Wedding gifts to the happy couple from friends and family can be tax effective. Parents can each gift up to £5,000, and grandparents up to £2,500, without facing any tax implications (normally inheritance tax can apply to gifts if the donor doesn’t survive the gift by 7 years). The newly-married pair may also be able […]
Both the National Minimum and National Living Wage increased on 1 April 2019. The hourly rate for the minimum wage depends on the employee’s age and whether they are an apprentice. As the minimum wage increases more employers than ever will be directly affected, including some of those who currently pay above the minimum. The […]
Pension contributions under Auto Enrolment are by default split between employer and employee. From the 6 April 2019: Employer contributions must be at least 3% Total contributions must be at least 8% Many employers will simply treat the difference (currently 5%) as employee contributions. The problem with this approach is that whilst all contributions are […]
The government is to introduce a new criminal offence of ‘wilful or reckless behaviour’ in relation to pensions which would see directors facing up to seven years in jail. In its response to a consultation on protecting defined benefit contribution pension schemes, which ran from June to August last year, the government said it will […]
You risk a hefty fine if you’re not in line with National Minimum Wage laws. From 1st April 2019, the following rates will apply: Workers aged 25 and over: £8.21 per hour Workers aged 21-24: £7.70 per hour Workers aged 18-20: £6.15 per hour Workers over compulsory school age, but not yet 18: £4.35 per […]
Minimum contribution rates under automatic enrolment are due to rise from 3% to 5% for employees and 2% to 3% for employers from 6 April 2019. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says its research suggests saving behaviour is sticking: the first increase in minimum contributions which took place last year has not prompted […]
If the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019 without a deal this could have an impact on any EU Intellectual Property or Trademarks held by a business. At this point in time it is not clear if EU trademarks would be applicable in the UK post Brexit. If you own intellectual property rights […]
If the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019 without a deal the there may be considerations needed for your current and future workforce You may need to:. 1. Review all EU employees currently working in your business and ascertain whether they are applying for “Settled status” by 31 December 2020. See the Employer […]
If the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019 without a deal, the government’s aim will be to keep VAT procedures as close as possible to what they are now, providing continuity and certainty for businesses. However, there will be some specific changes to the VAT rules and procedures that apply to transactions between […]
Uber has lost a landmark case over worker rights, entitling UK drivers to minimum wage and sick leave. The Court of Appeal upheld a 2016 ruling, refuting the ride-hailing app’s claim that its drivers are self-employed. Earlier this week, the government said that it would look into workplace policies to help preserve gig economy jobs. […]
A savings scheme to help lceland staff save for Christmas could end up costing the supermarket at least £21m, after it was accused of breaching minimum wage rules.The scheme allows low-paid staff to have a sum deducted from their weekly paypacket and placed into a separate account, to be returned on demand, usually at Christmas. HM Revenue […]
Having a good memory or a strong command of maths may have once rated high on your list of professional skills. But now that devices handle those tasks, the World Economic Forum is urging workers to skill up for the future. Analytical thinking, initiative and ideation will overtake manual dexterity, time management and speaking abilities. Managers may […]
HMRC’s guidance now states that where all of a director’s income is taxed at source and there is no further tax to pay, they do not have to register for and file a self-assessment return. As many company directors are taxed under PAYE they will not need to give notice of liability to tax. If […]
A third of all energy generated in the UK last year was from renewable sources, according to climate research and news site Carbon Brief. Drawn from UK government data, the analysis found electricity generated from fossil fuels fell to a record low. The UK has cut its carbon emissions by more than 43% since 1990, but is still not […]
Claiming higher rate tax relief for charitable donations made. In your Self Assessment tax return, you normally only report things that occurred in the tax year in question. But for charitable donations, you can also claim tax relief on donations you make in the following tax year up to the date you send your return. […]
HMRC lists 6 things you need to do when employing staff for the first time. Decide how much to pay someone – you must pay your employee at least the National Minimum Wage. Check if someone has the legal right to work in the UK. You may have to do other employment checks as well. Apply for a DBS […]
From April 2016 rules were introduced to allow employers to provide their directors and employees with certain “trivial” benefits in kind tax free.The rules were brought in as a simplification measure so that certain benefits in kind do not now need to be reported to HMRC as well as being tax free for the employee. […]
An individual makes their pension contributions out of their taxed and NIC’d income. Most individual pension contributions are made “net of tax”. The pension scheme will then gross up the payment by claiming 20% tax relief from the government. So for £80 contributed by the individual, the scheme also gets £20 from government, giving a […]
Business magnate Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, believes that employers should put their employees before their clients. “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients. Most businesses put customers first while employees are just secondary. Employees are the branches […]
Open plan offices and the use of messaging apps have encouraged always-on, constant collaboration at work. But research from Harvard’s Ethan Bernstein suggests that we develop more, and better, solutions to problems when we take occasional breaks from the group so we can ponder on our own. Such intermittent collaboration strikes an ideal balance between […]
Use the Budget calculator developed by Deloitte, to find out how your pocket may be affected by the Chancellor’s latest measures. Bear in mind, some changes will not be seen until future financial years, and are not included in this calculator.
