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Lorraine Marshall ACMA

Chartered Management Accountant

Initially it may seem that we are the same as all the other accountants – forward-thinking, jargon-free with some innovation thrown in - we can also save you money on your taxes but so can all the others, where we differ is the truly personal service that we offer our clients.

As a small (but busy) team we invest the time in getting to know you and what makes you tick which in turn means that we get to know your business.

We appreciate that your time is valuable and therefore a quick response to your queries or questions is guaranteed and you won’t have to worry about remembering the boring stuff like filing deadlines etc we will take care of that.

Most people think that accountants are only about the compliance but that is so far from the truth and a good accountant can offer a lot more help and advice.

Making sure that you find a qualified accountant will give you the peace of mind that your business is in safe hands – we have certificates on the wall to prove ours.

Latest News

Stay updated with the latest news by reading our articles written by content writers in the industry.

Mini budget update 23/09/22

 On 23 September 2022, Kwasi Kwarteng, the new Chancellor (the fifth in as many years) delivered a Tax Cutting “Fiscal Event” or Mini-Budget to help boost economic growth. This was in line with promises made by the new Prime Minister Liz Truss when she was campaigning to be elected as new leader of the Conservative Party.

However, many commentators are concerned that the cost of the growth measures will add significantly to Government borrowing, which will have to be paid for by tax increases in the future.

The headline announcements were:

  • The abolition of the 1.25% Health and Social Care Levy.
  • A reversal of the planned increase in corporation tax.
  • A reduction in the basic rate of income tax.
  • The abolition of the additional rates of incomes tax.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE LEVY SCRAPPED

It was on 7 September 2021 that we first heard about a new 1.25% Health and Social Care Levy, imposed on employers, employees and the self-employed, coming in from 2023/24. Further, this was to be effectively accelerated into 2022/23 by a 1.25 percentage point rise in National Insurance contributions (NICs). As expected, and despite changes to thresholds earlier this year, the increased NIC rates have resulted in a reduction in take home pay for many individuals.

The Health and Social Care Levy has now been abolished and will not come in next April. Further, the Government is removing the associated 1.25 percentage point increase in NICs from 6 November 2022.

Employers will need to make sure that they update their payroll software in time for this third change in NIC rates and bandings in 2022/23!

In the case of NIC rates which apply annually, transitional rates will apply to deal with the mid tax-year change. In particular,

  • Class 1 employee NIC rates that apply annually (including for company directors) will be set at a main rate of 12.73% and an additional rate of 2.73% for 2022/23.
  • Class 1A NICs on taxable and expenses (if not paid monthly through the payroll) will be set at 14.53% for 2022/23. The same applies to Class 1B NICs for PAYE Settlement Agreements.
  • Class 4 NICs paid by self-employed individuals will be set at a main rate of 9.73% and an additional rate of 2.73% for 2022/23.

 

DIVIDEND RATES REDUCED FROM 2023/24

Many director/shareholders of family companies pay themselves a small salary and take the rest of their “pay” in dividends. With dividends being free of NIC, this would have allowed them to avoid the extra 1.25% NIC charge when it was originally introduced.

Consequently, the Government added 1.25% to the dividend income tax rates for 2022/23.

Although the NIC increase is being abolished from 6 November 2022, the additional 1.25% will continue to be applied to dividends paid throughout 2022/23.

From 2023/24 the dividend income tax rate will however revert to 7.5% where dividends fall within an individual’s basic rate band and 32.5% for higher rate taxpayers. Note that the first £2,000 of dividends continue to be taxed at 0%.

 

INCOME TAX RATES

CUT FOR 2023/24

The previous Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, had dangled a possible cut in the basic rate of income tax from 20% to 19% from 2024/25. This will now be brought forward by one year to 2023/24 and will apply to non-dividend income.

The 45% and 39.35% ‘additional rates’ of income tax that apply to income over £150,000 will be abolished from 6 April 2023.

This will mean that, in 2023/24, there will be just two rates of tax on general income – 19% and 40%, with two dividend income tax rates of 7.5% and 32.5%.

Further, those who would have otherwise been additional rate taxpayers will, from 6 April 2023, benefit from a Personal Savings Allowance of £500, in line with higher rate taxpayers. This was not previously available to them. Savings income within the Allowance is taxed at 0%.

