Self-employed – How to calculate your payments on account The deadline for filing the self-assessment tax return for 2018/19 is 31 January 2020. This is also the date by which any outstanding tax for 2018/19 must be paid and, where payments need to be made on account, the date by which the first payment on…
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Self-assessment Payments on Account
IHT on Christmas Gifts
Beware of triggering an IHT bill on Christmas gifts When deciding what to give as Christmas gifts, the possibility of triggering an unintended inheritance tax liability is not one that immediately springs to mind. However, there are traps that may catch the unwary. Income or capital When making a gift, it is important to ascertain…
When to incorporate?
Over the last decade, corporation tax rates for most companies – irrespective of size – have fluctuated between 19% and 21%. The main rate of corporation tax is expected to be cut to 17% from April 2020. Current corporation tax rates are still pretty favourable and are indeed generally lower than those paid by many…
VAT Reverse Charge for Building and Construction
Domestic reverse VAT charge for building and construction services The domestic reverse VAT charge for building and construction services was due to come into effect from 1 October 2019. However, in early September it was announced that the start date had been put back one year. As a result, the charge will now apply from…
Calculating Class 4 NIC liability
The self-employed pay two classes of National Insurance contributions – Class 2 and Class 4. Class 2 contributions are weekly flat rate contributions which provide the mechanism by which the self-employed build up their entitlement to the state pension and certain contributory benefits. By contrast, Class 4 contributions are based on profits from the self-employment…
Directors Salary or Bonus?
Given current tax rates, paying a dividend rather than a salary will often be a more cost-effective way of withdrawing profits from a company. Tax is currently payable on any dividend income received over the £2,000 annual dividend allowance at the following rates: 7.5% on dividend income within the basic rate band (up to £37,500…
Check Your Tax Calculation
Each year HMRC undertake a PAYE reconciliation for employed individuals who are not required to submit a tax return to check that the correct amount of tax has been paid. Where it has not, HMRC will send out either a P800 tax calculation or a PA302 simple assessment. P800 tax calculation A P800 tax calculation…
CGT Private Residence Relief Changes
Draft legislation to be included in the next Finance Bill will make important changes to the calculation of CGT private residence relief. As announced in the Autumn 2018 Budget, there will be a reduction in the final period exemption to just 9 months and stricter conditions for letting relief to apply. Currently where a property…
CGT Letting Relief Restriction
Currently letting relief provides up to a £40,000 deduction in computing the capital gain on the disposal of a property that was at some time the taxpayer’s main residence. The relief is the lessor of £40,000, the gain attributable to the let period, and the amount of private residence relief. For a couple this could…
IHT Relief For Businesses and Farms
There is currently a very generous 100% relief from inheritance tax for passing on businesses and farm land during lifetime and on death. The rationale for Business Property Relief (BPR) and Agricultural Property Relief (APR) is to enable businesses to be passed on without the need to sell off assets to pay the IHT due…
