How to be tax efficient as a company director in 2025/26

How to be tax efficient as a company director in 2025/26

With the changes announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn 2024 budget now coming into effect, it is important for businesses and individuals to plan their tax affairs in a tax efficient way. Tax planning has become even more crucial in an environment where tax thresholds are constantly shifting and the political landscape ever changing. One key area of focus for owner-managed businesses and SMEs will be determining the most tax efficient directors’ salaries to optimise both the director’s and company’s tax position. The Chancellor announced several changes last Autumn that will affect limited company directors in the upcoming 2025/26 tax year. This blog will provide ways to navigate these new legislative changes.

Key Changes

The 2024 Autumn Budget introduced the following changes:

  • The employer’s national insurance contribution (NIC) rate will increase from 13.8% to 15% from April 2025.
  • The threshold for employer’s NICs (the secondary threshold) will be reduced from £9,100 to £5,000 from April 2025.
  • The employment allowance will increase to £10,500, up from £5,000, from April 2025. This means eligible employers will be able to reduce their annual NIC liability by up to £10,500. To be eligible for the employment allowance, the company must have employer’s class 1 NICs less than £100,000 in the prior tax year. The employment allowance isn’t available for sole director only payrolls, so the payroll must be run for either one non-director, or at least two employees if one of them is a director, who earn more than the secondary threshold. The restrictions around the employment allowance only being available for one company in a group (also known as connected companies) still applies.

What is the most tax efficient salary?

For the tax year ending 5 April 2026, the tax efficient salary topped up with dividends approach continues to be tax efficient. The optimum level of salary and dividends will depend on the company’s and director’s personal circumstances. The most common circumstances are given below.

Scenario 1a: Sole director with no employees

This scenario will mean that the company is not eligible for the employment allowance.

Here an annual salary of £5,000 is paid; as the company will not qualify for the employment allowance, this salary is set at the second threshold. No income tax or national insurance liabilities will arise but, as the salary is below the Lower Earnings Limit of £6,500 this will not be a qualifying year for state pension purposes for the director.

The remaining remuneration from the company will then be in the form of dividends. The director could take £45,270 in the year to take their level of income up to £50,270, being the top of the basic rate band. This assumes that the director has no other taxable income.

Scenario 1b: Sole director with no employees

In this scenario a salary of £6,500 is paid. Whilst a small employer’s NIC liability of £225 arises, no income tax or national insurance liabilities arise for the employee and the director will earn a qualifying year for state pension purposes.

As in scenario 1b, the remainder of the director’s remuneration can then be paid as dividends.

Scenario 2: More than one director or employee

Depending on the particular circumstances, if the company has multiple directors or employees, the company may then be eligible for the employment allowance.

In this instance a salary of £12,570 is paid. No income tax or national insurance will be payable by the employee or employer (on the basis that the employment allowance covers the employer’s NICs). This will also be a qualifying year for state pension purposes and the higher salary means greater corporation tax relief for the company.

The balance of the director’s remuneration can then again be paid in dividends.

Next Steps

To prepare for these changes, you should consider:

  • Checking your payroll and tax status – If you are employed, check how the national insurances changes will impact your salary and how you will be affected.
  • Plan for long-term effects – In the long run, these increases and changes could impact the company’s and your personal finances. Planning ahead will give a clearer picture of what to expect.
  • Contact Wellden Turnbull today – We have a dedicated team of tax advisers and accountants who can assist all your business’s needs, especially with regards to these changes. Whether you’re a business owner or an individual, our team is committed to helping you navigate complex financial landscapes and achieve long-term financial success.

Summary

Overall, the most tax efficient directors’ salary is very much dependent on your company’s circumstances.  The particular level of salary and dividends will be dependent on the number of directors/employees as well as other factors such as whether the company is entitled to the employment allowance and what rate of corporation tax the company pays.

Get in touch

If you need further guidance on the changes and how they will impact your business, please contact us at: info@wtca.co.uk

Goodbye P11ds!

The transition from P11D reporting to Payrolled Benefits in Kind

The landscape of tax reporting has seen significant changes since the introduction of the P11D form in the 1960s. To modernise the reporting and payment of taxes on employment benefits such as private healthcare, HMRC introduced the voluntary payrolling of Benefits in Kind (BIKs) in April 2016. This system allows employers to process BIKs through the payroll, eliminating the need for employees to pay taxes on these benefits in arrears.

As confirmed in the 2024 Autumn Budget, HMRC will be mandating the payrolling of all BIKs, effectively removing the need for P11D forms entirely from April 2026. This significant shift is set to impact approximately four million employees, streamlining the collection of income tax and eliminating the delays caused by the current system.

Under the new approach, taxes on BIKs will be collected in real time, alongside regular pay.

How Payrolling BIKs works

Under the new framework, BIKs will be reported through the Full Payment Submission (FPS), which is submitted to HMRC on or before each pay date. Currently, the FPS includes two fields related to BIKs:

  • Value of benefits taxed via payroll in the pay period
  • Value of benefits taxed via payroll year-to-date

However, with the full transition to mandatory payrolling in 2026, it is expected that additional fields will be introduced to the FPS to capture a more detailed breakdown of BIKs. This change will require employers to maintain detailed and separate records of each benefit to ensure an accurate audit trail.

How we can help

This transition may pose challenges for many businesses, particularly those without a dedicated payroll department. Graeme Witt MCIPP dip, manager of our payroll department, is available to help businesses navigate these changes. With over 20 years of experience in payroll services, Graeme and his team are well-equipped to guide your business through the complexities of payrolling BIKs and ensure compliance with all new regulations. If you would like to learn more or need assistance with the upcoming changes, feel free to reach out to Graeme for expert advice and support.

Still to do your tax return?

As we welcome 2025, there are still 5.4m taxpayers who have yet to file their 2023/24 self assessment returns, compared to 5.7m who were yet to file at the start of 2024.

This year, 300,000 more people have ticked this task off their to-do list before entering the New Year, with many opting to submit their return during the Christmas break.

However, the clock is ticking for those who still need to file, as the 31 January deadline approaches. Despite the festive filers, millions remain at risk of leaving it until the last minute.

Getting ahead during Christmas 

More taxpayers wanted to get their self assessment done and dusted before heading into 2025, with many using the week during Christmas to get organised.

HMRC has reported that 40,072 tax returns were filed over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day – 14,303 more than the same period last year.

This increase can be down to Christmas Eve falling on a weekday. With many choosing work over last-minute shopping, 23,731 tax returns were filed on 24 December, compared to just 8,876 filed the previous year. More people were therefore able to enjoy the festivities without tax looming over their Christmas dinners.

On Christmas Day itself, 4,409 returns were submitted followed by 11,932 filed on Boxing Day.

A strong finish to the year 

Taxpayers clearly felt more organised this year, with New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day seeing more returns filed than the year before.

HMRC revealed that 38,000 had squeezed theirs in before the bells rang on 31 December, which was 12,407 more returns filed than last year. A total of 310 submitted their return in the nick of time, filing between 23:00 and 23:59.

Changes to lease accounting

Amendments to FRS 102 which come into effect for periods commencing on or after 1 January 2026, will have a considerable impact on how leases are accounted for lessees. The accounting for lessors is unchanged.

Currently, leases are split between operating leases and finance leases, with operating lease payments taken straight to the P&L, and finance leases capitalised.

This distinction is being removed, meaning far more leases will be recognised in the balance sheet of companies, like they currently are with finance leases. A right-of-use asset is recognised and depreciated, and a corresponding lease liability is recognised and interest charged over the lease term.

There are a couple of exemptions, namely low-value assets (not leases) or short-term leases (12 months or less). So leased laptops, phones and small items of furniture are likely to still be expensed, but 12 month+ car hire agreements and property rentals are all required to be capitalised going forward.

There are no changes to lease accounting for micro-entities under FRS 105.

 What does this mean?

The recognition of right-of-use assets will increase many companies’ gross assets. This could move some entities from being small to medium and could impact their audit requirement.

