.02	9.8
18-20 year old rate	8.60	1.11	14.8
16-17 year old rate	6.40	1.12	21.2
Apprentice rate	6.40	1.12	21.2

Backing British Business

Tax Relief for expenditure on plant and machinery

The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) is now permanently set at £1million. This means that businesses can claim tax relief at 100% on up to £1million of expenditure on qualifying plant and machinery (e.g. capital equipment).

‘Full expensing’ is an additional and alternative relief for companies only. It allows unlimited 100% upfront tax relief on qualifying plant and machinery that is purchased in a new condition on or after 1 April 2023. There is also an associated 50% allowance for expenditure on certain types of plant and machinery that does not qualify for the full 100% (including space and water heating systems, for example).

This ‘full expensing’ regime was initially introduced in Spring 2023 and had an original end date of 31 March 2026. It has now been announced that it will be made permanently available. Described as the ‘biggest business tax cut in modern British history’ it must be noted that it will usually only benefit companies or groups of companies that have already utilised their £1million AIA. It is not available at all for unincorporated businesses, although the expansion of the cash-basis (see below) achieves a very similar effect for sole traders and partnerships.

Full expensing does come with some quite complicated rules on the amount of upfront relief and the calculation of tax charges that may apply when the purchased plant and machinery is sold. Please talk to us for more details.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax

Under MTD for income tax, businesses will keep digital records and send a quarterly summary of their business income and expenses to HMRC using MTD-compatible software. These requirements will be phased in from April 2026, starting with sole traders and property landlords with gross income over £50,000.

In readiness, some ‘design changes’ to the scheme have now been announced to simplify and improve the system. These include:

• Simplifying the requirements for providing quarterly updates by making them cumulative and adding functionality to amend or correct errors throughout the year;
• Simplifying the rules for taxpayers with more complex affairs, such as landlords with jointly-owned property;
• Removing the requirement to provide an End of Period Statement, with emphasis instead placed on a final declaration;
• Exempting some taxpayers altogether, including foster carers and those without a National Insurance number; and
• Enabling taxpayers using MTD to be represented by more than one tax agent.

There will also be new rules to ensure that taxpayers who volunteer to join MTD for income tax from April 2024 will be subject to the new, fairer points-based penalty regime for late filing of tax returns and late payment of tax, as already implemented for VAT. This approach assures the compliant majority that an occasional failure in the context of overall good compliance will not be treated in the same way as persistent poor compliance.

Business Rates

A new business rates support package worth £4.3 billion will be made available over the next five years to support small businesses and the high street. For 2024/25, the small business multiplier will continue to be frozen and the 75% Retail, Hospitality and Leisure business rates relief will continue to apply.

The standard rate multiplier will be uprated in line with the September 2023 CPI of 6.7%. While this will increase business rates bills for some, large retailers are expected to benefit from hundreds of millions of pounds of tax relief per year as a result of full expensing.

Getting Paid

One of the key challenges facing small businesses is the cash-flow implications of late payments, which hold them back from investing and innovating. The government plans to lead by example by introducing more stringent payment time requirements for firms bidding for large government contracts. From April 2024, firms bidding for government contracts over £5million will have to demonstrate that they pay their own invoices within an average of 55 days, tightening to 45 days in April 2025, and to 30 days in the coming years.

Upskilling

Various initiatives are on the cards for business leaders to acquire the vital skills and opportunities they need to stay relevant, increase productivity and grow their businesses.

This includes a pledge that HMRC will rewrite its guidance on the tax deductibility of training costs for sole traders and the self-employed, to provide more clarity to business on what costs are deductible. This will ensure that individuals can be confident that updating existing skills, or maintaining pace with technological advances or changes in industry practices, are allowable costs for tax purposes.

Unincorporated businesses and their accounting year-ends

Unincorporated businesses that prepare annual accounts to a year-end date other than 31 March or 5 April will soon need to either change their accounting year-end or adopt a new process for how the profits or losses arising in their accounts are reported to HMRC.

At present, ‘basis period’ rules apply that broadly allow annual accounts that end during a tax year to act as the basis of profits or losses arising in that tax year.

A new system starts with transitional rules in 2023/24. From 2024/25, actual profits (or losses) arising in a tax year must be reported to HMRC by calculating and combining appropriate proportions of tax-adjusted profits (or losses) for the parts of each accounting period that overlap with a tax year.

Unfortunately, this will make it harder for some self-employed individuals to fulfil their tax compliance obligations and predict their income tax liabilities, but we will be on hand to help you.

Using the cash basis to compute business profits

The ‘cash basis’ can be a simplified way of calculating taxable profits for income tax purposes. It is based on simply declaring income received and expenses paid, without adjustments seen in more sophisticated accounts prepared in accordance with traditional ‘accruals based’ principles (e.g. to include adjustments for stock valuations and amounts owed by customers). The cash basis is currently an option for sole traders and partnerships if their annual business turnover is £150,000 or less.

In a significant shift from 6 April 2024, the cash basis will become the default accounting basis for all unincorporated businesses. The £150,000 turnover limit will be removed and some of the restrictions within the current regime that limit relief for interest deductions and loss relief will also be removed.

Businesses can ‘opt out’ of the cash basis and continue to prepare a balance sheet and use the ‘accruals basis’ if they wish. This will be an important choice, particularly in relation to business intelligence and management reporting, so please do talk to us about the options if this affects you.

Investment Zones and Freeports

Earlier this year, the government announced that it would establish 12 ‘Investment Zones’ across the UK. These Zones target tax and other incentives on high potential industry sectors to boost productivity and growth. A number of the Zones have now been announced and the Chancellor has now pledged to extend the program of funding and tax reliefs for these Zones from 5 to 10 years.

The tax incentives include relief from Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), enhanced capital allowances for plant and machinery, enhanced structures and buildings allowances, business rates relief and reduced employer NICs on the earnings of eligible employees.

There has also been an associated extension to the window to claim Freeport tax reliefs in England; from 5 to 10 years, until September 2031. The tax benefits on offer in these port-based locations are similar to Investment Zones but also give extra VAT and Customs benefits.

VAT

The VAT registration and deregistration thresholds continue to be frozen at £85,000 and £83,000 respectively, instead of increasing each year in line with inflation. This is thought to be a blocker to growth in small businesses and so will be one to watch in the Spring Budget next year.