The Help to Buy equity loan scheme, which offers a 20 per cent government loan (40 per cent in London) to buyers of new-build properties, has been extended a further two years, from April 2021 to 2023. The upper price cap for a property to be eligible for the scheme will also increase. They will […]
The government has increased the loan repayment thresholds (the amount graduates can earn before making repayments) for student loans by 2.9% and confirmed the introduction of a postgraduate loan system deductible from PAYE effective 6 April 2019. The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that from 6 April 2019 the thresholds will increase for tax […]
The Government will withdraw the tax and National Insurance relief associated with childcare vouchers for brand new applicants from 4 October 2018, with Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) providing help with childcare costs instead. For anyone who has not claimed childcare vouchers yet, it means they need to join in time for their employer to action their […]
The Government has announced that it will not proceed with the abolition of Class 2 National Insurance contributions (NICs) during this Parliament. The announcement was made on 6 September 2018. The abolition of Class 2 NIC was originally intended to simplify the tax system for the self-employed, however, implementation of the policy was delayed in […]
HMRC is urging millions of employees such as nurses, hairdressers and construction workers to go online and directly check if they can claim extra cash back for work-related expenses, amid concerns they could be missing out on their full tax relief entitlement by using agencies instead. The tax authority says some 85% of eligible taxpayers […]
Lack of clarity around the Brexit process is hitting preparations for business after the UK leaves the EU, with only a third of finance professionals in large businesses reporting their organisation has started scenario planning and just 20% of those in small organisations, according to a poll. Around eight out of 10 of the respondents […]
You only have until the 3 October 2018 to join the Childcare Voucher Scheme. Assuming you are in this scheme prior to this date you can keep getting vouchers as long as: you stay with the same employer and they continue to run the scheme you do not take an unpaid career break of longer […]
UK employees seem to take a more lenient approach than the average European employee to questionable workplace practices, according to a survey by the Institute of Business Ethics which found that 38% believe petty fiddling is inevitable in a modern organisation compared to 30% of their European counterparts. The survey sought to establish whether employees […]
The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) is reminding students who have been working over the summer to make sure they have not overpaid tax and, if they have, to claim a refund from HMRC. Students are more likely to overpay tax as they usually only work – or earn more – at certain times […]
HMRC have updated guidance on how to allocate the apprenticeship levy allowance across multiple PAYE schemes and/or connected companies and charities. Pay Apprenticeship Levy explains when the apprenticeship levy needs to be paid and how to report payments. The guidance has been updated at the section about ‘how to allocate your allowance’. The apprenticeship levy […]
The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) has published a technical news article about opting out of a workplace pension. Low income workers who have been put into a workplace pension under the auto-enrolment programme resulting in less take-home pay may be considering opting out. The LITRG explains the longer-term consequences of opting out so […]
If pension savings are more than the annual allowance, unused annual allowances from previous years can be brought forward. The annual allowance is the limit on the amount of pension savings that can be made to all pension schemes in a tax year before tax has to be paid on them. Pension savings over the […]
The World Cup, which starts today, is a great opportunity for businesses around the world to capitalise from employees’ national pride. However, the tournament features many games during work hours, causing workers to have to potentially miss games, which can cause staff to feel unmotivated. It is therefore important to set clear rules for you […]
The subject of classifying food and drink expenditure is a tricky area, not helped by HMRC’s vague guidance on the matter. There are VAT and corporation tax consequences depending on what classification you use so it is important to get it right. Generally, food and drink expenses incurred by a business can be categorised into […]