Rent expenses will be replaced with depreciation of the right-of-use asset, and there will be increased interest expenditure from the unwinding of the lease liability.

Overall the expense will still be the same over the life of the lease, but it’s likely that more expenditure will be recognised in earlier periods as the finance liability is unwound.

What should can we do to prepare?

Firstly, you should look at what leases your company has and split them into exempt leases and non-exempt leases. For the non-exempt leases that now must be capitalised, consider the information required to account for the changes:

  1. The valuation of the right-of-use asset will be needed, for something like a car. This is relatively straightforward, but for something like a property, this might be something you will need to consult an expert on.
  2. The interest rate applied on the lease liability should be that implicit in the lease (i.e. implied interest that makes the present value of the lease payments equal to the fair value of the asset), or if that cannot readily be determined, then the lessee’s incremental borrowing or obtainable borrowing rate should be used.

Will I need to restate comparatives?

No, FRS 102 does not allow the restatement of comparatives, so adjustments will be taken to reserves at the beginning of the first year under the new standard. This is practically a bit easier, but will mean a lack of comparability between say the 2026 and 2025 figures, where one will have a right-of-use asset and the other will not.

Get in touch

If you need further guidance on the changes and how they will impact your business, please contact one of our directors: info@wtca.co.uk

Changes expected to company size criteria

The changes in company size thresholds first introduced by the Conservative government are expected to come into force on 6 April 2025. This will mean some companies will fall out of the compulsory audit regime, and no longer must prepare strategic reports and cash flow statements. More companies will be able to prepare their accounts using the simpler, disclosure-minimal micro-entity reporting standards (FRS 105).

Note, there are no changes to the employee number thresholds. Only the monetary thresholds are changing.

What are the changes?

The size thresholds are expected to be as follows:

Threshold Micro Small Medium Large
Prepare accounts under: FRS 105 FRS 102 (Section 1A) FRS 102 FRS 102
Audit? Not required Not required Compulsory Compulsory
Turnover Up to £1m (previously £632,000) Up to £15m (previously £10.2m) Up to £36m (no change) Over £36m (no change)
Gross Assets Up to £500,000 (previously £316,000) Up to £7.5m (previously £5.1m) Up to £18m (no change) Over £18m (no change)
Employee Numbers Up to 10 (no change) Up to 50 (no change) Up to 250 (no change) Over 250 (no change)

In order to ascertain what accounting standards companies are able to prepare their accounts under, companies have to meet two out of the three size thresholds in two consecutive years.

Please be aware, there are complexities with companies within groups, who need to consider the size of the group as a whole, as well as the stand-alone company size to determine audit requirements.

Changes to FRS 102

Please be aware, that there are significant changes to how leases are accounted for under FRS 102 for periods beginning on or after 1 January 2026. This will stop the distinction between operating leases and finance leases, and bring many leased assets onto the balance sheet, where previously there were simply expensed. Only short-term and low value assets will remain ‘off balance sheet’. This will increase the gross assets for many small and medium sized entities, and could therefore impact the accounting standards available to them.

There are no changes for lease accounting for micro-entities.

Should I still have an audit if it is no longer required?

If you are one of the company’s that will be moving out of the audit regime, company’s can still voluntarily have an audit of their financial statements.

Get in touch

For more information on the changes to company size thresholds, or to discuss the benefits of an audit, please contact one of our directors at info@wtca.co.uk.

Our team of tax investigation accountants is also available to assist with compliance, tax planning, and audit requirements, ensuring your business is fully prepared for the upcoming changes.

 

HMRC late payment interest changes

In the October 2024 Budget, the UK government announced an increase in HMRC’s late payment interest rates.

Starting from 6 April 2025, the rate will rise by 1.5 percentage points, pushing the interest on overdue tax to the Bank of England base rate plus 4%.

With current base rates around 5%, this would translate to an approximate 9% interest on late payments.

This change reflects the government’s push for tax compliance and efficient payment collection amidst efforts to address the tax gap and strengthen public finances.

With the increase in the interest, it is even more important we receive your tax returns and accounts information as soon as possible, so we can advise of any liabilities due.

 

Autumn Budget 30.10.24 Tax Rates

Tax Rates 2024/25

Tax Cards

Welcome to the 2024-25 Tax Rates

Income Tax

Allowances 2024/25 2023/24
Personal Allowance (PA)* £12,570 £12,570
Marriage Allowance† 1,260 1,260
Blind Person’s Allowance 3,070 2,870
Rent a room relief** 7,500 7,500
Trading income** 1,000 1,000
Property income** 1,000 1,000

*PA is withdrawn at £1 for every £2 by which ‘adjusted income’ exceeds £100,000. There is no allowance given above £125,140.

†The part of the PA that is transferable to a spouse or civil partner who is not a higher or additional rate taxpayer.

** If gross income exceeds this, the limit may be deducted instead of actual expenses.

Rate bands 2024/25 2023/24
Basic Rate Band (BRB) £37,700 £37,700
Higher Rate Band (HRB) 37,701 – 125,140 37,701 – 125,140
Additional rate over 125,140 over 125,140
Personal Savings Allowance (PSA)
– Basic rate taxpayer 1,000 1,000
– Higher rate taxpayer 500 500
Dividend Allowance (DA) 500 1,000

BRB and additional rate threshold are increased by personal pension contributions (up to permitted limit) and Gift Aid donations.

Tax rates 2024/25 2023/24
Rates differ for General/Savings/Dividend income
G S D G S D
Basic rate % 20 20 8.75 20 20 8.75
Higher rate % 40 40 33.75 40 40 33.75
Additional rate % 45 45 39.35 45 45 39.35

General income (salary, pensions, business profits, rent) usually uses personal allowance, basic rate and higher rate bands before savings income (mainly interest). Scottish taxpayers are taxed at different rates on general income (see below).

To the extent that savings income falls in the first £5,000 of the basic rate band, it is taxed at nil rather than 20%.

The PSA taxes interest at nil, where it would otherwise be taxable at 20% or 40%.

Dividends are normally taxed as the ‘top slice’ of income. The DA taxes the first £500 (2023/24 £1,000) of dividend income at nil, rather than the rate that would otherwise apply.

Income tax – Scotland   2024/25 2023/24
Starter rate 19%(19%) £2,306 £2,162
Basic rate 20%(20%) 2,307 – 13,991 2,163 – 13,118
Intermediate rate 21%(21%) 13,992 – 31,092 13,119 – 31,092
Higher rate 42%(42%) 31,093 – 62,430 31,093 – 125,140
Advanced rate 45%(N/A) 62,431 – 125,140 N/A
Top rate 48%(47%) over 125,140 125,140

Savings and dividend income are taxed at normal UK rates.

High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC)

1% of child benefit for each £200 (2023/24: £100) of adjusted net income between £60,000 and £80,000 (2023/24: £50,000 and £60,000).

Remittance basis charge 2024/25 2023/24
For non-UK domiciled individuals who have been
UK resident in at least:
7 of the preceding 9 tax years £30,000 £30,000
12 of the preceding 14 tax years 60,000 60,000
15 of the preceding 20 tax years Deemed to be UK domiciled

Pensions

Registered Pensions 2024/25 2023/24
Annual Allowance (AA)* £60,000 £60,000

Annual relievable pension inputs are the higher of earnings (capped at AA) or £3,600.

*Usually tapered down, to a minimum of £10,000, when adjusted income exceeds £260,000.

The maximum tax-free pension lump sum is £268,275, unless a higher amount is “protected”.

State pension (per week) 2024/25 2023/24
Old state pension £169.50 £156.20
New state pension 221.20 203.85

 Annual investment limits

  2024/25 2023/24
Individual Savings Account (ISA)
– Overall limit £20,000 £20,000
– Lifetime ISA 4,000 4,000
Junior ISA 9,000 9,000
EIS – 30% relief 2,000,000 2,000,000
Seed EIS (SEIS) – 50% relief 200,000 200,000
Venture Capital Trust (VCT) – 30% relief 200,000 200,000

 

National Insurance Contributions

Class 1 (Employees)

Employee Employer
Main NIC rate 8% 13.8%
No NIC on first £242pw £175pw
Main rate charged up to* £967pw no limit
2% rate on earnings above £967pw N/A
Employment allowance per business** N/A £5,000

*Nil rate of employer NIC on earnings up to £967pw for employees aged under 21, apprentices aged under 25 and ex-armed forces personnel in their first twelve months of civilian employment.