There have been no change to rates of VAT.

Income Tax

‘Stealth’ increases

The personal allowance and basic rate band threshold are still frozen at their 2021/22 levels and, subject to the outcome of the next general election, are expected to remain at such until 5 April 2028. As earnings increase, individuals will move into higher tax bands. This is often referred to as ‘fiscal drag’ because it will raise more tax without the government increasing income tax rates.

The tax-free personal allowance of £12,570 continues to be partially and then fully withdrawn for higher earners, with £1 of personal allowance lost for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000.

Income tax rates and allowances for 2024/25

Held at their 2023/24 levels, the following income tax rates will apply to taxable income, after the personal allowance has been utilised.

Band	Taxable Income	Tax rate in 2024/25
		Earned income (e.g. wages, business profits and rental profits)	Savings income	Dividend income
Basic rate	£0 – £37,700	20%	20%	8.75%
Higher rate	£37,701 – £125,140	40%	40%	33.75%
Additional rate	Over £125,140	45%	45%	39.35%

Other allowances

Savings income continues to benefit from a 0% personal savings allowance of £1,000 for basic rate taxpayers and £500 for higher rate taxpayers.

Dividend income attracts a 0% dividend allowance of £500 in 2024/25, down from the £1,000 allowance seen in 2023/24.

Scotland

Individuals living in Scotland and classed as Scottish taxpayers are also entitled to the personal allowance of up to £12,570 but have a slightly different banding system for ‘earned income’ as follows:

Band	Taxable Income	Tax rate in 2023/24
		Earned income
Starter rate	£0 – £2,162	19%
Basic rate	£2,163 – £13,118	20%
Intermediate rate	£13,119 – £31,092	21%
Higher rate	£31,093 – £125,140	42%
Top rate	Over £125,140	47%

The application of income tax to savings and dividends income is the same as for taxpayers based elsewhere in the UK.

The Scottish Budget, in which rates and bands for 2024/25 are expected to be announced, is set to take place on 19 December 2023.

Tax Efficient Savings

The annual limits for Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), Child Trust Funds and the Junior ISA remain at £20,000, £9,000 and £9,000 respectively in 2024/25. The lifetime ISA annual subscription limit also remains unchanged at £4,000 (excluding the government top-up bonus).

The government is making changes to simplify ISAs and provide more choice, meaning it will be easier to choose the best ISA accounts and move money between them. This involves digitalising the ISA reporting system to make it more effective, as well as expanding the investment opportunities available in ISAs.

Pension tax relief

Annual allowances determine the maximum amount that an individual can save into their pension pots in a tax year before tax relief starts to be withdrawn by way of pension tax charges.

These allowances will remain fixed in 2024/25 at their 2023/24 rates, being the £60,000 annual allowance applicable in most circumstances and the £10,000 money purchase annual allowance for those who have flexibly accessed their pension pot. The annual allowance is reduced for those with a high income of more than £260,000.

Pension Reform

The government has announced a comprehensive package of pension reforms that aim to provide better outcomes for savers, drive a more consolidated pensions market and enable pension funds to invest in a diverse portfolio.

With people (especially younger generations) changing jobs more frequently than used to be the case, the government wants to tackle the long-standing problem of “small pot” pensions that accumulate with each short to medium term employment. There will be a call for evidence on a ‘lifetime provider model’ which would allow individuals to have contributions paid into their existing pension scheme when they change employer, providing greater agency and control over their pension.

Capital Gains Tax

The capital gains tax annual exemption is set to drop to £3,000 in 2024/25, down from £6,000 in 2023/24. This change will mean that those selling capital assets such as property or shares will pay more tax, where the new lower annual exemption is exceeded. Capital gains tax rates range from 10% to 28% in 2023/24, depending on the tax status of the seller and the type of asset sold.

If you are planning any capital disposals, please contact us to discuss the best strategy for the disposal.

Inheritance Tax

The inheritance tax nil rate band continues to be frozen at £325,000 until April 2028. The residence nil rate band will also remain at £175,000 and the residence nil rate band taper will continue to start at £2million. Despite prior rumours to the contrary, there has been no change to inheritance tax rates.

Corporate Taxes

Rates from 1 April 2024

From 1 April 2024, the rate of Corporation Tax will continue to be 25% if a company’s profits exceed £250,000 a year. The small profits rate of 19% will apply where profits are no more than £50,000 a year.

Where a company’s profits fall between £50,000 and £250,000 a year, the profits are taxed at the higher 25% rate, but a ‘marginal relief’ is given to reduce the liability, with the effective rate being closer to 19% the closer profits are to £50,000.

Companies in the same corporate group (or otherwise connected by association) must share the £50,000 and £250,000 thresholds between them, making the 25% rate more likely to apply. A similar rule applies to the £1.5million threshold which, if exceeded, means that companies are required to pay their corporation tax earlier and in instalments.

Research & Development (R&D) Reliefs

For company accounting periods commencing on or after 1 April 2024, a new R&D scheme for limited companies will come into effect, merging the current R&D Expenditure Credit (RDEC) scheme (for larger companies) with the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) scheme. There will also be a second new R&D scheme for ‘R&D intensive SMEs’.

These are significant changes and come on top of a raft of changes already seen in 2023. HMRC say that further action may still be needed to reduce the unacceptably high levels of non-compliance with tax rules in the R&D sector.

Within the new rules there are new provisions in relation to:

• Who can claim relief when companies contract out R&D activities;
• The definition of qualifying expenditure, taking into account whether the R&D has been undertaken in the UK,
• The qualifying criteria for ‘R&D intensive’ companies, along with a new approach for companies who many fluctuate in and out of the status; and
• Restrictions on nominations and assignments of R&D relief payments.

Any company claiming (or considering claiming) R&D reliefs will need enhanced support to both ensure compliance and to adopt the new rules and framework. Please do get in touch if we can assist you with this.

Creative Industries

Film, TV and video games tax reliefs will be reformed into refundable expenditure credits. In particular, an Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) for film and TV programmes and a Video Games Expenditure Credit (VGEC) for video games. The credits will be available from 1 January 2024.

Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED)

The ATED annual charges will rise by 6.7% from 1 April 2024 in line with the September 2023 CPI.