The process for administering and agreeing PSA has changed to reduce the burden for employers. From 6 April 2018, a PSA will be agreed between the employer and HMRC and will remain in place for subsequent tax years unless changed or cancelled by the employer or HMRC. This means that employers will no longer have […]
With the school summer holidays approaching, many businesses will look to employ young workers to help meet seasonal demands and to provide valuable work experience. Young workers have additional rights which must be followed strictly: Children below age 13 cannot work. Children aged 13 to 15 can only work part time. Children aged 16 or […]
With summer approaching, it is important to consider the affect of hot weather on the working conditions of your employees. Whilst there is no legal upper limit to temperature in the workplace, it must remain ‘reasonable’. What is considered reasonable must be judged against your particular work environment. The risks of high temperature must be […]
The tax treatment of termination payments changed from 6 April 2018 and further changes will come into effect in 2019. Pay In Lieu of Notice Employers now need to pay Income Tax and Class 1 National Insurance Contributions (NICs) on an element of all termination payments from 6 April 2018, whether or not they are […]
If you are planning to go on maternity leave from your employment, it is important to be aware of the dates which affect how much statutory maternity pay you will receive. The basic rules of pay are 90% of you average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks and then the statutory figure of £145.18 […]
Employment law has developed to acknowledge that some individuals are not self-employed or employed, but are “workers” with some limited employment rights. In tax law there are still only two statuses: employed or self-employed. If an individual is a worker for employment law they are likely, but not necessarily, they will be self-employed for tax […]
Making sure your people feel valued is vitally important. People who feel valued tend to be more committed to their employers and also tend to go the extra mile, when necessary. One of the most important duties of any manager is to ensure that their team members feel that their work is appreciated. To ensure […]
Investing more in your pension on or before 5 April 2018 that payment can be taken into consideration in computing your 2017/18 liability and hence you might be able to claim to reduce your payments on account, if you make them. The maximum pension contribution is generally £40,000 each tax year, although this depends on […]
For most taxpayers the maximum pension contribution is £40,000 each tax year, although this depends on their earnings. This limit covers both contributions by the individual and their employer. Note that the unused allowance for a particular tax year may be carried forward for three years and can be added to the relief for the […]
Reforms to NICs will now take effect from April 2019 including abolition of Class 2. This had been previously announced to be from April 2018. This information is courtesy of 2020 As with all of our tax tips and web pages this information is necessarily summarised and of a general nature. If you would like […]
It is long established that training costs learning new skills is not tax deductible for self-employed. This is because costs of learning new skills is deemed by HMRC to be capital not revenue expense. The government are now consulting on extending the scope of tax relief currently available for work-related training costs. As with all […]
The rules for salary sacrifice arrangements changed with effect from 6 April 2017 and HMRC have updated their guidance for employers. Apart from 5 exceptions the amount assessed as employment income for new salary sacrifice arrangements is now the greater of the salary foregone and the taxable benefit as set out in the tax legislation. […]
The government are undertaking a consultation on shifting the burden in IR35 cases to private sector employers in the same way as has already been done for employers in the public sector. Please see our previous blog about shifting IR35 to public sector bodies here. As with all of our tax tips and web pages […]
As we have previously mentioned here, auto-enrolment of staff in workplace pension schemes now applies to even the smallest of employers, although there are exclusions. The current minimum contributions are 2%, with at least 1% from the employer. These are scheduled to increase to 5%, at least 2% from the employer, from 6 April 2018. […]
From April 2018 there will be no benefit-in-kind liability if you are charge your electric cars at your employer’s premises. As with all of our tax tips and web pages this information is necessarily summarised and of a general nature. If you would like detailed specific advice please contact us.