**Some businesses do not qualify, including certain sole director companies and employers who have an employer’s Class 1 NIC liability of £100,000 or more for 2023/24.

Employer contributions (at 13.8%) are also due on most taxable benefits (Class 1A) and on tax paid on an employee’s behalf under a PAYE settlement agreement (Class 1B).

Class 2 (Self employed)

Flat rate per week if profits below £6,725 (voluntary) £3.45

Class 3 (Voluntary)

Class3: Flat rate per week £17.45

Class 4 (Self employed)

On profits £12,570 – £50,270 6%
On profits over £50,270 2%

Employees with earnings above £123pw and the self-employed with profits over £6,725 (or who pay voluntary Class 2 contributions) can access entitlement to contributory benefits.

Vehicle benefits

Cars

Taxable benefit: List price of car multiplied by chargeable percentage.

2024/25 & 2023/24
CO2
g/km
Electric Range
miles
All Cars
%
0 N/A 2
1-50 >130 2
1-50 70 – 129 5
1-50 40 – 69 8
1-50 30 – 39 12
1-50 <30 14
51-54 N/A 15

Then a further 1% for each 5g/km CO2 emissions, up to a maximum of 37%.

Diesel cars that are not RDE2 standard suffer a 4% supplement on the above figures but are still capped at 37%.

Vans

Chargeable value of £3,960 (2023/24: £3,960) if private use is more than home-to-work. Zero-emission vans charged at £Nil (2023/24: £Nil)

Fuel

Employer provides fuel for private motoring in an employer-owned:

Car: CO2-based percentage from above table multiplied by £27,800 (2023/24: £27,800).

Van: £757 (2023/24: £757).

Employee contributions do not reduce taxable figure unless all private fuel is paid for by the employee (in which case there is no benefit charge).

 

Tax-free mileage allowances

Employee’s own transport per business mile
Cars first 10,000 miles 45p
Cars over 10,000 miles 25p
Business passengers 5p
Motorcycles 24p
Bicycles 20p

 

 Capital Gains Tax

  2024/25 2023/24
Annual exemption amount
Individuals, estates £3,000 £6,000
Most trusts 1,500 3,000
Tax rate – Disposals Up to 30.10.24 From 31.10.24
Individual up to Basic Rate Limit (BRL)
– Residential property and carried interest 18% 18% 18%
– Other assets 10% 18% 10%
Individual above BRL, trusts and estates
– Residential property 24% 24% 28%
– Carried interest 28% 28% 28%
– Other assets 20% 24% 20%
Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR)** 10% 10% 10%

*BADR is available on qualifying gains up to a lifetime limit of £1 million.

 Corporation Tax

Year to 31.3.2025 31.3.2024
Main rate (profits above £250,000) 25% 25%
Small profits rate (profits up to £50,000) 19% 19%
Marginal relief band (MRB) £50k – £250k £50k – £250k
Fraction in MRB (effective marginal rate) 3/200 (26.5%) 3/200 (26.5%)

 

Research and development relief
Accounting periods beginning on or after 1.4.2024
R&D Expenditure Credit (RDEC) scheme* 20%
R&D-intensive SMEs enhanced expenditure scheme** 86%

*Taxable expenditure credit for qualifying R&D.

**Additional deduction for qualifying R&D

R&D-intensive companies are those that have R&D expenditure constituting at least 30% of total tax-deductible P&L expenses plus capitalised R&D costs. Loss-making R&D intensive companies can claim a payable credit rate of 14.5% from HMRC in exchange for their losses (capped at £20,000 plus 3 x [PAYE & NIC]).

Previously, most SMEs used the enhanced expenditure scheme, but with a payable tax credit rate for losses of 10% (or 14.5%, from 1 April 2023, for those with R&D expenditure constituting at least 40% of total expenditure).

 

Main capital allowances

Plant and machinery allowances Year to
31.3.25
Year to
31.3.24
Companies only
– First-year allowance (main pool) 100% 100%
– First-year allowance (special rate pool) 50% 50%
Annual Investment Allowance (AIA)
– expenditure up to £1m 100% 100%
New electric vans 100% 100%
Writing down allowance: main pool 18% 18%
Writing down allowance: special rate pool 6% 6%

 

Motor cars purchased
  From 1.4.21
CO2 (g/km)
Allowance
New cars only Nil 100%
In general pool up to 50 18%
In special rate pool above 50 6%

 

Structures and buildings allowance  
Fixed deduction per annum 3%

 

 Property taxes

Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED)

ATED applies to ‘high value’ residential properties owned via a corporate structure, unless the property is used for a qualifying purpose. The tax applies to properties valued at more than £500,000.

Property value Annual charge to
  31.3.2025 31.3.2024
£0.5m – £1m £4,400 £4,150
£1m – £2m 9,000 8,450
£2m – £5m 30,550 28,650
£5m – £10m 71,500 67,050
£10m – £20m 143,550 134,550
Over £20m 287,500 269,450

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) and Land Transaction Tax (LTT)

Residential property (1st property only)
SDLT – England & NI
£000
Rate LBTT – Scotland
£000
Rate LTT – Wales
£000
Rate
Up to 250 Nil Up to 145 Nil Up to 225 Nil
250 – 925 5% 145 – 250 2% 225 – 400 6.0%
925 – 1,500 10% 250 – 325 5% 400 – 750 7.5%
Over 1,500 12% 325 – 750 10% 750 – 1,500 10.0%
Over 750 12% Over 1,500 12.0%

A supplement applies for all three taxes where an additional residential property interest is purchased for more than £40,000 (unless replacing a main residence). It is also payable by all corporate purchasers. For SDLT, up to 30.10.24 the supplement is 3% of total purchase price; from 31.10.24 it is 5%. For LBTT it is 6%. LTT has specific higher rates in bandings: up to 180k: 4%, 180 – 250k: 7.5%, 250 – 400k: 9%, 400 – 750k: 11.5%, 750-1,500k: 14%, >1,500k: 16%.

For SDLT:

– First-time buyers purchasing a property of up to £625,000 pay a nil rate on the first £425,000 of the purchase price.

– A 2% supplement applies where the property is bought by certain non-UK residents.

– A rate of 17% (pre 31.10.24: 1%) may apply to the total purchase price, where the property is valued above £500,000 and purchased by a ‘non-natural person’ (e.g. a company).

For LBTT, first-time buyer relief increases the nil rate band to £175,000.

Non-residential or mixed use property
SDLT – England & NI
£000
Rate LBTT – Scotland
£000
Rate LTT – Wales
£000
Rate
Up to 150 Nil Up to 150 Nil Up to 225 Nil
150 – 250 2% 150 – 250 1% 225 – 250 1%
Over 250 5% Over 250 5% 250 – 1,000 5%
Over 1,000 6%

 Value Added Tax

Standard rate (1/6 of VAT-inclusive price) 20%
From 1.4.2024 Pre 1.4.2024
Registration level – Taxable turnover £90,000 p.a. £85,000 p.a.
Deregistration level – Taxable turnover 88,000 p.a. 83,000 p.a.

Flat Rate Scheme (FRS)

Annual taxable turnover to enter scheme Up to £150,000
Must leave scheme if annual gross turnover Exceeds £230,000

If using FRS, the VAT paid by the business is a fixed percentage (based on business category) of ‘FRS turnover’ rather than the net of output tax over input tax. Input tax is usually not recoverable.