Employment Taxes

National Insurance Contributions (NICs)

Like the main income tax bandings, employer and employee NIC thresholds are now also frozen until 5 April 2028. This broadly means that, in 2024/25, employers’ NIC will continue to apply at 13.8% to earnings in excess of £9,100 a year (£175 per week) and employees will pay at the reduced 10% rate on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% thereafter.

For eligible employers, the employment allowance remains at £5,000 per year, reducing their employer’s NIC liability by this sum. Eligible employers should remember to opt in on their payroll software to ensure that the allowance is received.

Company Cars and Other Benefits

Employees are required to pay income tax on certain non-cash benefits. For example, the provision of a company car constitutes a taxable ‘benefit in kind’. Employers also pay Class 1A NIC at 13.8% on the value of benefits.

The set percentages used to calculate company car benefits are fixed until 5 April 2026 before slight increases apply to most car types, including electronic and ultra-low emission, from 6 April 2026.

The figures used to calculate benefits-in-kind on employer-provided vans, van fuel (for private journeys in company vans), and car fuel (for private journeys in company cars) remain fixed at their 2023/24 levels in 2024/25. These are:

• Van benefit £3,960
• Van fuel benefit £757
• Car fuel benefit multiplier £27,800

PAYE and Tax Returns

For individuals with income taxed only through PAYE, they currently only need to file a self-assessment tax return if their income exceeds £150,000. From 2024/25 this threshold will be removed altogether, removing up to 338,000 individuals from the self-assessment system.

Off-payroll Working (IR35)

Off-payroll working rules ensure that a worker who provides services through an intermediary company to a ‘deemed employer’ pays broadly the same income tax and NIC as an employee would. The rules are complicated and apply differently depending on the size and type of the deemed employing entity.

The new rules deal with cases where HMRC is collecting underpaid PAYE from the deemed employer and will allow them to give credit for any tax and NIC already paid by the worker and their intermediary. This is to avoid the potential over-collection of tax.

Tackling the Tax Gap and Collecting HMRC Debt

The government continues to commit to a tax system that is easy for businesses and individuals to engage with, and where everyone pays their fair share.

A ‘Tackling the Tax Gap’ package of measures has been announced, with plans to raise £5 billion of tax revenue over the next five years. The government is investing in HMRC’s ability to better target their debt collection activity, pursuing those with tax debts that can afford to pay, and providing support to those that are temporarily unable to pay. The government is also taking action against those who continue to bend or break the rules, by reducing opportunities for tax fraud in the construction industry and taking strong action against promoters of tax avoidance. Sentences for the most egregious forms of tax fraud will be doubled from 7 to 14 years.

Tax Administration Framework

New measures will be introduced to strengthen HMRC’s data gathering powers. From 2025/26:

• Employers will be required to provide data on employee hours paid as part of their PAYE reporting; and
• Shareholders in owner-managed businesses will be required to include on their self-assessment tax return their percentage shareholding and dividend income from their company (separately to any other dividend income they may receive).

These measures will build on previously announced HMRC powers that will enable them to access taxpayer data from online marketplaces (e.g. from airbnb) from 1 January 2024.

In Conclusion

As we move into 2024, there are a lot of tax changes already scheduled, plus we can expect more with a Spring Budget and a general election on the horizon.

We are here to work alongside you and help you prosper so please do get in touch at any time.

The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, presented his Spring Budget on 15 March 2023. There were no changes to the income tax rates and thresholds, which had been announced previously. However, the Chancellor unveiled the successor to the capital allowances super-deduction which ends on 31 March 2023.

Key dates

The capital allowances super-deduction for companies is replaced by full expensing from 1 April 2023. Please note, the changes will only affect companies. Sole traders and partnerships do not qualify for the “full expensing” of capital purchases from 1 April 2023 but they can still claim the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA). The annual limit to qualify for the AIA is £1m of qualifying capital purchases.

This note highlights some planning points arising from this change.

Full expensing of capital expenditure

The super-deduction for companies ends on 31 March 2023. It is replaced by full expensing for capital expenditure from 1 April 2023. This applies only to companies and will be available in respect of qualifying expenditure incurred in the three-year period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026. The expenditure which will qualify for full expensing is that which is eligible for main rate writing down allowances. A 50% first-year allowance will continue to apply for the same period for expenditure which is eligible for special rate capital allowances. Expenditure on cars does not qualify for first-year allowances.

Full expensing provides immediate relief for capital expenditure in full in the accounting period in which it is incurred. Unlike the annual investment allowance (AIA), there is no limit on the qualifying expenditure which can be deducted. Full expensing will therefore benefit companies who incur significant capital expenditure in excess of the AIA limit of £1 million. Likewise, there is no limit on the expenditure that will be eligible for the 50% first-year allowance.

Companies incurring significant capital expenditure have a choice of allowances. It should be remembered that capital allowances do not have to be claimed and can be tailored. Balancing charges will apply if the asset is subsequently sold as the disposal proceeds are brought into charge.

The super-deduction is an enhanced first-year capital allowance that allows companies to deduct 130% of the qualifying expenditure in the accounting period in which it is claimed. This provides the highest rate of relief, but time is very short to take advantage of this as unconditional contracts must be signed before 1 April 2023 in order to benefit.

From 1 April 2023, companies incurring expenditure eligible for main rate writing down allowances can receive 100% relief in the period in which it is incurred, either by full expensing or, where the expenditure for the year is less than £1 million, by claiming the AIA. Where significant capital projects are on the horizon with an annual cost in excess of £1 million, it would be advisable where possible to incur the expenditure before 1 April 2026 to benefit from immediate relief on the full amount.

Where a company incurs expenditure that would be eligible for the special rate writing down allowances, claiming the AIA is the best option where this remains available. Once this has been used up, claiming the 50% first-year allowance will provide the greatest deduction and secure relief at the earliest opportunity.

A reminder that full expensing and the 50% first-year allowance are not available to unincorporated businesses. However, the self-employed can benefit from immediate and full relief by claiming the AIA, the limit of which has been permanently set at £1 million.

 

On 15 March 2023, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt presented his first Budget to Parliament and set out a plan to reduce inflation, grow the economy and get government debt falling all whilst avoiding a recession and tackling labour shortages.

Below we set out some of the main points.