The general rule is that if the entertainment is provided only for directors (or partners) of a business the VAT incurred is not input tax. This is because the goods or services are not deemed used for a business purpose. The VAT therefore cannot be reclaimed on the VAT return. However, where directors and partners […]
On the first Monday in November each year, the voluntary living wage is increased. From 6 November 2017, the voluntary UK living wage has increased from £8.45 to £8.75 per hour. The London living wage has increased from £9.75 to £10.20 per hour. The annual November increases to the voluntary living wage do not affect […]
An employer can provide a gift to it’s employees over the festive period without it being a benefit in kind provided that it meets the following criteria: the cost of providing the benefit does not exceed £50 (or the average cost per employee if a benefit is provided to a group of employees and it […]
The Government’s Autumn Budget Day will be on 22 November 2017. There are reports that this may include: A reduction in the annual pension allowance from £40,000 to £30,000 as well as the tapered annual allowance for higher earners being reduced from £150,000 to £120,000. Pension tax relief could be cut for older workers to […]
For anyone in employment, you might have noticed a tax code on your payslip, most commonly 1150L. But what does this actually mean? Your tax code determines the allocation of your personal allowance against your income from that job. If you only have one job you will likely have 1150L tax code which means the […]
The queues when trying to contact HMRC by phone are often very long so this can be a frustrating and time consuming process. Most departments now offer a WebChat service where you can communicate with an advisor online. This method also has the advantage of being able to save your conversation so that you have […]
Auto enrolment does not apply if a company is not considered an employer by The Pension Regulator. Reasons for not being an employer include: Director only company, none of the directors have an employment contract No longer employ any staff Ceased trading, Although you will not have any auto enrolment duties you must inform The […]
From the 1 October 2017 all new employers will immediately have legal duties due to Auto Enrolment. These duties will apply from the first day an employee starts working for you. Please visit The Pension Regulator website to find out about your duties as a new employer. If you fail to comply with these duties then […]
Working parents can start applying for two new Government childcare schemes that are now launched. This new scheme is designed for working families, including the self-employed, in the UK. For every £8 you pay in, the government will add an extra £2, up to £2,000 per child, or £4,000 per year for disabled children under […]
This is a reminder that from 6 April 2016, benefits are exempt from tax and NICs if all the following conditions are satisfied: · the cost of providing the benefit does not exceed £50; · the benefit is not cash or a cash voucher; · the employee is not entitled to the benefit as part […]
From 6 April 2017 HMRC will be updating tax codes on a much more regular basis. For some employees this could mean a new tax code every month. The aim of this change is to ensure employees pay the correct tax, or benefit from tax relief and refunds, during the tax year. If we prepare […]
The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has recently published a report calling on the Government to close the loopholes that allow “bogus” self-employment practices, which burden the welfare state but reduce the tax contributions needed to sustain it. This follows the Matthew Taylor inquiry which took evidence during February and March 2017 from […]
HMRC have recently updated their toolkit dealing with the reporting of expenses and benefits provided to employees and directors in the light of significant recent changes in this area. HMRC toolkits are designed to help minimise the risk of errors in returns and computations and their use, although voluntary, will be taken into consideration in […]
A scheme using Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs) as a means of remunerating directors and staff whilst avoiding tax has been defeated by HMRC in a recent Supreme Court case. Such schemes had been used by many employers to avoid PAYE and national insurance contributions (NICs) and involved complicated trust structures and “loans” to the employees. […]
From 5 April 2017 HMRC has introduced an apprenticeship levy. The levy is charged at 0.5% of the businesses total payroll cost and applies to all businesses operating payroll. Each business receives a £15,000 allowance each tax year which means that they do not have to pay the levy until 0.5% of their payroll […]