Cash accounting and Annual accounting schemes

Annual taxable turnover to enter scheme Up to £1.35m
Must leave scheme if annual taxable turnover Exceeds £1.60m

Inheritance Tax

2024/25 2023/24
Nil rate band (NRB)* £325,000 £325,000
NRB Residential enhancement (RNRB)†* 175,000 175,000
Tax rate on death** 40% 40%
Tax rate on lifetime transfers to most trusts 20% 20%

*Up to 100% of the proportion of a deceased spouse’s/civil partner’s unused NRB and RNRB band may be claimed to increment the current NRB and RNRB when the survivor dies.

†RNRB is available for transfers on death of a main residence to (broadly) direct descendents. It tapers away at the rate of £1 for every £2 of estate value above £2m.

**Rate reduced to 36% if at least 10% of the relevant estate is left to charity. Unlimited exemption for transfers between spouses/civil partners, except if UK domiciled transferor and foreign domiciled transferee, where maximum exemption £325,000.

100% Business Property Relief (BPR) for all shareholdings in qualifying unquoted trading companies, qualifying unincorporated trading businesses and certain farmland/buildings.

Reduced tax charge on gifts within 7 years before death

Years before death 0-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7
% of full death tax charge payable 100 80 60 40 20

Annual exemptions for lifetime gifts include £3,000 per donor and £250 per recipient.

 Key dates and deadlines

Payment dates
Self assessment 2024/25 2023/24
1st payment on account 31 January 2025 2024
2nd payment on account 31 July 2025 2024
Balancing payment 31 January 2026 2025
Capital Gains Tax* 31 January 2026 2025

 

Other payment dates
Class 1A NIC 19 July 2025 2024
Class 1B NIC 19 October 2025 2024

Corporation tax is due 9 months and 1 day from the end of the accounting period, unless a ‘large’ company paying by quarterly instalments.

2023/24 Filing deadlines
Issue P60s to employees 31 May 2024
P11D, P11D(b) 6 July 2024
Self Assessment Tax Return (SATR) paper version 31 October 2024
Online SATR if outstanding tax to be included in 2025/26 PAYE code (if under £3,000) 30 December 2024
Online SATR 31 January 2025

*A CGT return is due within 60 days of completion of sale of UK land and buildings by a non-resident and of sale of UK residential property with a tax liability by a UK resident. Any CGT payable is also due within 60 days.

 National Minimum Wage

Rate per hour From
1.04.24
From
1.04.23
Aged 21* and over (National Living Wage) £11.44 £10.42
Aged 21 – 22 N/A 10.18
Aged 18 – 20 8.60 7.49
Aged 16 – 17 6.40 5.28
Apprentices 6.40 5.28

*In 2023/24, the National Living Wage applied to those aged 23 and above.

 

You are advised to consult us before acting on any information contained herein.

Employee Mileage Claims

In most businesses an element of business travel is involved, employees and employers can be confused about how to reimburse employees (or even themselves) for the fuel they use to travel for business purposes.  The guidance I am outlining below only applies to employees using their own cars – company cars have different rules.  We are also only dealing with fossil-fuelled cars here (including hybrids) rather than purely electric vehicles (which include electric cars with a small petrol motor to charge the battery to get you home such as the BMW i3).

Wellden Turnbull Limited is a professional firm of accountants in Surrey.  We specialise in Small and medium-sized businesses and have a number of specialities including Tax planning, Statutory compliance, and day-to-day business assistance.   If you require assistance with this or any other subject area please contact either me or one of my team for tailored advice.

Corporate Tax Deductions

This is a tax-deductible expense, which makes (I will use a Limited Company for my examples) up part of the taxable profit at the end of a year – importantly this means that you do not need to make any claims to HMRC in order to get the tax deductions.

In order to get the corporate tax deduction, HMRC requires you to use the official mileage rates. The way to do this is a simple formula:

<miles travelled> x <mileage rate> = <amount to reimburse to employee>.

For example, if I travel 100 miles in a car, I would claim 45 per mile which would mean I would be reimbursed £45 and the company would get a taxable deduction of £45.

Most people who are office-based will find that the above example will apply.  Some people, such as mobile workers, or salespeople may travel significant distances every tax year (6 April – 5 April).  If it is the case that they travel over 10,000 miles then every mile over 10,000 must be reclaimed at 25p per mile rather than the higher 45p per mile.

VAT and Mileage Reclaims

If your company is VAT registered then you may be able (there are certain conditions which mean you cannot reclaim the VAT) to reclaim the VAT on the mileage reclaim.  In order to reclaim VAT, in most circumstances, a VAT receipt for fuel will be required alongside the claim.

You will not be entering this VAT receipt into your accounting records, nor will you reclaim the VAT detailed on that receipt.  This is evidence that the fuel used has been purchased ‘VAT paid’.

Frustratingly, the VAT element is not as simple as the Corporate tax deduction. HMRC says that only a certain element of the 45p (being the fuel element, as the whole amount is a combined fuel and wear and tear allowance) is within the scope of VAT – meaning you can claim it back in your VAT return.

You, again, will need a different set of VAT mileage rates from HMRC (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advisory-fuel-rates/advisory-fuel-rates-from-1-march-2016)

This is to calculate the VAT element of the mileage reclaim – 45p/25p is considered the Gross (or total including VAT) amount of the reclaim.

Furthermore, you will need more information about your car, specifically the cylinder size (usually the engine size but be careful as manufacturers can sometimes round 1,990cc to 2l when advertising) and fuel type (Petrol/Diesel/LPG).

I will use 2 examples here: one petrol and one diesel.

Petrol Car – 1.4l (1,390cc)

If I travel 100 miles in this car, I apply for (with a VAT receipt) and receive my reimbursement of £45 – nothing more to do from an employee/director side here.

The company records this a little differently:

  1. we need to work out the VAT element of the gross amount :
    <number of miles> x <VAT fuel rate> = deemed fuel gross amount inclusive of VAT;
    100 x 11p = £11.
  2. We need the VAT element of this:
    <Gross amount> x ( <VAT rate in whole numbers>/ <VAT rate in whole numbers + 100>) = VAT element
    £11 x (20/120) = £1.833333 (round up to the nearest penny for VAT)so £1.84.
  3. split the original £45 into Net (pre-VAT total) and VAT:
    Net = £45 – £1.84 = £43.16
    VAT = £1.84
    Gross = £45.
    You should include these on the respective parts of your VAT return by recording the VAT/Net split appropriately in your accounting software.

For completeness, here is the same example with Diesel cars:

Diesel Car – 2.2l (2,100 cc)

If I travel 100 miles in this car, I apply for (with a VAT receipt) and receive my reimbursement of £45 – nothing more to do from an employee/director side here.

The company records this a little differently:

  1. we need to work out the VAT element of the gross amount:
    <number of miles> x <VAT fuel rate> = deemed fuel gross amount inclusive of VAT;
    100 x 12p = £12.
  2. We need the VAT element of this:
    <Gross amount> x ( <VAT rate in whole numbers>/ <VAT rate in whole numbers + 100>) = VAT element
    £12 x (20/120) = £2.
  3. split the original £45 into Net (pre-VAT total) and VAT:
    Net = £45 – £2 = £43
    VAT = £2.00
    Gross = £45.
    You should include these on the respective parts of your VAT return by recording the VAT/Net split appropriately in your accounting software.