COST OF LIVING SUPPORT

Energy Costs

The Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) brings a typical household energy bill in Great Britain down to around £2,500 per year. It has now been announced that the £2,500 EPG will be extended by 3 months to 30th June 2023, before increasing to £3,000 until the end of the EPG period on 31 March 2024. This extra 3 months at £2,500 will be worth £160 for a typical household.

A new scheme for businesses, charities and the public sector has been confirmed. The Business Energy Bills Discount Scheme will run until 31 March 2024, giving non-domestic customers discounts on their gas and electricity bills.

Childcare

Additional support is being provided towards childcare costs in what the government describe as a ‘childcare revolution’. This includes 30 hours of free childcare for every child over the age of 9 months, with support being phased in until every eligible working parent of under 5s gets this support by September 2025.

For Universal Credit claimants, the government will also pay childcare costs in advance rather than arrears, when parents move into work or increase their hours. The maximum they can claim will also be boosted to £951 for one child and £1,630 for two children, an increase of around 50%.

Benefits and State Pension

As confirmed at Autumn Statement 2022, the government will also increase benefits, including the State Pension, paid to recipients in the tax year to 5 April 2024 by 10.1%.

This increase in the State Pension means that most pensioners will receive £10,600 in 2023/24, where they have 35 qualifying years. Individuals are being urged to check their contribution record on their Government Gateway account and consider making Class 3 voluntary National Insurance (NI) contributions in respect of missing qualifying years. Normally it is only possible to make voluntary NI contributions for the past 6 tax years, but until 31 July 2023, it is possible to go back as far as 6 April 2006 and pay additional contributions at the 2022/23 Class 3 rate of £15.85 per week.

In-year Class 3 contributions for 2023/24 will increase to £17.45 per week.

INCOME TAX

Increasing liabilities

The personal allowance and basic rate band threshold are now frozen in place until 5 April 2028. As earnings increase, individuals will move into higher tax bands. This is often referred to as ‘fiscal drag’ because it will raise more tax without the government increasing income tax rates.

The personal allowance continues to be partially and then fully withdrawn for higher earners, with £1 of personal allowance lost for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000.

Summary table of key income tax rates and allowances for the tax year to 5 April 2024 (2023/24)

Band	Taxable Income	Tax rate in 2023/24
		Other income	Savings income	Dividend income
Personal allowance	Up to £12,570	0%	0%	0%
Basic rate	£12,571 – £50,270	20%	20%	8.75%
Higher rate	£50,271 – £125,140	40%	40%	33.75%
Additional rate	Over £125,140	45%	45%	39.35%

Other allowances

Savings income continues to benefit from a personal savings allowance of £1,000 for basic rate taxpayers and £500 for higher rate taxpayers. Dividend income attracts a £1,000 dividend allowance in 2023/24, down from the £2,000 allowance seen in previous years. These allowances are in addition to the personal allowance and attract a 0% rate of income tax.

Pension tax relief

There was good news in the Budget for those saving in a personal pension. The current pension lifetime allowance (LTA) charge is being abolished from 6 April 2023. The LTA has caused some high earners, particularly doctors, to retire early as tax charges apply on crystallisation of pension funds if the LTA (currently £1,073,100) is exceeded.

Individuals may be able to receive 25% of their pension savings as a tax-free lump sum when they become entitled to their pension benefits. This is currently capped at 25% of the LTA and going forwards, for most individuals, will remain capped at £268,275.

Another pension limit increased by the Chancellor in the Budget was the pension Annual Allowance (AA) which increases from £40,000 to £60,000 from 6 April 2023. The AA applies to the combined pension input by the individual and, in the case of employees, their employer. Pension contributions in excess of the AA result in a tax charge on the individual, although they may take advantage of unused AA amounts from the 3 previous tax years.

For those with high incomes, the AA is tapered. From 6 April 2023, where a taxpayer’s adjusted income exceeds £260,000 (increasing from £240,000), the AA is tapered by £1 for every £2 in excess of £260,000, down to a minimum of £10,000 (increasing from £4,000).

The Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA) replaces the AA when an individual starts to flexibly access a defined contribution pension scheme. The MPAA will increase from £4,000 to £10,000 on 6 April 2023.

Note that an individual’s pension contributions can be very tax efficient depending on their level of income.

The taxation rules for pensions are complex as there have been numerous changes in recent years so please talk to us about your pension contribution strategy.

Tax Efficient Savings

There were no changes to the annual limits for Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), Child Trust Funds or the Junior ISA. These limits remain at £20,000, £9,000 and £9,000 respectively.

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

In the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that the £12,300 annual tax-free capital gains tax exemption (or allowance) will be reduced to just £6,000 in 2023/24 and only £3,000 in 2024/25.

This change will mean that those disposing of capital assets will pay more tax, where the new lower allowance is exceeded.

Couples who are in the process of separating, or who have commenced divorce proceedings, need to be aware of new rules taking effect from 6 April 2023 concerning the transfer of capital assets between them as a result of their separation.

If you are planning any capital disposals, please contact us to discuss the best strategy for the disposal.

INHERITANCE TAX

In the 2023 Autumn Statement, the inheritance tax nil rate band was frozen at £325,000 until April 2028. The residence nil rate band will also remain at £175,000 and the residence nil rate band taper will continue to start at £2 million.

If you anticipate your estate giving rise to inheritance tax in the future, please contact us to discuss measures that could potentially be put in place, alongside asset distribution within your family.

VAT

The VAT registration and deregistration thresholds continue to be frozen at £85,000 and £83,000 respectively, instead of increasing each year in line with inflation. This will remain the case until March 2026.

Since 1 January 2023, a new penalty regime has been in operation for late VAT return submission and late payment of VAT. The new system is designed to target more persistent offenders, with penalties escalating quickly where defaults reoccur.

BUSINESS TAXES

National Insurance Contributions (NIC) for the self-employed in 2023/24

Self-employed individuals are required to pay Class 2 and Class 4 NICs if their profits exceed £12,570. These NICs are usually collected with the individual’s income tax self-assessment payments.

For 2023/24, Class 2 NICs are calculated at £3.45 per week and Class 4 NICs are calculated at 9% on profits between £12,570 and £50,750, and at 2% on profits over £50,750.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax

Under MTD for Income Tax, businesses will keep digital records and send a quarterly summary of their business income and expenses to HMRC using MTD-compatible software. These requirements will not be phased in until April 2026, starting with sole traders and property landlords with gross income over £50,000. Other individuals subject to Income Tax will follow at a later stage.

