Pension Planning in 2022

130% super-deduction for investing in new plant continues:

Many businesses may have been too short of cash to take advantage of the new super-deduction for investing in new plant in 2021 but may be more confident about investing in 2022.

This tax break, which started on 1 April 2021 continues until 31 March 2023, allows companies to deduct 130% of the cost of new plant and machinery from their profits where that plant would normally be included in the general capital allowances pool.

If a company buys a new commercial vehicle costing £50,000 that means they can deduct £65,000 from trading profit saving £12,350 in corporation tax. Note that there would be a clawback charge on disposal of the asset, which could be as much as 130% of the proceeds.

There is currently no financial limit on the amount that the company spends on new equipment qualifying for 130% tax relief.

Do you need further guidance on super-deduction?

We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your business. Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

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£1 million annual investment allowance still available

Second hand plant and machinery does not qualify for the 130% super-deduction but would still qualify for the 100% Annual Investment Allowance (AIA).

The amount of expenditure qualifying for 100%  tax relief was originally scheduled to revert to just £200,000 from 1 January 2021 but will now continue at £1 million until 31 March 2023.

Although the 130% super-deduction only applies to limited companies the AIA is available to sole traders and partnerships as well.

Remember that there is currently a further 100% first year allowance for the cost of buying a new zero emission car for the business.

Previously 100% relief was available where the CO2 emissions of the car were no more than 50g per kilometre. However, that threshold changed in April 2021.

Do you need more information on plant & machinery. Do you need more guidance on the £1 million annual investment allowance still available?

We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your business. Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, including construction. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

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Well done to our team! Firstly, we would like to say a big thank you to all clients for your donations so far. We are delighted to confirm we have now completed our 20,000 press-ups for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and we are so close to reaching our target of £3000! Together, we have raised an incredible £2,745! We are so close and we really appreciate any last minute donations to help us reach our target by the end of the day! Above is an image of the ladies in the office doing the last of the press-ups together – What a great team we have!

You can donate here!

Would you like to be involved in a charity challenge? We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your business. Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

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Christmas is the time for giving:

Many were expecting the chancellor to announce changes to inheritance tax (IHT) in his Autumn Budget, However, like capital gains tax (CGT), the rules have remained broadly the same as last year. That means that each tax year individuals may make gifts of up to £3,000 in total and that amount is not included in their cumulative total of gifts for IHT.

Even if the £3,000 annual exempt amount is exceeded, provided it is an outright gift to an individual, there would be no inheritance tax payable provided the donor survives for 7 years.

Note that the gift of an asset other than cash may also give rise to a capital gain and CGT may be payable where the asset has increased in value. However if you give away a business asset such as shares in your trading company it is possible to make a claim to hold over the gain so that no CGT is payable. We can of course advise you on the procedure to follow.

Christmas is the time for giving. Do you need more support with this topic? We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your business. Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors and our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

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Do you need further guidance on our list of tax-free benefits and perks you can provide an employee. These perks are completely free of tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs). We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your business. Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Our fantastic team at A&C Chartered Accountants are here to help.

HMRC support with childcare costs:

With more employees going back to work after the end of CJRS furlough support, they need to start thinking about childcare if they have children.

If they haven’t already done so employees should set up a “Tax-Free” Childcare Account to help pay towards the cost of childminders, breakfast and after school clubs, nursery fees and approved play schemes.

For every £8 an eligible family pay into the special account the government adds £2, up to £2,000 a year, or up to £4,000 a year if a child is disabled. The scheme is available to parents or carers who have children aged up to 11, or 17 if their child is disabled.

We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your businesses who are just getting going! Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

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If you are notifying HMRC of a decision to opt to tax land and buildings, you are normally required to notify HMRC within 30 days. The 30-day deadline was temporarily extended to 90 days to help businesses and agents during the pandemic, but that temporary extension has now ended for decisions made from 1 August 2021 onwards.

Supplies of land and buildings, such as leasing or renting out a property, are normally exempt from VAT. This means that no VAT is payable, but the person making the supply cannot normally recover any of the VAT incurred on property expenses.

However, it is possible to waive the exemption, or “opt to tax” the land. For the purposes of VAT, the term ‘land’ includes any buildings or structures permanently affixed to it.

Once you have opted to tax all the supplies you make your interest in the land or buildings will normally be standard-rated, and this will normally enable you to recover any VAT you incur in making those supplies.

If you are notifying HMRC of a decision to opt to tax land and buildings we can help.

Our team of property accountants have a wealth of experience across construction, residential and commercial property. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant don’t hesitate to contact us.

Accounting for import VAT on your VAT return explained:

HMRC have recently updated their guidance on accounting for VAT on goods imported from outside the UK which, since Brexit, includes the European Union.