Understanding HMRC’s Mileage Reimbursement Guidelines

  • As a matter of course, employees should keep a mileage log – you can only claim for business mileage – this does not include a commute to a permanent place of work.   Here our employees tend to go out to client sites for a week or so, so would record each day trip on their expense claim detailing the start and end point of their trip and the miles they are claiming.  It would be wise to assume anyone checking your mileage claims will sense check them against Google Maps or an online route planner.
  • Mobile workers may want to keep a mileage log diary in their car – a photocopy of the appropriate page attached to a monthly mileage claim is sufficient.
  • If you start your journey from home you MUST remove the miles you would usually do to get to work.  For business mileage claims, you should assume your starting point is your main place of work.  If you are visiting a site that is closer to home than your office is then there is no mileage claim to be made.
  • When checking against a route planner, it does not take precedence over the miles travelled.  A standard route calculated by a computer, after the event, will not take into account diversions or traffic.  But remember that a reasonable route from Heathrow Airport to Gatwick Airport by car would not include a stopover in Glasgow. That doesn’t mean to say that if you were called to Glasgow halfway on your way to Gatwick that you wouldn’t include the additional diversionary miles in your now new mileage claim to Scotland, which google maps wouldn’t reproduce in a route plan.
  • Always document your expense claims – they make up part of your statutory accounting records and every tax-deductible expense must have reasonable supporting documentation – any expense that doesn’t may be reclassified as personal expenditure or loans by the tax man.
  • If you are reclaiming the VAT, get a VAT receipt for fuel, and make sure it is current.  you are trying to support the purchase of the fuel you have used, so a receipt from 2 years ago will not be considered appropriate evidence.
  • You cannot mix and match company fuel allowances and employee mileage claims.  They are mutually exclusive.  If you have a company car with a fuel allowance, you cannot reclaim anything and the tax is dealt with differently.  If your company car is unavailable and you need to use a privately owned car, then in that instance this guidance applies to you – you must not reclaim petrol receipts as you may do with your company car.
  • Don’t forget that using a car for business purposes falls into a different insurance category – if you only have Social, Domestic, Pleasure and Commuting cover then you are not covered for business travel and are effectively driving around uninsured.
  • The mileage allowance covers an element of wear and tear – not just fuel.  This is a contribution towards tyre/brake wear, servicing costs, insurance etc.

HMRC have outlined what they consider to be acceptable tax deductions for mileage reimbursements.  That does not mean you cannot pay whatever rate you choose (if you pay less then you may have an issue with staff going forward, so I would recommend you consider these to be the minimum rates).  You can pay more generous rates, however, you will only get a tax deduction on the proportion of those rates as detailed above.  depending on the number of miles and additional generosity, you and your employees may have other tax issues to consider.

The general guidance above is given without prejudice, and should not be taken as advice that applies to your circumstances.  Every company/business is different and there are complexities in the rules that I have not covered.  Wellden Turnbull Limited accepts no responsibility as to how you use or apply the information above.

All of the points I have outlined above are for guidance on the principles only, the rates used were up to date on the day of writing but you should refer to official sources for up-to-date rates.  The advice given is based on the tax rules at the date of writing and may not be updated.

If you want to share my guidance, please feel free to do so using the original link to my website and give me credit for the work.

24/10/2017 – Oli Spevack FCCA ACA, Partner

Wellden Turnbull Limited,
Munro House,
Portsmouth Road, Cobham,
Surrey KT11 1PP

E: o.spevack@wtca.co.uk
D: 01932 584 439
T: 01932 868 444

Autumn Statement Tax Tables 2024/25

Autumn Statement Tax Tables 2024/25

Income Tax Rates and Allowances (Table A)

Main allowances 2024/25 2023/24
Personal Allowance (PA)*† £12,570 £12,570
Blind Person’s Allowance 3,070 2, 870
Rent a room relief § 7,500 7,500
Trading income § 1,000 1,000
Property income § 1,000 1,000

*PA will be withdrawn at £1 for every £2 by which ‘adjusted income’ exceeds £100,000. There will therefore be no allowance given if adjusted income is £125,140 or more.

†£1,260 of the PA can be transferred to a spouse or civil partner who is no more than a basic rate taxpayer, where both spouses were born after 5 April 1935.

§If gross income exceeds this, the limit may be deducted instead of actual expenses.

 

Rate Bands

2024/25

2023/24

Basic Rate Band (BRB) £37,700 £37,700
Higher Rate Band (HRB) 37,701-125,140 37,701-125,140
Additional rate over 125,140 over 125,140
Personal Savings Allowance (PSA)
– Basic rate taxpayer 1,000 1,000
– Higher rate taxpayer 500 500
Dividend Allowance (DA) 500 1,000

BRB and additional rate threshold are increased by personal pension contributions (up to permitted limit) and Gift Aid donations.

Rate Bands

2024/25 2023/24
Rates differ for General, Savings and Dividend income within each band:
G S D G S D
% % % % % %
Basic 20 20 8.75 20 20 8.75
Higher 40 40 33.75 40 40 33.75
Additional 45 45 39.35 45 45 39.35

General income (salary, pensions, business profits, rent) usually uses personal allowance, basic rate and higher rate bands before savings income (mainly interest). To the extent that savings income falls in the first £5,000 of the basic rate band, it is taxed at nil rather than 20%.

The PSA taxes interest at nil, where it would otherwise be taxable at 20% or 40%.

Dividends are normally taxed as the ‘top slice’ of income. The DA taxes the first £500 (2023/24 £1,000) of dividend income at nil, rather than the rate that would otherwise apply.

High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC)

1% of child benefit for each £100 of adjusted net income between £50,000 and £60,000.

Income Tax – Scotland Rate 2023/24
Starter Rate 19% £2,162
Basic Rate 20% 2,163 – 13,118
Intermediate Rate 21% 13,119 – 31,092
Higher Rate 42% 31,093 – 125,140
Top Rate 47% over 125,140

The Scottish rates and bands do not apply for savings and dividend income, which are taxed at normal UK rates.  The Scottish rates for 2024/25 have not yet been announced.

 

Remittance basis charge 2024/25 2023/24
For non-UK domiciled individuals who have been UK resident in at least:
7 of the preceding 9 tax years £30,000 £30,000
12 of the preceding 14 tax years 60,000 60,000
15 of the preceding 20 tax years Deemed to be UK domiciled for tax purposes

 

Registered Pensions (Table B)

  2024/25 2023/24
Annual Allowance (AA) £60,000 £60,000

Annual relievable pension inputs are the higher of earnings (capped at AA) or £3,600.

The AA is usually reduced by £1 for every £2 by which relevant income exceeds £260,000, down to a minimum AA of £10,000.

The AA can also be reduced by £10,000, where certain pension drawings have been made.

For 2023/24 and 2024/25, there is no Lifetime Allowance (LTA) charge on high pensions savings.

The maximum tax-free pension lump sum is £268,275 (25% of £1,073,100), unless a higher amount is “protected”.

 

Car and Fuel Benefits (Table C)

Cars

Taxable benefit: List price multiplied by chargeable percentage.

2024/25 and 2023/24
CO2 emissions
g/km
Electric range
Miles
All cars
%
0 N/A 2
1-50 >130 2
1-50 70 – 129 5
1-50 40 – 69 8
1-50 30 – 39 12
1-50 <30 14
51-54 N/A 15

Then a further 1% for each 5g/km CO2 emissions, up to a maximum of 37%.

Diesel cars that are not RDE2 standard suffer a 4% supplement on the above figures but are still capped at 37%.

Car Fuel

Where employer provides fuel for private motoring in an employer-owned car, CO2-based percentage from above table multiplied by £27,800.

National Insurance Contributions 2024/25 (Table D)

Class 1 (Employees)

Employee

Employer

Main NIC rate 10% 13.8%
No NIC on first £242pw £175pw
Main rate charged up to * £967pw no limit
2% rate on earnings above £967pw N/A
Employment allowance per qualifying business N/A £5,000

*Nil rate of employer NIC on earnings up to £967pw for employees aged under 21, apprentices aged under 25 and ex-armed forces personnel in their first twelve months of civilian employment.

Employer contributions (at 13.8%) are also due on most taxable benefits (Class 1A) and on tax paid on an employee’s behalf under a PAYE settlement agreement (Class 1B).

Class 2 (Self-employed)

From 6 April 2024, self-employed people with profits above £6,725 are no longer required to pay Class 2 NICs, but will continue to receive access to contributory benefits, including the State Pension.

Those with profits under £6,725 can pay Class 2 NICs voluntarily to get access to contributory benefits including the State Pension. The amount is £3.45 per week.