Tax Relief for expenditure on plant and machinery

The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), giving 100% tax relief to unincorporated businesses and companies investing in qualifying plant and machinery, is now permanently set at £1million.

The super-deduction, which gives enhanced 130% relief for new qualifying plant and machinery acquired by companies, will end on 31 March 2023.

As a replacement for the super-deduction, ‘full expensing’ (effectively 100% tax relief, called a ‘First Year Allowance’ (FYA)) will be available to companies incurring expenditure on new qualifying plant and machinery between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2026. The qualifying criteria is quite broad although there are exclusions, including cars and features integral to a building (for example, heating systems). With regard to ‘integral features’, a smaller 50% FYA will be available. Subsequent disposals of assets on which one of these FYAs has been claimed will trigger a clawback of tax relief at a rate of 100% or 50% of the disposal proceeds, depending on the rate of the original relief. These new FYAs will mainly be of interest to companies that have already fully utilised their £1million AIA.

The separate 100% FYA for electric vehicle charge points remains available for unincorporated businesses and companies until Spring 2025.

Unincorporated businesses and their accounting year-ends

Unincorporated businesses that prepare annual accounts to a date other than 31 March or 5 April will soon need to adopt a new process for how the profits or losses arising in those accounts are reported to HMRC.

At present, ‘basis period’ rules apply that broadly allow annual accounts that end in a tax year to act as the basis of profits or losses arising in that tax year.

This new system starts with transitional rules in the tax year ending on 5 April 2024 (2023/24). Going forwards, actual profits or losses arising in a tax year must be reported to HMRC, but this does not necessarily require a change in accounting year-end.

Unfortunately, this will make it harder for some self-employed individuals to predict their income tax liabilities, but we will be on hand to help you.

CORPORATE TAXES

New rates from 1 April 2023

From 1 April 2023, the rate of Corporation Tax will increase to 25% if a company’s profits exceed £250,000 a year. The current 19% rate will however continue to apply where profits are no more than £50,000 a year.

Where a company’s profits fall between £50,000 and £250,000 a year, the profits are taxed at the higher 25% rate, but a ‘marginal relief’ is given to reduce the liability, with the effective rate being closer to 19% for those with profits just over £50,000.

Companies in the same corporate group (or otherwise connected by association) must share the £50,000 and £250,000 thresholds between them, making the 25% rate more likely to apply.

Research & Development (R&D) Reliefs

From 1 April 2023 a raft of changes is coming to the R&D tax relief regime and claimant companies should consider obtaining updated advice if they’ve not already done so. The key changes are:

• The Research and Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC) available to non-SME companies will be increased from 13% to 20%.
• For SME companies, R&D tax relief rates will be reduced from 230% to 186%.
• For loss-making SME companies, the current payable credit of 14.5% will only be available for companies whose R&D expenditure constitutes at least 40% of their total expenditure. For R&D claimants that don’t meet the new 40% test, the payable credit will be reduced from 14.5% to 10% of the eligible loss.
• Qualifying R&D expenditure will be expanded to include data licences and cloud computing services.
• New claimants (those who have not made a claim in the previous 3 years) will be required to inform HMRC of their intention to make a R&D claim within 6 months of the end of the accounting period to which the claim relates.

From 1 August 2023, additional information requirements will need to be fulfilled when making a R&D claim.

Creative industries tax reliefs

The government continues to support the creative industries by reforming and enhancing film, TV and video games tax reliefs. The government will also extend the temporary higher rates of theatre, orchestra, and museums and galleries tax reliefs for 2 further years until April 2025.

EMPLOYMENT TAXES

National Insurance Contributions (NICs)

Like the main income tax bandings, employer and employee NIC thresholds are now also frozen until 5 April 2028. This broadly means that employers’ NIC will continue to apply at 13.8% to earnings in excess of £9,100 a year (£175 per week) and employees will continue to pay 12% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% thereafter.

Company Cars and Other Benefits

Employees are required to pay income tax on certain non-cash benefits. For example, the provision of a company car constitutes a taxable ‘benefit in kind’. Employers also pay Class 1A NIC at 13.8% on the value of benefits.

The set percentages used to calculate company car benefits are fixed until 5 April 2025 before slight increases apply to most car types, including electronic and ultra-low emission, from 6 April 2025.

More imminently, the figures used to calculate benefits-in-kind on employer-provided vans, van fuel (for private journeys in company vans), and car fuel (for private journeys in company cars) will increase in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from 6 April 2023. These will become:

• Van benefit                         £3,960
• Van fuel benefit                  £757
• Car fuel benefit multiplier   £27,800

Share Options

From 6 April 2023, the Company Share Option Plan (CSOP) employee share options limit will increase from £30,000 to £60,000. Additionally, restrictions on the types of shares eligible for CSOP options will be lifted.

Simplifications will also be made to the process to grant Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) options. From 6 April 2023, there will no longer be a requirement for the company to set out any restrictions to the shares being acquired in the option agreement and the employee will no longer have to sign a working time declaration.

National Minimum Wage

The hourly rates applicable from 1 April 2023 are:

·       Over 23                  £10.42 ·       21 to 22                  £10.18 ·       18 to 20                  £7.49

·      Under 18             £5.28 ·      Apprentice           £5.28

 

How the October 2021 budget may affect your business or personal finances

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, presented his Autumn 2021 Budget and Spending Review on 27 October 2021.

Before taking any action based on the contents of this update, please contact us to discuss what the Budget announcements will mean for you and that consider your unique business or personal financial circumstances.

Impact on your personal taxes or finances

Income tax rates and allowances for 2022/23

As announced at the March 2021 Budget, the personal allowance will remain at its 2021/22 level of £12,570 for 2022/23, with the allowance being reduced by £1 for every £2 by which income exceeds £100,000. This means that if your income is more than £125,140 you will not receive a personal allowance for 2022/23. You may wish to consider making pension contributions or gift aid donations to preserve your personal allowance and avoid paying tax at the high marginal rate of 60% that applies on income between £100,000 and £125,140.

The rates of income tax remain unchanged, with the basic rate staying at 20%, the higher rate at 40% and the additional rate at 45%. The basic rate band remains at £37,700. The additional rate of 45% will continue to apply to taxable income more than £150,000.