Businesses registered for VAT in the UK can account for import VAT on their VAT Return for goods imported into:

• Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) from anywhere outside the UK
• Northern Ireland from outside the UK and EU

Businesses can also account for import VAT for goods moved between Great Britain and Northern Ireland that are declared into a customs special procedure, when they are removed from that special procedure.

You do not need HMRC approval to account for import VAT on your VAT Return.

Accounting for import VAT on your VAT Return has significant cash flow benefits as you declare and recover import VAT on the same VAT Return, rather than having to pay it upfront when the goods are imported and recover it later.

We offer a wide range of VAT services to help your business.

Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector.

If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some tax advice from a trusted accountant, please contact us by filling in a contact form or calling 0161 962 1855.

Check Employment Status for Tax

Since 6 April 2021 large and medium-sized organisations have had to determine whether or not a worker supplying their services via their own personal service company would be treated as an employee if directly engaged.

HMRC suggest organisations use their Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool on their website to check the worker’s status, although that is not obligatory.

HMRC have recently confirmed that they will be bound by the result of the software provided the information is accurate and it is used in accordance with their guidance. However, they will not stand by results achieved through contrived arrangements that have been deliberately created or designed to get a particular outcome.

HMRC suggest organisations use their Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool and we are here to help you and your business. We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your business! Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

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HMRC are currently attacking a marketed tax avoidance scheme using unfunded pension arrangements to avoid Corporation Tax, Income Tax and National Insurance contributions.

HMRC strongly believes these arrangements do not work and will seek to challenge anyone promoting or using these arrangements and make sure the correct tax is paid.

Users of these arrangements may pay considerable fees to use them yet may still have to repay the tax claimed to be avoided, as well as interest and a penalty. Contact us if you are approached to use such a scheme.

Do you need more guidance with pension arrangements? We have a dedicated team of pension specialists. Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

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Pension contributions to approved pension funds on behalf of employees and directors continue to be a tax-free benefit provided the annual input limit is not breached. The contributions are also deductible for the employer provided incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the trade and paid before the end of the accounting period of the business.

For most taxpayers the annual input limit is £40,000 and this overall limit applies to contributions by the employee plus contributions made by the employer on the employee’s behalf. It is also possible to take advantage of unused relief from the previous three fiscal years.

Payments into the pension fund by the employing business will be deductible against business profits. Currently this will only save 19% corporation tax but from 1 April 2023 will save 25% where profits exceed £250,000 and 26.5% where profits are between £50,000 and £250,000.

Note that these limits are divided by the number of associated companies, i.e. under common control.

Although the contribution on behalf of the employee or director may be tax-free they are generally not able to access the fund until age 55.

There have been a number of “schemes” devised over the years to exploit the pension rules.

Pension contributions are our speciality.

We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your business and many tax efficient solutions! Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

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Check that your shares qualify for CGT business asset disposal relief:

A recent case before the tax tribunal has confirmed that all of a company’s shares are ordinary shares except those that carry a fixed rate of return.

This is crucial as CGT business asset disposal (BAD) relief requires a shareholder to be entitled to at least 5% of a company’s ordinary share capital in addition to being an officer or employee of the company, and for the company to be a trading company or the holding company of a trading group.

These conditions need to be satisfied throughout the 24 months prior to the disposal of the shares. This two-year rule is important if you are considering transferring some of your shares to other family members now that only the first £1 million qualifies for CGT BADR.

There are a number of further conditions that need to be satisfied by the shareholding in addition to the 5% ordinary share capital test. The shareholder must have 5% or more voting control and be entitled to 5% or more of the company’s distributable profits, and of its assets should be company be wound up. Those final two conditions do not need to be satisfied where the shareholder would be entitled to receive at least 5% of the proceeds on the hypothetical sale of the whole company.

This tends to be a problem area where a company has a number of different classes of shares.

If that is the case please contact us so that we can check the eligibility of different shareholders.

Do you need help with CGT business asset disposal relief? We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your business and our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

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Despite the coronavirus lockdowns HMRC still expect P11d forms reporting expenses and benefits to be submitted by the normal 6 July deadline.

Remember that reimbursed expenses no longer need to be reported where they are incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of the employee’s duties. Dispensations from reporting are no longer required, although HMRC would expect internal controls to be in place.

Note also that trivial benefits of no more than £50 provided to employees need not be reported. This typically covers gifts to employees at Christmas and on their birthdays.

Not all benefits need to be reported on form P11d, so we are here to help. We offer a wide range of services which are unique to your business. Our team of chartered accountants have a wealth of experience in a broad range of sectors, from construction and property to the charity sector. Our team work hard to ensure they create smart and effective tax-efficient solutions for start-ups to optimise growth and help them succeed. If you want to learn more about how the team can help or simply want some start-up advice from a trusted accountant do hesitate to contact us. For more information please do hesitate to contact us on 0161 962 1855. Alternatively you can email us using the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Our fantastic team at A&C Chartered Accountants are here to help.