It must be noted that Scottish income tax rates for general income are set independently, and we await the results of the Scottish Budget Review for more information on the rates applicable in Scotland next year.

 

CORPORATION TAX RATE INCREASE SCRAPPED

In the March 2021 Budget, Rishi Sunak announced that the rate of corporation tax would increase to 25% from 1 April 2023 where a company’s profits exceeded £250,000 a year, with the current 19% rate continuing to apply where profits were no more than £50,000 a year. There was also scheduled to be an effective 26.5% rate on profits between £50,000 and £250,000 a year.

The UK would still have had a very competitive rate compared to other major trading countries as many of those are also increasing corporate tax rates.

Nevertheless, the planned increase will not now go ahead in line with the promises made by Liz Truss in her campaign to be Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister.

All companies currently paying corporation tax at 19% will continue to do so.

 

£1 MILLION ANNUAL INVESTMENT ALLOWANCE NOW PERMANANT

Businesses investing in plant and machinery will welcome the decision to make the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) permanent. This has been extended several times and was scheduled to revert to just £200,000 from April 2023. Unlike the super-deduction, the AIA is available to unincorporated businesses as well as limited companies and the equipment does not have to be new.

 

IR35 U-TURN

The much criticised “off-payroll” working rules were introduced for the public sector from 6 April 2017 and then extended to large and medium-sized private-sector organisations from 6 April 2021.

The rules replaced the ‘IR35’ rules where workers supplied their services to these organisations via a personal service company (PSC) or other intermediary. The effect was to transfer the, not insignificant, tax compliance burden from the PSC to the service-acquiring organisation.

The off-payrolling rules will now be removed from 6 April 2023 and the IR35 compliance burden will revert to resting with the PSC itself. This means the PSC must calculate and pay PAYE and NICs if the worker (often the Director) would be classed as an employee if they were working directly for the service-acquiring organisation. This aligns with the requirements in cases where a PSC supplies services to a small private-sector organisation.

 

NEW INVESTMENT ZONES

 The Government is in discussion with 38 local authority areas in England to set up ‘Investment Zones’ in specific sites within their area.

Each Investment Zone (IZ) will offer generous, targeted and time limited tax cuts for businesses along with liberalised planning rules to release more land for housing and commercial development. These will be hubs for growth, encouraging investment in new shopping centres, restaurants, apartments and offices, and creating thriving new communities. The tax incentives under consideration are:

  1. 100% Business Rates Relief– on newly occupied or expanded business premises in IZs.
  2. 100% first year allowance – for companies with qualifying expenditure on assets for use in IZs.
  3. Enhanced Structures and Buildings Allowance– to allow businesses to reduce their taxable profits by 20% of the cost of qualifying non-residential investment per year, relieving 100% of their cost of investment over 5 years.
  4. Zero-rate employer NIC – on salaries of any new employee working in the IZ for at least 60% of their time, on earnings up to £50,270 per year, with Employer NICs being charged at the usual rate above this level.
  5. Full Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief – for land and buildings bought for use or development for commercial purposes, and for purchases of land or buildings for residential developers.

A list of the 38 local authorities taking part in discussions can be viewed in this factsheet – www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-growth-plan-2022-factsheet-on-investment-zones

SDLT THRESHOLD INCREASED TO £250,000

Chancellors always like to pull rabbits out of the hat and make surprise announcements at the end of their Budget speech.

Although rumoured in the run up to this mini-budget, the SDLT announcement was still a surprise as house prices have been steadily rising. Increases in mortgage rates are likely to slow the market so the SDLT announcements are designed to stave off a housing slump. Moving house has a multiplier effect on the economy as people tend to spend money decorating and furnishing their new home, with estimates suggesting that doing so drives additional spending worth about 5% of the house value.

It is thus crucial to ensure medium-term confidence in the property market and maintain the growing momentum as the UK economy recovers. The Government has therefore cut SDLT for home buyers across England and Northern Ireland.

For residential property transactions completed on or after 23 September 2022;

  • The Nil Rate Band (NRB) has been increased from £125,000 to £250,000.
  • The NRB for first-time buyers has been increased from £300,000 to £425,000. This applies where first-time buyers purchase a property costing less than £625,000 (previously £500,000).
Paying back VAT deferred due to coronavirus

Information has been added on penalties or interest that may be charged if you do not pay in full, or make an arrangement to pay, and how you may still be able to avoid these charges.