The freezing of the thresholds may mean that if your income keeps pace with inflation, you may move into a higher tax band and pay tax at a higher marginal rate.

The married couple’s allowance, available where at least one spouse or civil partner was born before 6 April 1935, is increased to £9,415. The income limit, above which the allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 by which income exceeds the limit until the minimum amount of the allowance is reached, is set at £31,400. The minimum amount of the married couple’s allowance increases to £3,640 for 2022/23.

The rates and thresholds applying in Scotland to the non-savings non-dividend income of Scottish taxpayers will be announced in the Scottish Budget on 9 December.

National Insurance increases

As part of the Government’s plan for health and social care funding, the rate of Class 1 and Class 4 National Insurance contributions are increased by 1.25% for 2022/23 only. This means that the main primary rate payable by employees will be 13.25% and the additional primary rate will be 3.25%, while the main rate of Class 4 contributions payable by the self-employed will be 9.25% and the additional Class 4 rate will be 3.25%. The rates payable by employers (secondary Class 1, Class 1A and Class 1B) are also increased by 1.25% for 2022/23, to 15.05%. The rates will revert to their 2021/22 levels from 6 April 2023 when the new Health and Social Care Levy comes into effect.

The upper earnings limit for primary Class 1 purposes (and the associated upper secondary thresholds) and the upper profits limit for Class 4 remain frozen at £967 per week (£4,189 per month, £50,270 per year) for 2022/23. The other thresholds are increased in line with inflation. As a result, the lower earnings limit increases to £123 per week, the primary threshold increases to £190 per week and the secondary threshold increases to £175 per week. A new secondary threshold for Freeport employees of £481 per week applies from 6 April 2022.

The increases in the National Insurance rates and changes to the thresholds will affect your take home pay. If you operate your business through a personal or family company, they will also impact on your profit extraction strategy.

We can help you determine your optimal salary level for 2022/23 and re-examine your remuneration strategy based on this and other budget changes.

The rate of Class 2 National Insurance, payable by the self-employed, is increased to £3.15 per week for 2022/23 and the small profits threshold rises to £6,725. The rate of voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions rises to £15.85 per week for 2022/23.

Health and Social Care Levy

A new levy, the Health and Social Care Levy, will apply from 6 April 2023. The funds raised for the levy will be ring fenced to meet health and adult social care costs. Payment of the levy is linked to earnings on which a qualifying National Insurance contribution is payable. This is a Class 1 (employee’s and employer’s) contribution, a Class 1A contribution, a Class 1B contribution and a Class 4 contribution. The levy is payable at the rate of 1.25% on the earnings on which a National Insurance contribution would be due.

However, unlike National Insurance contributions, an individual’s liability to pay the Health and Social Care Levy does not come to an end when the individual reaches state pension age.

Associated changes mean that from October 2023, a cap is introduced on the amount that an eligible person will have to contribute to the costs of personal care over their lifetime. This is to be set at £86,000.

We can advise on the impact of the Levy and what the costs cap will mean for you.

Dividend tax increases

As part of the funding plan for health and social care, dividend tax rates are similarly increased by 1.25% from 6 April 2022.

Anyone who operates their business through a personal or family company and extracts profits in the form of a small salary plus dividends will typically pay little or no National Insurance. As the Health and Social Care Levy is linked to National Insurance contributions, where this low salary strategy is adopted, they will either not pay the levy or pay it at a low rate. To address this and to ensure those operating through a personal or family company contribute towards health and social care costs, dividend tax rates are increased by the amount of the levy.

From 6 April 2022, the ordinary dividend tax rate will be 8.75% (currently 7.5%), the upper dividend tax rate will be 33.75% (currently 32.5%) and the higher dividend tax rate will be 39.35% (currently 38.1%).

The increase in the dividend tax rates will also impact on your profit extraction strategy. As the increase does not come into effect until 6 April 2022, it may be useful to review your dividend policy for 2021/22 to decide whether it is worth taking more dividends in 2021/22 to take advantage of the current, lower, rates. Whether this is beneficial will depend on your personal circumstances. We can help you decide.

The increases in the dividend tax rates will also affect you if you receive dividends from investments in shares.

Increase in the minimum pension age

The normal minimum pension age (NMPA) is the age at which most pension savers can access their pensions without incurring an unauthorised pension tax charge (unless they take their pension earlier due to ill-health). Registered pension schemes cannot normally pay benefits to members until they reach the NMPA (except in the case of ill-health).

The NMPA is to increase from 55 to 57 from 6 April 2028.

The change will affect you if you were born on or after 6 April 1973. If affected, you will need to wait until age 57 to access pension benefits without suffering an unauthorised payments charge (unless the scheme has a protected pension age). This will need to be considered in your ongoing retirement planning.

If you were co-ordinating your business exit planning with your 55^th birthday, this will also need to be rescheduled.

Contact us to discuss what this change may mean for you.

Longer payment and reporting window for residential capital gains

If you sell a property that has not been your main residence throughout the period that you have owned it, for example, an investment property or a second home, you will have to pay capital gains tax if the chargeable gain exceeds your available annual exempt amount. The tax is payable at the residential rates of 18% where income and gains fall within the basic rate limit and at 28% once this has been used up.

The time limit for reporting residential capital gains and making a payment on account of the tax due is increased from 30 days to 60 days from Budget Day (27 October 2021).

If you have recently disposed of a residential property which has not been your main home throughout, we can help you.

Impact on your business taxes or finance

Extension of the AIA temporary limit

The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) is a capital allowance that allows unincorporated businesses and companies to claim a deduction of 100% of the qualifying expenditure up to the amount of the annual limit. The AIA limit was temporarily increased from its permanent level of £200,000 to £1 million on 1 January 2019. Following an extension of one year, it was due to return to its permanent level of £200,000 from 1 January 2022.

However, the Chancellor has announced a further extension of the temporary limit, and the AIA will remain at £1 million until 31 March 2023. This removes the pressure to undertake capital expenditure by 31 December 2021 to benefit from higher limit.

Super-deductions

Companies can also benefit from a super-deduction of 130% of the amount of any expenditure that would otherwise qualify for main rate writing down allowances at 18% where the expenditure is incurred between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2023. This is a better option for companies than the AIA.