The current minimum pension contributions for employees inside Auto Enrolment are 2%, with the employer being required to contribute at least 1%. From 6 April 2018 the minimum contributions will increase to 5%, with the employer required to contribute at least 2%. This will increase further to 8% from 6 April 2019 onwards, […]
All National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage rates revised from 1 April 2017. This is in addition to the rise on 1 October 2016. The new rates from 1 April 2017 will be: Year 25 and over £7.50 0 21 to 24 £7.05 18 to 20 £5.60 Under 18 £4.05 Apprentice £3.50 Some tips […]
Philip Hammond has announced that the planned national insurance rise for the self employed has been scrapped at least for the current parliament. He has said he will announce how extra funds will be raised in the autumn statement. Meanwhile Theresa May has said the government await the Taylor report on the future of employment. […]
There has been much lobbying from the small business sector to reduce business rates. The Chancellor stated that 600,000 small businesses currently benefit from small business rates relief. He announced that no small business that is coming out of small business rates relief will pay more than £600 more in business rates this year than […]
The chancellor also announced that the new tax-free childcare scheme is due to start in 2017. The scheme will provide up to £2,000 a year in childcare support for each child under 12 where the parents save in a special account. If they save £8,000 the government will top up the account with 20% to […]
Salary sacrifice arrangements are where employees give up some part of their salary in return for an employer provided benefit. These are often tax efficient as the benefit chosen is often a no or low tax benefit in kind. We posted more details on salary sacrifice as a FAQ here. Changes announced in 2016 Budget […]
These are the suggested reimbursement rates for employees’ private mileage using their company car from 1 December 2016. Where there has been a change the previous rate is shown in brackets. Engine Size Petrol Diesel LPG 1400cc or less 11p 7p 1600cc or less 9p 1401cc to 2000cc 14p (13p) 9p […]
New tax-free childcare accounts were announced in 2014 to replace the employer-provided childcare voucher scheme. Introduction has been delayed by legal disputes with organisations involved in administering the existing scheme, but the new accounts will at last be introduced on a trial basis in early 2017. The new scheme will then be rolled out across […]
Paying for directors and staff entertainment generally creates a taxable benefit on the individual. However annual parties can be paid for tax free. The criteria includes there being a cap on costs of £150 per head. This can include food, drink, travel and accommodation. The total cost of the party including VAT, is divided by […]
The current UK Living Wage is £8.45 an hour The current London Living Wage is £9.75 an hour These are voluntary rates – more information at http://www.livingwage.org.uk/ The current National Living Wage (legal minimum for most workers) is £7.20 per hour. All current legal minimum wage rates are here.
The crux of the recently highly publicised Uber case is the question of who is supplying the end client. Uber argued it was the drivers supplying the end client: Client buys service (transport) from driver; driver buys service from Uber (logistics). (Uber just an agent) The Employment Tribunal found that it was Uber supplying the […]
Ever since 6 April 2015 employment agencies and other intermediaries have been required to make quarterly reports of payments made directly to workers or via partnerships, LLPs and companies where no tax has been deducted from the payments. These requirements apply if you supply a person rather than supply a service. If your client needs […]
Employers can now give employees small gifts costing up to £50 without fear of a tax bill. This could be for an anniversary, a birthday or because the sun is shining – anything as long as it is not a reward for services. We originally blogged back in December 2015. The main rules for gifts […]
The new National Minimum Wage rates apply from 1 October 2016. Details of new NMW rates on Gov.UK. The new rates from 1 October 2016 are: 21 – 24 year olds – NMW will increase from £6.70 to £6.95 per hour 18 – 20 year olds – NMW will increase from £5.30 to £5.55 per […]
HMRC have taken to naming and shaming those not paying the full national minimum wage. If you are a sole trader, partnership or any kind of company with shares, or operating a social enterprise with a profit motive, then you cannot avoid NMW by classifying your workers as voluntary. The latest rates (from 1.4.16) are: […]
If an employee address changes then you should encourage them to inform HMRC of this. This can be done at www.gov.uk/tell-hmrc-change-of-details. This helps to ensure that the tax they pay is accurate.