If you deferred VAT payments due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 you can:

  • pay the deferred VAT in full now
  • join the VAT deferral new payment scheme – the online service is open between 23 February 2021 and 21 June 2021
  • contact HMRC on 0800 024 1222 by 30 June 2021 if you need extra help to pay

You may be charged a 5% penalty or interest if you do not pay in full or make an arrangement to pay by 30 June 2021.

Pay your deferred VAT in full

If you were unable to pay in full by 31 March 2021, you may still be able to avoid being charged penalties or interest by either:

  • joining the new payment scheme by 21 June 2021
  • paying your deferred VAT in full by 30 June 2021

Join the VAT deferral new payment scheme

The VAT deferral new payment scheme is open from 23 February 2021 up to and including 21 June 2021.

The new scheme lets you:

  • pay your deferred VAT in equal instalments, interest free
  • choose the number of instalments, from 2 to 11 (depending on when you join)

Instalment options available to you

When you decide to join the scheme will determine the maximum number of instalments that are available to you.

The following table sets out the monthly joining deadlines (to allow for Direct Debit processing) and the corresponding number of maximum instalments (including the first payment):

If you join by Number of instalments available to you
19 March 2021 11
21 April 2021 10
19 May 2021 9
21 June 2021 8

 

How to join

Before joining, you must:

  • have your VAT registration number
  • create your own Government Gateway account (if you do not already have one)
  • submit any outstanding VAT returns from the last 4 years – otherwise you’ll not be able to join the scheme
  • correct errors on your VAT returns as soon as possible
  • make sure you know how much you owe, including the amount you originally deferred and how much you may have already paid

To use the online service, you must:

  • join the scheme yourself, your agent cannot do this for you
  • still have deferred VAT to pay
  • be up to date with your VAT returns
  • join by 21 June 2021
  • pay the first instalment when you join
  • pay your instalments by Direct Debit (if you want to use the scheme but cannot pay by Direct Debit, there’s an alternative entry route for you)

Join the scheme now

See: Pay VAT deferred due to coronavirus (COVID-19) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Budget 2021 update

Great news in today’s budget that the SEISS scheme has now been extended to September 2021.

A 5th grant has been added to the scheme and the facility to submit claims will be open from July 2021.  There is a requirement that your turnover has been impacted, reductions in excess of 30% will receive an 80% grant, reductions less than this will qualify for a 30% grant.

The newly self-employed will qualify for the extended scheme providing that a 2019 / 20 tax return was submitted by 2nd March 2021.

 

The furlough scheme is being extended to September 2021 and employees will continue to receive 80% of their wages throughout this period.

With effect from July 2021 employers will need to contribute 10% of the cost with the government contributing the remaining 70%.  For August and September 2021 the employer’s contribution will be 20% and the government will contribute 60%.

 

Personal income tax thresholds will remain frozen at the 2021 / 21 levels of £12,570 for the tax free personal allowance and £50,270 for the higher rate (40%) threshold until April 2026.

 

The rate of corporation tax will increase to 25% with effect from April 2023.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)

The CJRS scheme has been extended until the end of March 2021.

For periods up to 31st January 2021 HMRC will pay 80% of your employees wages up to a cap of £2,500 per month for the hours furloughed employees do not work.

Employers will not have to contribute for hours not worked but will continue to pay their furloughed employees’ NI and pension contributions.

Employees who have been on an employers payroll and RTI submission notifying payment between 20th March 2020 – 30th October 2020 are eligible for the extended scheme.

Employees who have been made redundant after 23rd September 2020 can be re-employed and eligible for a CJRS claim.

The current scheme will be reviewed in January 2021 to decide whether it will continue at the current rates or if employers are able to contribute more as the economy has improved.

Employers will need to make any claims relating to periods up to 31st October 2020 on or before 30th November 2020.  They will not be able to submit or add any claims after this date. Furlough claims after October 2020 will need to be submitted within 14 days of the month end.  Ie. claims for furlough days in November 2020 must be submitted by 14th December 2020

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