Companies can also benefit from a 50% first-year allowance for expenditure within the same window that would otherwise qualify for a special rate writing down allowance of 6%. The AIA will trump the first-year allowance, but once the AIA limit has been used, it could be worthwhile claiming a first-year allowance.

We can help you plan your capital expenditure to optimise your capital allowances claims.

Business rates

Changes were announced in respect of business rates.

The business rates multipliers are frozen for a second year until 31 March 2023. The small business multiplier is set at 49.9p and the standard multiplier at 51.2p. Different rates apply in London and in Wales. The freezing of the multipliers will mean that your business rates will not increase in 2022/23.

Eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties will benefit from a 50% relief in their business rates for 2022/23, subject to a cap of £110,000 per business.

A relief is also being introduced for improvements to business properties which will delay the start date of higher business rates triggered by the improvements for 12 months. The Government are to consult on how to implement the relief, which will take effect from 2023 and will be reviewed in 2028. If you are planning improvements to your business premises, this may benefit you.

From 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2035, a targeted business rates exemption will apply for eligible plant and machinery used in onsite renewable energy generation and storage, and a 100% relief will be available for eligible heat networks. This is to support the decarbonisation of non-domestic buildings.

From 2023, business rate revaluations will take place every three years rather than every five years.

Transitional relief for small and medium-sized businesses is extended for one year, which will restrict bill increases to 15% for small properties (i.e., those with a rateable value of up to £20,000 or up to £28,000 in Greater London), and to 25% for medium properties (i.e., those with a rateable value of up to £100,000).

Recovery loan scheme

The recovery loan scheme, which was due to end on 31 December 2021, has been extended by six months and will now run until 30 June 2022. If you need funding to help you recover from the impact of the pandemic, speak to us to see if this will be the right type of funding for you.

Freeport sites announced

Freeport tax sites benefit from a range of tax incentives to encourage businesses to operate from a Freeport Tax Site. The first tax sites will be in sited in Humber, Teesside, and Thames. If you are planning to start a new business or relocate to any of these sites, we can explain the tax advantages that may be available to you.

Making Tax Digital

The next key date in the Making Tax Digital (MTD) calendar is 1 April 2022. VAT registered business with turnover below the VAT registration threshold of £85,000, who have not joined MTD for VAT voluntarily, will be required to join from the start of their first VAT accounting period which begins on or after 1 April 2022. If you fall into this category, we can help you get ready for this change which will involve maintaining suitable digital records and submit digital VAT returns in an appropriate format.

As previously announced, the start date for MTD for Income Tax Self-Assessment (ITSA) has been put back by one year. It will now apply to sole traders and landlords with income of more than £10,000 from 6 April 2024. This will involve the submission of quarterly digital reports, and an end of period statement and final declaration.

However, MTD for ITSA will not apply to general partnerships (i.e., those without corporate partners) until 6 April 2025. A later, as yet unspecified start date applies to other partnerships (i.e., those with corporate partners or LLPS). It is therefore possible to push MTD ITSA further into the future by entering into a qualifying partnership arrangement.

We can help you understand what MTD for ITSA means for you, and when you will need to comply.

Basis period reform

To pave the way for the introduction of MTD for ITSA, the basis period rules are to be reformed for self-employed traders.

Currently, the profits that are assessed for a tax year are those for the accounting period ending in that tax year. For example, if you prepare accounts to 31 December, the profits for the year to 31 December 2021 are assessed in 2021/22.

However, this is all to change and the profits that will be assessed in the tax year will be those for the tax year (i.e., profits from 6 April to 5 April or, where preferred, 1 April to 31 March). As with MTD for ITSA, these reforms have been delayed by one year. A tax year basis period will apply from 6 April 2024, with 2023/24 being a transitional year.

If you do not currently prepare accounts to 31 March (or 5 April), you may want to consider changing your accounting date. We can explain how the rules will work, and how the transitional year changes will affect you.

If you have any questions regarding the budget then email us office@wfrancisandco.co.uk or call us on 01242 370298.

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, presented his 2021 Budget on 3 March 2021. The extent to which the measures will affect you will depend on your personal circumstances.

Impact on individuals 

Personal allowance and income tax thresholds frozen

The personal allowance is increased in line with inflation to £12,570 for 2021/22. However, it will remain at this level for the next five years, until April 2026. The basic rate band will also remain at £37,700 for the next five years, freezing the starting point for paying higher rate at £50,270 until April 2026.

If your income increases during this period, for example, your pay rises in line with inflation, you may find that you move into the higher rate band, paying tax on some of your income at 40% where previously you were a basic rate taxpayer.

The basic rate of tax will remain at 20%, the higher rate at 40% and the additional rate at 45%.

Covid support continues

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is extended until 30 September 2021. This means that if you have been furloughed or flexibly furloughed, you will continue to be paid 80% of your normal wages for your unworked hours, subject to the cap of £2,500 per month.

If you are self-employed and your business has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, you will be able to claim two further grants under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

Pension lifetime allowance frozen

The pension lifetime allowance will not be increased in line with inflation over the next five years. Instead, it will remain at its current level of £1,073,100 for 2021/22 to 2025/26. This may affect you if you already have pension savings at or near this level. If this is the case, you should review the amount of your pension pot before making further tax-relieved contributions.

Pension savings more than the lifetime allowance are taxed at 25% if the excess is taken as a pension, and at 55% if it is taken as a lump sum.

SDLT threshold to remain at £500,000 until 30 June 2021

The temporary increase in the SDLT threshold to £500,000 will remain in place until 30 June 2021. It will then fall to £250,000 until 30 September 2021, returning to the standard amount of £125,000 from 1 October 2021. If you are looking to move to a new house or to buy an investment property, there is still time to benefit from the higher threshold.

These comments refer to rates in England and Northern Ireland, the devolved administrations of Wales and Scotland may set alternative rates.

Inheritance tax nil rate band to remain at £325,000

The inheritance tax nil rate band will remain at its current level of £325,000 until April 2026. The residence nil rate band, available where your main residence is left to a direct descendant, also remains at its current level of £175,000 until April 2026. This should be considered when undertaking inheritance tax planning.

Impact on the self-employed

Two further grants available under the SEISS

If you are self-employed and you continue to be adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, you will be able to claim two further grants under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS).