Class 3 (Voluntary)

Flat rate per week £17.45

Class 4 (Self-employed)

On profits £12,570 – £50,270 8%
On profits over £50,270 2%

 

Autumn Statement

AUTUMN STATEMENT

22.11.23

Mind your headroom

In the weeks leading up to the Autumn Statement, the press was full of speculation about tax cuts. This was a surprise, just over a year after the tax cuts announced by Kwasi Kwarteng were judged imprudent by the international markets, contributing to a fall in the value of sterling and increases in interest rates. Nevertheless, it seemed that a side effect of inflation was that higher incomes and prices had fed through into higher tax receipts; the Chancellor had more in his coffers – more ‘fiscal headroom’ – than had been predicted in the Spring, and commentators were suggesting what he might do with it.

Mr Hunt started his speech by claiming he was bringing forward 110 growth measures to back British business. He did not list them all in the speech, but there is no doubt that the documents released on the internet when he sat down contained a mass of detail – some specific rule changes coming in on particular dates, and some outlines of plans that are being considered for later.

The documents include a table showing the financial effects of the proposals, which highlights what is really significant and what is more marginal. Reductions in National Insurance amount to £9.3 billion in 2023/24 and similar amounts each year after that; changes to tax relief for capital expenditure come to similar amounts in the longer term. On the other hand, HMRC hope to collect £1 billion a year extra from the sinister-sounding ‘investment in debt management capability’.

This document summarises the main tax changes that were announced by Mr Hunt, with an explanation of what they are likely to mean for your business or your family. If you would like to discuss what these measures mean for your individual circumstances, we will be pleased to help.

Significant points

  • Cuts to employee NICs take effect from 6 January 2024 and self-employed NICs from 6 April 2024
  • 100% first year allowances (‘full expensing’) for companies made ‘permanent’ (originally due to expire 31 March 2026)
  • Extension of the ‘cash basis’ of computing taxable profits for unincorporated businesses
  • Reforms to tax reliefs for research and development and creative industries
  • Affirmation of support for the state pension ‘triple lock’ with an 8.5% increase from April 2024, based on average earnings
  • No changes announced to Income Tax, Inheritance Tax or Stamp Duty Land Tax for personal tax planning – all remain fixed at levels previously announced
  • Simplifications announced to the Making Tax Digital regime to be introduced for income tax self-assessment in April 2026

Personal Income Tax

Rates and allowances

A year ago, Mr Hunt announced that the tax-free personal allowance and the 40% tax rate threshold will be fixed until 5 April 2028, and lowered the threshold for the 45% rate to £125,140 from 6 April 2023. In spite of some press speculation in advance of the Autumn Statement, there was no mention of changes to these figures in the speech or in the supporting documents. Some commentators have suggested that any good news on income tax will be kept for the Spring Budget, to be fresher in the minds of voters as the next General Election approaches. Although last year’s announcement implies certainty for years to come, the Chancellor could just as easily change the numbers within that period.

‘Freezing the thresholds’ avoided the appearance of a direct tax increase, but it is obvious that the effect of pay rises will bring many more people into the higher rate bands, increasing the average rate of tax that they will pay. It will also bring more very low earners into paying tax when their incomes rise above the personal allowance.

Two other thresholds remain fixed, as they have been since they were introduced: the income levels at which the High Income Child Benefit Charge begins to claw back Child Benefit receipts (£50,000 since 2012/13) and at which the tax-free personal allowance is withdrawn (£100,000 since 2010/11). These measures create a higher marginal tax rate in the income bands £50,000 – £60,000 (for those in receipt of Child Benefit) and £100,000 – £125,140 (as the personal allowance is reduced to nil). The effective marginal rate of income tax for someone earning between £100,000 and £125,140 is 60% (as £1 of allowance is lost for every £2 of income). Income above £125,140 is all taxed at 45%.

These rates and thresholds will not automatically apply in Scotland, where tax rates on non-savings, non-dividend income are set by the Scottish Parliament, which will announce its Budget on 19 December. The Welsh Assembly also has the right to set its own tax rates for non-savings, non-dividend income, but has so far kept to the main UK rates. Savings and dividend income are subject to the same rates throughout the UK, regardless of residence.

Dividend income

No changes were announced to the taxation of dividend income. This means that the dividend allowance, below which no tax is paid on dividends, will fall from £1,000 in 2023/24 to £500 in 2024/25. The reduction in this allowance (which was £2,000 for several years up to 2022/23) will require many more people to file self-assessment tax returns to settle what will often be a relatively small tax liability.

Employees

Company cars and fuel

Car benefits remain fixed at rates previously announced until the end of 2024/25. The figure used to calculate the benefit of free use of business fuel for private journeys is also fixed at the current figure of £27,800.

The taxable amounts for the availability of a van for more than incidental private use, and for an employee’s private use of fuel in a company van, normally increase in line with inflation. However, the 2023/24 flat rate figures of £3,960 and £757 for these benefits will remain the same for 2024/25.

IR35 – ‘off payroll working’

Since April 2021, for those who operate via a personal service company (or other intermediary), the decision as to the worker’s tax status has in most cases rested with those contracting with the intermediary. An end-client or agency therefore has PAYE risk, in that they may fail to withhold payroll taxes (and pay employer’s NICs) where the person is in fact deemed to be their employee for PAYE purposes. This can make them liable to unpaid tax and penalties, even if the worker’s company has paid tax on    that income.

In such cases, the deemed employer’s PAYE liability will be reduced by an amount of income tax or corporation tax that is estimated to have already been paid by, or assessed on, the intermediary in relation to the engagement. The tax treated as already recovered will be the best estimate that can reasonably be made by an officer of HMRC in respect of the income tax or corporation tax already paid or assessed.

These provisions will apply in respect of PAYE assessed from 6 April 2024 on deemed employment payments made on or after 6 April 2017 (i.e. it is backdated to when the off-payrolling rules were first introduced for public sector engagers).

National Living Wage (NLW)

From 1 April 2024, NLW will apply to those aged 21 or over (currently 23), and will rise from £10.42 per hour to £11.44, with comparable increases to the other rates that apply to younger workers and apprentices.

National Insurance Contributions (NIC)

Thresholds and rates (Table C)

The largest tax cut announced in the Autumn Statement, amounting to £8.7 billion in 2023/24, is a cut in the rate of employee NICs on earnings between the lower and upper earnings limits from 12% to 10%. This will take effect on 6 January 2024, and will save up to £754 in a full tax year (for an employee earning £50,270 or above).

Self-employed people have for many years had to pay flat rate Class 2 NICs, which have conferred entitlement to State pension, and profit-related Class 4 NICs. These are both cut with effect from 6 April 2024:

  • Class 2 NICs will not be required to secure benefits for anyone earning above £6,725, saving £179.40 a year – they can still be paid voluntarily for anyone earning less than that to maintain a full contribution record;
  • The rate of Class 4 NICs on profits between £12,570 and £50,270 will be reduced from 9% to 8%, saving up to £377.

The combined saving is up to a maximum   of £556.

Savings and Pensions

Pension contributions (Table B)

After the removal of the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) charge on large pension funds in the Spring Budget, there were no further changes to the way in which private and employee pensions will be taxed in the short term. The LTA itself will now be removed from the legislation, but the figure (£1,073,100, or more for those with ‘protection’) will remain relevant for determining how much can be drawn as a tax-free lump sum.

A number of proposals were put forward to reform the structure of pension provision in the UK, including resolving the problem of a person collecting a number of small, separate pension pots from different employments. These do not appear to have an impact on the way pensions are taxed.

State pension

Following some speculation about whether the Conservative manifesto commitment to the ‘triple lock’ on State pension increases was affordable, the State pension will continue to be uprated in line with that commitment. This means that the rate will increase by 8.5% in April 2024 based on the increase in average earnings, rather than the lower figure for price inflation. At the new weekly amount of £221, pensioners will receive nearly £900 a year more than in 2022/23.

Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs)

The annual investment limits for ISAs remain the same for 2024/25. A number of improvements to the administration of ISAs has been announced to make them more flexible and easier to use.