From April 2016 there will be 2 student loan plan types known as Plan 1 and Plan 2. Each plan will have a different threshold before loan repayments are made. For the tax year beginning 6 April 2016, the thresholds will be £17,495 for Plan 1 and £21,000 for Plan 2. HMRC […]
A reminder that the employment allowance will be £3000 this coming year (2016/17) up from £2000. However for the first time, single person employers will not be eligible for the employment allowance this year. David Wilsdon
From 6 April 2016 PAYE legislation is changing. If you intend or already payroll benefits and expenses you must register them with HMRC using the online Payrolling Benefits in Kind (PBIK) service. If you use this service and payroll benefits and expenses you won’t have to report them on a P11D. If you do not […]
The Auto Enrolment staging dates for many businesses is approaching. Below summarises the key points you should be aware of. Key points Your staging date is when the Automatic Enrolment duties come into force for your business. You’ll need to identify what your duties are for each member of staff on your staging date or […]
Under RTI the end of year form P35 was replaced by the Final Full Payment (FPS) submission. Send your final FPS on or before your employees’ last payday of the tax year (5 April) instead of the old 19 April deadline. Remember to put ‘Yes’ in the ‘Final submission for year’ field in your payroll […]
The Government announced at Autumn Statement 2015 that the current two year temporary reporting relaxation will end as planned on 5 April 2016. The relaxation permitted employers who at 5 April 2014 employed no more than 9 employees, to report their PAYE information for the tax month ‘on or before’ the last payday in the […]
A reminder that from April 2016, the national living wage will be £7.20 an hour for workers aged 25 and older. The minimum wage will still apply for workers aged 24 and under. For full details of all national minimum wage (NMW) rates check https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates Note that all workers including interns generally have to be […]
For the past two tax years (2014-15 and 2015-16) most employers have been able to reduce their employers national insurance bill by £2000. We have applied this to all clients that we prepare payroll for. For the next tax year (2016-17) the employment allowance increases to £3000. However there will be a restriction which prevents […]
The government intend to legislate that trivial benefits in kind, where the cost to the employer is no more than £50, will not need to be reported in future and will be exempt from tax. HM Revenue and Customs raised concerns that some directors of family companies might abuse the new rules and have insisted […]
The minimum pension contributions under Auto Enrolment were set to increase in October 2017 and October 2018. These dates have been pushed back to April 2018 and April 2019. Full details are: Until 5 April 2018 – 2% total of which at least 1% from the employer From 6 April 2018 – 5% total of […]
You can ask HMRC Clearances Team to confirm the tax and NICs implications of a salary sacrifice arrangement once it is in place. However, this is not a requirement. HMRC would want to see: evidence of the variation of terms and conditions (if there is a written contract) payslips before and after the variation […]
Single person companies will not be able to claim the employment allowance from April 2016. The employment allowance is a reduction of employers national insurance of up to £3,000. It is not yet clear whether taking on a new employee, perhaps part time or short term, will be sufficient to reinstate the allowance.
We routinely get a dispensation in place for our payroll clients. This is a notice from HMRC that removes the requirement for the employer to report certain expenses at the end of the tax year on forms P11D or P9D. In order to have the dispensation in place HMRC require that your company has systems […]
The adult National Minimum Wage (NMW) rate is currently £6.70. From 1 April 2016 a new National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 25 and above will come into force which will initially be set at £7.20. For employee aged 21 to 24 the NMW will still apply.
A further consultation taking place this summer is into the simplification of the tax and national insurance treatment of termination payments. There is a widespread but mistaken belief among employees and employers that the first £30,000 of any pay-off is not subject to income tax and NICs. This often leads to difficulties when employees discover […]
An area of your business which may need some clarification is when you are calculating holiday entitlement of your employees. An important thing to note is that employees cannot be paid “holiday pay” on top of normal pay. Instead, holiday has to actually be taken off work. In effect, the employee is effectively paid as […]
The most radical announcement by the Chancellor on 8th July was a significant reduction in the amount the government plans to spend on tax credits and other State benefits. At the same time he announced that there would a new national living wage to be paid by employers, rising to £9 an hour by 2020. […]
Always be suspicious of any email mentioning a refund from a “tax credit office agent”. Look out for links to fake version of the GOV.UK website. Never provide details or similarly sensitive information on the basis of an email request. HMRC’s director general of benefits and credits, Nick Lodge, HMRC, said the department never asks […]
In his March 2014 Budget, the Chancellor announced that there would be significant changes to allow individuals to have greater access to their pension funds from 2015. The proposed changes have been consulted on during the summer and the Treasury have now published the outcome, together with draft pensions legislation, enabling the new flexible regime […]