The fourth grant under the scheme covers February to April 2021. It is worth three months’ average profits capped at £7,500. It can be claimed from late April.

The fifth and final grant covers the period from May to September 2021. The amount of the grant will depend on the impact that Covid-19 has had on your profits. If your turnover has fallen by 30% or more because of Covid-19, you will be able to claim a grant equal to 80% of your average profits for three months, capped at £7,500. However, if your turnover has dropped by less than 30%, you will be entitled to a reduced grant of 30% of three months’ average profits, capped at £2,880. The final grant can be claimed from late July.

Remember, you can only claim the grant if you have been adversely affected by the pandemic.

Grants received under the scheme are taxable and must be considered in working out your profits.

Help for the newly self-employed

Support under the SEISS was not available to traders who commenced self-employment in 2019/20 – to qualify a tax return had to be filed for 2018/19. However, as the deadline for filing the 2019/20 tax return has now passed, you may be eligible for the fourth and fifth grants if your 2019/20 tax return was filed by midnight on 2 March 2021. To qualify, your business must be adversely affected by the pandemic and your profits from self-employment must be at least 50% of your income and less than £50,000.

Carry-back period for losses extended

The period for which losses may be carried back is temporarily extended from one year to three years. For unincorporated businesses, the extended carry-back will apply to losses made in 2020/21 and 2021/22. Losses must be set against a later period before an earlier period.

If you have suffered losses due to Covid-19, carrying back losses for up to three years may generate a most welcome tax repayment.

Impact on small companies

Tax-efficient extraction of profits

For 2021/22, the primary threshold for Class 1 National Insurance purposes increases to £9,568, the secondary threshold to £8,840 and the personal allowance to £12,570.

If you extract profits by taking a mix of salary and dividends, the optimal salary level for 2021/22 (assuming you have not used your personal allowance elsewhere) will be equal to the primary threshold of £9,568 (equivalent to £797 a month) if you are not entitled to the employment allowance. This will be the case if you are a personal company with only one employee who is also a director. At this level, you will have a little bit of employer’s National Insurance to pay, but this will be outweighed by the associated corporation tax deduction.

If you can claim the employment allowance, for example, if your company is a family company with at least two employees, the optimal salary for 2021/22 is equal to the personal allowance of £12,570.

Any further profits can be extracted as dividends but remember you can only pay dividends if you have sufficient retained profits to pay them from. Dividend tax rates remain at 7.5%, 32.5% and 38.1% for 2021/22.

Three-year carry back for losses

Companies, like unincorporated businesses, can benefit from a measure allowing losses to be carried back for three years, rather than for one year. For companies, this applies to losses incurred in accounting periods ending between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021 and to losses for accounting periods ending between 1 April 2021 and 30 March 2022. Losses carried back must be used against a later period before an earlier period.

This measure may provide you with earlier relief for losses suffered because of the Covid-19 pandemic and generate a useful tax repayment at a time where cash flow is tight.

Super-deduction for investment expenditure

Companies that invest in plant and machinery in the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2023 will be able to benefit from enhanced capital allowances. Investments in assets that qualify for the main rate of capital allowances of 18% will benefit from a 130% first-year allowance. This means that for every £100 that you spend, you can deduct £130 in computing your taxable profits. This is equivalent to a tax saving of 24.7%.

Investments in assets qualifying for special rate capital allowances benefit from a 50% first year allowance (although claiming the annual investment allowance instead where this is available will be more beneficial).

If you are looking to invest in plant and machinery, it can be advantageous to do so within this window to benefit from the super-deduction. However, it is not available where contracts were agreed before Budget day.

Future increases in corporation tax

To help meet some of the costs of the pandemic, companies with profits of £250,000 or more will pay corporation tax at a rate of 25% from 1 April 2023. A lower rate of 19% will apply to companies with profits of £50,000 or less. Companies with profits of between £50,000 and £250,000 will pay corporation tax at the 25% but will be able to claim marginal relief. The thresholds will be proportionately reduced to take account of associated companies and short accounting periods.

Extension of the Coronavirus job Retention Scheme

If you have furloughed or flexibly furloughed employees, you will be able to continue to claim grant support under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until the end of September.

Until the end of June, you can claim 80% of your employee’s normal pay for their unworked hours, subject to the cap of £2,500. However, while your employees must continue to receive 80% of their normal pay for their furloughed hours, you can only claim 70% from the Government in July and 60% in August and September. You must pay the remaining 10% in July and the remaining 20% August and September. As now, you must meet the employer’s National Insurance and employer pension contributions on all payments to employees.

The scheme will come to an end on 30 September 2021.

 

If you need any more information regarding matters discussed in this report, please call 01242 370298 or email office@wfrancisandco.co.uk

On Wednesday 11 March 2020, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his budget £7 billion of extraordinary measures to help support businesses and individuals who will be affected by the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak.

A brief summary of the Budget in respect of the Coronavirus is as follows:

• The cost of statutory sick pay (SSP) for Coronavirus-related absence will be covered for businesses with fewer than 250 employees. SSP will be available to all those advised to self-isolate even if they haven’t yet presented with symptoms, people will soon be able to obtain a sick note by contacting 111 rather than having to go to the doctors.
• For businesses with fewer than 250 employees, the cost of providing statutory sick pay to any employee of work due to Coronavirus will, for up to 14 days, be refunded by the government in full.
• Those on contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) will be able to claim from day one instead of day eight.
• HM Revenue & Customs will “scale up” the Time To Pay service, which enables tax owed to be paid in instalments, allowing businesses and the self-employed to defer tax payments over an agreed period of time. A dedicated helpline with 2,000 staff has now launched.
• Business rates will be abolished for shops, cinemas, restaurants and music venues with a rateable value of less than £51,000.
• Extending this, 100% retail discount to others in the leisure and hospitality sector: museums, art galleries and theatres, caravan parks and gyms, small hotels and B&Bs, sports clubs, nightclubs, clubhouses and guest houses.
• For small businesses currently eligible for the small business rate relief, there will be a £3,000 cash grant per business, representing a £2 billion cash injection to 700,000 small businesses.

Information correct as at 11 March 2020.

If you have any questions please get in touch by emailing office@wfrancisandco.co.uk or call 01242 370298.

Yesterday the Chancellor, Philip Hammond announced the 2018 Budget. Please see the link below that summarises the key points:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46017125