Venture capital schemes

The Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trusts offer a number of    tax advantages to investors in qualifying small and start-up businesses. Both sets    of rules were due to expire after 5 April 2025, but an extension has been announced to April 2035.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT)

Annual exemption

No announcements were made concerning CGT. This means that the annual exempt amount (AEA), which is currently £6,000 for 2023/24, will be reduced as previously announced to £3,000 for 2024/25.

As well as increasing the likelihood of tax to pay, this reduction in the AEA will mean that many more taxpayers will need to file the CGT pages of the self-assessment tax return. These pages need completing unless both:

  • net gains do not exceed the AEA; and
  • the total proceeds from all disposals do not exceed £50,000.

Trusts

As the AEA available to most trusts is half of an individual’s AEA, this will be £1,500 for 2024/25 (£3,000 in 2023/24).

Inheritance Tax (IHT)

Thresholds and rates

The IHT nil rate band (NRB) has been frozen at £325,000 since 6 April 2009; the residence NRB has been £175,000 since 6 April 2020. It was announced a year ago that these figures would remain fixed until April 2028, bringing more people within the scope of IHT as assets (particularly houses) rise in value.

There have been no changes to the IHT rates, so the main rate remains 40% for transfers on death in excess of the NRBs. After some press speculation in the week before the Autumn Statement that IHT would be cut, the Chancellor made no mention of the tax at all.

Business Tax

Cash basis

For ten years, unincorporated businesses with a turnover of up to £150,000 have been able to use a simpler ‘cash basis’ to calculate their profits for tax purposes. If turnover grew to more than £300,000, the business would have to return to ‘accruals accounting’. The cash basis has a number of restrictive rules, including a maximum deduction of £500 for interest paid.

The Autumn Statement announced that the turnover limits will be removed for 2024/25: unincorporated businesses of any size will use the cash basis as the default method of computing their profits. Interest of any amount will be eligible for deduction, as long as it is wholly and exclusively incurred for the purposes of the business.

It will still be possible for a business to opt to use traditional accruals accounting rather than the cash basis, as is the case at present for rental income.

Capital allowances on plant and machinery

The Spring Budget included the introduction of ‘full expensing’ of capital expenditure by companies on new plant and machinery (P&M) for a three-year period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026. The Chancellor has now made this ‘permanent’, which makes little difference to government revenue in the short term, but is shown as a £7.5 billion reduction in 2026/27 – nearly as large as the cut in employee NICs.

‘Special rate’ assets, which include integral features in buildings and long life assets, qualify for a 50% first year allowance (FYA). Cars, assets for leasing and second-hand assets are excluded from these FYAs – they only qualify for writing-down allowances.

Where full expensing has been claimed, any subsequent disposal proceeds received for the asset are treated as an immediately taxable ‘balancing charge’. Where 50% FYA has been claimed, 50% of such proceeds are a balancing charge and 50% are deducted from the capital allowance pool. Most smaller businesses would be better off claiming 100% Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) on such expenditure, which does not have these special rules for disposal proceeds. AIA can be claimed on up to £1 million of expenditure on plant a year, is not restricted to companies and is also available on second-hand assets. 99% of businesses spend less than £1 million a year on plant.

New zero-emission cars qualify for a 100% FYA under a separate rule until 31 March 2025.

Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)

The CIS requires many businesses carrying out construction work to deduct tax (at either 20% or 30%) before paying subcontractors unless the supplier has gross payment status (GPS), which HMRC will grant to subcontractors who show a good record of tax compliance.

From 6 April 2024, VAT obligations are added to the statutory compliance test for being granted (and for keeping) GPS.

The measure also extends one of the grounds for immediate cancellation of GPS. HMRC is able to withdraw GPS if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that the GPS holder has fraudulently provided an incorrect return or incorrect information in relation to a list of taxes which will be extended to include VAT, Corporation Tax Self-Assessment (CTSA), Income Tax Self-Assessment (ITSA) and PAYE.

Other reforms, also to come in from 6 April 2024, are:

  • The removal of the majority of landlord to tenant payments from the scope of the CIS
  • Digitalising applications for CIS registration
  • Bringing forward the first review of a GPS holder’s compliance history from 12 months after application to 6 months, reverting to 12 months thereafter.

Corporation Tax (CT)

Rates

No changes were announced to CT rates, which remain 19% for companies with profits up to £50,000 and 25% for companies with profits over £250,000. Between £50,000 and £250,000 there is a tapering calculation that produces an effective marginal rate of 26.5% on profits within that band. The limits are divided between the number of associated companies (companies under the common control of one or more persons, including both individuals and companies).

Research and development (R&D)

Currently, there are two different regimes to encourage research and development (R&D) expenditure in the UK:

  • The enhanced expenditure or ‘super-deduction’ scheme for SMEs, which allows qualifying R&D expenditure to be increased for tax purposes by 86% (with loss-making SMEs able to claim a payable tax credit by surrendering their losses from R&D to HMRC); and
  • The Research and Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC) scheme available to large companies with qualifying R&D. This gives a 20% taxable expenditure credit for qualifying expenditure. Some SMEs may need to use this scheme rather than claim a super-deduction, for example if their work is grant-aided.

The government has confirmed its intention to merge the two schemes for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 April 2024. It was previously announced that the changes would apply for expenditure incurred from 1 April 2024; the revised implementation date will avoid the issue of having to make claims under two different regimes for expenditure in the same accounting period.

The rate of credit under the merged scheme will be the current RDEC rate of 20%. The notional tax rate applied to loss-making companies will be the small profit rate of 19%, rather than the 25% main rate currently used in the RDEC.

Contracted-out R&D

The aim of the R&D reliefs is to increase the overall levels of R&D carried out in the UK economy. The government believes it is important that the company making the decision to carry out the R&D and bearing the risk enjoys the relief. Under the new regime, the decision maker is allowed to claim for contracted-out R&D rather than the subcontractor.

Where a company with a valid R&D project contracts a third party to undertake some of the qualifying work connected with their R&D project, the company may claim the relevant qualifying costs of that contract. The company contracted to do that work will not claim for R&D activities which deliver the outcome for its customer’s project.

Contracted R&D carried out by subcontractors who are working for customers who do not pay UK corporation tax, such as overseas companies, will continue to qualify for relief.

If a company, which is contracted to provide a product or service which is not R&D (such as constructing a building or a software product), undertakes R&D in delivering that product or service, they will be able to claim relief even though they are undertaking R&D on an activity contracted to them.

The exact details of who should claim the relief will depend on the specific contract.

Subsidised expenditure

The above changes mean that rules relating to subsidised expenditure in the existing SME scheme are no longer relevant. For example, if a company receives a grant that covers part of the cost of its R&D, or if the cost of the R&D is otherwise met by another person, then (subject to the contracting-out rules above) this will not reduce the amount of support available under the merged scheme.

Additional tax relief for R&D  intensive SMEs

The ‘SME intensive scheme’, for the most R&D intensive loss-making SMEs, took effect for R&D expenditure from 1 April 2023. Qualifying companies are able to claim a payable credit rate of 14.5% for qualifying R&D expenditure instead of the normal 10% credit rate for losses under the SME scheme.

A company is currently considered ‘R&D intensive’ where its qualifying R&D expenditure is 40% or more of its total expenditure. This threshold will be reduced from 40% to 30%.

Another change is that an intensive SME, which has made a valid claim in the intensive regime in one year, can claim the intensive relief in the following year, even      if it would not pass the threshold test in   that year.

Audio-visual tax reliefs

As previously announced, the government intends to ‘modernise and simplify’ the audio-visual creative tax reliefs, namely: Film Tax Relief (FTR); High-End TV Tax Relief (HETV); Animation Tax Relief (ATR); Children’s TV Tax Relief (CTR) and Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR).

Under the current schemes, relief is given by way of an additional deduction from profits or surrendering a loss for a tax credit. The FTR, HETV, ATR and CTR are to be replaced by a new Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) regime and the VGTR by a new Video Games Expenditure Credit (VGEC). Both are similar in principle to the RDEC available for R&D expenditure.

Companies claiming for productions under FTR, HETV, CTR and ATR will be able to claim under AVEC in relation to expenditure incurred from 1 January 2024. New productions must be claimed under AVEC from 1 April 2025, and all productions must claim under AVEC from 1 April 2027. FTR, HETV, CTR and ATR will cease on 1 April 2027.

The same transitional dates apply to   the transition from VGTR to the VGEC.

The new expenditure credit regimes will be similar to the existing tax reliefs, for example in terms of eligibility and the definitions of qualifying expenditure, but ‘animation’ will be extended to include animated theatrical films as well as TV programmes.

The animation and children’s TV will qualify for a higher AVEC credit rate of 39%, rather than the 34% available for films, high-end television and under the VGEC.

Value Added Tax

Registration threshold

The level at which a business is required to register for VAT (taxable turnover of £85,000 in the last 12 months, or expected in the next 30 days) has been fixed since 1 April 2017, and no change was announced to the present intention to keep it at the same level until 31 March 2026. The effect of inflation will require many businesses that are trading below the threshold to register and account for VAT. The deregistration threshold is also fixed at its current level of £83,000 for the same period.

Energy saving materials

The installation of energy saving materials currently qualifies for zero-rating for VAT. This means that the installer can claim back the VAT on the cost of the goods installed, and charge no VAT to the customer. This relief is to be extended with effect from February 2024 to new technologies such as water-source heat pumps, and also to installations in buildings used solely for a relevant charitable purpose.

VAT-free shopping

Up to 31 December 2020, it was possible for non-EU visitors to the UK to obtain a refund of VAT paid on goods purchased while here and taken out of the country in their personal baggage. This was abolished as one of the consequences of Brexit. The retail industry has lobbied extensively for the restoration of some version of the scheme; the only response so far is that ‘the government will continue to accept representations and consider this new information carefully, alongside broader data’.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)

Thresholds

On 23 September 2022, the government increased the nil rate threshold (NRT) for SDLT from £125,000 to £250,000 for all purchasers of residential property and from £300,000 to £425,000 for first-time buyers. The maximum purchase price for which the first-time buyer’s threshold applies was increased from £500,000 to £625,000.

These increases in thresholds were later classified as ‘temporary’ and will remain in place until 31 March 2025 ‘to support the housing market and the hundreds of thousands of jobs and businesses which rely on it.’ If history is a guide, such a pre-announced increase in SDLT may well lead to a boom in house prices just below the thresholds as the date approaches.

SDLT only applies in England and Northern Ireland. Decisions about the devolved taxes in Scotland (Land and Buildings Transaction Tax) and Wales (Land Transaction Tax) will be taken by their respective governments.

Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED)

ATED applies to residential property worth above £500,000 that is owned through companies and other corporate structures, unless the situation qualifies for a relief. The rates increase automatically each year with inflation and will rise by 6.7% from 1 April 2024, in line with the September 2023 Consumer Prices Index.

Business Rates

From 1 April 2023, charges for business rates in England were updated to reflect changes in property values since the last revaluation in 2017. A package of targeted support was announced a year ago to help businesses adapt to the new charges. Further measures announced this year are:

  • Multiplier Freeze – The small business multiplier will be frozen in 2024/25 for a fourth consecutive year at 49.9p, while the standard multiplier will be uprated by inflation to 54.6p.
  • Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief – eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses qualify for 75% business rates relief, capped at £110,000 per business and extended for a year from 2023/24 to 2024/25.

Other measures

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self-Assessment (MTD ITSA)

In December 2022, it was announced that the introduction of MTD ITSA for landlords and the self-employed would be staged. Those with incomes over £50,000 will come in first from April 2026, and those with between £30,000 and £50,000 will come in a year later in April 2027.

Although no mention of MTD ITSA was made in the Chancellor’s speech, a number of points have been confirmed in the accompanying documentation, as follows:

  • Those with gross income (self-employed and property income) under £30,000 will not be brought into MTD ITSA, although this will be kept ‘under review’.
  • There are new exemptions for foster carers and those unable to get a National Insurance Number.
  • The requirement for taxpayers to file an End of Period Statement (EOPS) is removed. This will be a major simplification, as it will remove the need to produce two separate end of year reports. Instead, the EOPS will be merged into the ‘Final Declaration’ process.
  • The reporting of quarterly information will become cumulative, rather than just reporting that quarter’s figures. This change should make amendments easier to deal with, as taxpayers will be able to correct any errors in their next quarterly update, rather than resubmitting past quarters.
  • Joint landlords will be able to opt out of quarterly updates and keep simpler records in respect of jointly owned property.

Requirement to file tax returns

At present, taxpayers with incomes over £150,000 are automatically required to file a self-assessment tax return each year. The Autumn Statement included an announcement that those whose tax is all paid under PAYE will be removed from this requirement from 2024/25. However, as mentioned above, increases in interest rates on savings raising interest incomes above the tax-free savings allowance as well as the reductions in the CGT annual exempt amount and the dividend allowance are likely to have the opposite effect – more people will have tax liabilities that have to  be reported to HMRC.

Additional Compliance Resource for HMRC

In many fiscal statements, the Chancellor of the day announces an allocation of resources to HMRC to bring in more money. This time, it was an investment of £163 million in HMRC’s debt management capability. This is supposed to allow HMRC to better distinguish between those who can afford to settle their tax debts, but choose not to, and those who are temporarily unable to pay and need support. HMRC will also expand its debt management capacity to support both individual and business taxpayers out of debt faster and collect debts that are due. This ‘investment’ is scheduled to produce additional revenues of £515 million in 2024/25 and over £1 billion in each of the following three years.

Investment Zones and Freeports

Investment Zones and Freeports are areas in which numerous tax incentives are available to generate economic growth. The Chancellor announced an extension of both schemes: Investment Zones will run to the end of 2033/34, and Freeport tax reliefs must be claimed by September 2031. In addition, the Chancellor announced a number of new Investment Zones in Manchester, East and West Midlands, South East Wales and Wrexham and Flintshire.

Universal Credit

Universal Credit will increase in April 2024 by inflation, measured by the annual rise in the Consumer Prices Index, which is 6.7% to September 2023. There had been speculation that the lower figure for inflation in the year to October would be used, but the Chancellor rejected that suggestion.

If you are interested in learning more about our bookkeeping and accounting services or any aspect of business finance and payments, get in contact with the experienced team at Wellden Turnbull today.

HMRC are changing their penalty regime for late submissions of VAT returns.

HMRC are changing their penalty regime for late submissions of VAT returns from VAT periods starting on or after 1 January 2023. There will now be penalties for late submission, even if no VAT is due to HMRC.

The new regime works on a points-based system. For each VAT return you submit late, you will receive one late submission penalty point. The penalty points build up, and once you reach a threshold, you’ll get a £200 penalty, and a further £200 penalty for each subsequent late submission.

For Quarterly VAT returns – its 4 points within 12 months
For Annual VAT returns – its 2 points within 24 months
For Monthly VAT returns – its 5 points within 6 months

You can ‘reset’ your points back to zero if you submit your VAT returns on time (the next 12 months for quarterly, 24 months for annual, and 6 months for monthly).

If you pay your VAT late, there will be penalties depending on how late you are at paying the VAT, as well as interest:

  • Up to 15 days – no penalty
  • 16-30 days – 2%
  • 31 or more days – Another 2%

If you are struggling to pay your VAT, it is highly recommended to set up a payment plan with HMRC, to reduce the penalty period.

HMRC won’t be charging a first late payment penalty for the first year from 1 January 2023 until 31 December 2023 if you pay in full within 30 days of your payment due date.

From 1 January 2023, HMRC will charge late payment interest from the day your payment is overdue to the day your payment is made in full. This is at the Bank of England base rate plus 2.5%.

To find out more, go to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prepare-for-upcoming-changes-to-vat-penalties-and-vat-interest-charges

If you are interested in learning more about our bookkeeping and accounting services or any aspect of business finance and payments, get in contact with the experienced team at Wellden Turnbull today.