Where your employees use a company car or van, but pay for the fuel themselves, the company can pay a fuel-only mileage rate for business journeys. This fuel-only rate is guaranteed to be tax free when it is equal to or less than the advisory fuel rates set by HMRC. These advisory fuel rates are now revised every quarter. The latest rates applicable from 1 September 2011 are shown below for different engine sizes, with the previous rates that applied from 1 June to 31 August 2011 shown in brackets.
Petrol & LPG Engines
1400cc or less: Petrol 15p (15p), LPG 11p (11p)
1401 to 2000cc: Petrol 18p (18p), LPG 12p (13p)
Over 2000cc: Petrol 26p (26p), LPG 18p (18p)
Diesel Engines
1600cc or less: 12p (12p)
1601 to 2000cc: 15p (15p)
Over 2000cc: 18p (18p)
Note there is now a different scale for diesel vehicles.
The advisory fuel rates are based on average fuel prices per litre:
- Petrol: 134.6p
- Diesel: 139p
- LPG: 75.8p
If the prices in your local area are significantly higher, or your company cars are less fuel-efficient than average, you can pay a higher mileage rate. You need to keep a record of how you calculated that higher rate.
Where your employees use their own cars for business journeys, you can pay a tax free mileage rate of 45p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles driven in one tax year, and 25p per mile for extra miles in the same year. This rate was increased from 40p per mile on 6 April 2011, so remember to pay the higher rate to your employees and to yourself when you undertake business journeys in your own car.
Where the company is VAT registered it can reclaim VAT on the fuel element of mileage rates paid to employees, if the employee supplies the company with VAT receipts for fuel showing enough VAT to cover the claim. The advisory fuel rates are purely for fuel. The 45p per mile rate is only partly for fuel, the excess above the advisory fuel rate is to pay for other costs of running the car which are incurred by the employee.
If you are self-employed, with an annual turnover below the VAT threshold of £73,000, you can use the 45p rate as an approximation for the cost of business journeys in your own car.
Showing posts with label glasgow accountants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label glasgow accountants. Show all posts
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
What if You Don't Pay Your Tax!
July is one of those big tax-paying months...
- If you are self-employed you need to pay your income tax and class4 NIC on-account payment for 2010/11 by 31 July.
- A company with a 30 September 2010 year end must pay its corporation tax by 1 July 2011.
- Employers must pay class 1A NICs on benefits by 19 July.
- Quarterly payments of PAYE are due by the same date. Monthly payments of PAYE and CIS deductions are due by 19th of every month, or by 22nd if paying electronically.
If you or your company will not be able to pay the tax due on time you should contact the Tax Office business payment support line (0845 302 1435) without delay, or we can do this for you. Once the tax due is actually late, even by a day, it is much more difficult to negotiate a reasonable payment plan with the Taxman.
The Taxman is now very keen to chase every penny of tax owed, and you will start to receive aggressively worded letters if you don't pay on time. If you do not react or pay promptly you will receive telephone calls and possibly personal visits from professional debt collectors. The situation can escalate quite quickly into bailiffs being authorised to seize your goods, or a court judgement being enforced.
If you receive a letter demanding tax due, don't ignore it. Even if you believe there is nothing owed you need to sort the situation before the heavies turn up!
- If you are self-employed you need to pay your income tax and class4 NIC on-account payment for 2010/11 by 31 July.
- A company with a 30 September 2010 year end must pay its corporation tax by 1 July 2011.
- Employers must pay class 1A NICs on benefits by 19 July.
- Quarterly payments of PAYE are due by the same date. Monthly payments of PAYE and CIS deductions are due by 19th of every month, or by 22nd if paying electronically.
If you or your company will not be able to pay the tax due on time you should contact the Tax Office business payment support line (0845 302 1435) without delay, or we can do this for you. Once the tax due is actually late, even by a day, it is much more difficult to negotiate a reasonable payment plan with the Taxman.
The Taxman is now very keen to chase every penny of tax owed, and you will start to receive aggressively worded letters if you don't pay on time. If you do not react or pay promptly you will receive telephone calls and possibly personal visits from professional debt collectors. The situation can escalate quite quickly into bailiffs being authorised to seize your goods, or a court judgement being enforced.
If you receive a letter demanding tax due, don't ignore it. Even if you believe there is nothing owed you need to sort the situation before the heavies turn up!
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Budget 2011 - Individuals
Personal Allowances
The personal allowance for 2011/12 will increase by £1,000 to £7,475, but the 40% tax threshold will reduce to £35,000 (see below). This ensures that higher and additional rate taxpayers do not benefit from the increased personal allowance in this year. From 6 April 2012 the personal allowance will be increased again by £630 to £8,105, and in that year the 40% threshold will be reduced further to £34,370.
Personal allowances are withdrawn at certain income thresholds, indicated below, and cannot be claimed by non-domiciled individuals who elect to have their foreign income and gains taxed on the remittance basis for the tax year.
The 2011/12 personal allowances are...
Under 65 - £7,475
65-74 - £9,940
75 and over - £10,090
Minimum married couples allowance* - £2,800
Maximum married couples allowance* - £7,295
Blind person's allowance - £1,980
Income limit for allowances for those aged 65 or more - £24,000
Income limit for allowances for those aged under 65 - £100,000
* given where one partner was born before 6 /4/1935, and only as 10% reduction in tax.
Income Tax Rates
The tax rates for 2011/12 have been frozen at the 2010/11 levels but the threshold at which the 40% tax rate is applied is reduced to £35,000. This introduces a subtle tax increase as it pulls more taxpayers into the 40% tax bracket, and increases the amount of income subject to tax at 40%.
The 2011/12 rates and bands are...
Savings rate* (10%) - 0 to £2,560
Basic rate (20%) - 0 to £35,000
Higher rate (40%) - £35,001 to £150,000
Additional rate (50%) - over £150,000
* Only applies if non savings income is below this amount
Non-Domiciled and Non Resident
Individuals who are domiciled outside of the UK (non-doms), and who have been resident in the UK for at least 7 years out of the previous 9 tax years, must pay a remittance basis charge if they want to exclude their off-shore income and gains from UK taxation. This remittance basis charge is current set at £30,000 per year. It is proposed that from 6 April 2012 the remittance basis charge will increase to £50,000 for non-doms who have been UK resident for at least 12 years. Those who have been resident in the UK for at least 7 years but less than 12 years will continue to pay the £30,000 charge.
There is currently no clear measure by which an individual can determine whether they are treated as resident for tax purposes in the UK. The Government intends to introduce a legal test of residence with effect from April 2012.
Tax Credits
The main changes to Tax Credits as it applies to the self-employed, is the change in the income disregard from £25,000 in 2010/11 to £10,000 in £2011/12.
The income disregard provides a buffer for changes in income, so overpayments of tax credits do not arise where income varies within this threshold year on year. The reduction in this threshold is likely to adversely affect families with fluctuating incomes, such as the self-employed. In the future, in order to avoid a claw-back of tax credits, the claimant will need to finalise their self-employed profit figures as close to the tax year end as possible.
The personal allowance for 2011/12 will increase by £1,000 to £7,475, but the 40% tax threshold will reduce to £35,000 (see below). This ensures that higher and additional rate taxpayers do not benefit from the increased personal allowance in this year. From 6 April 2012 the personal allowance will be increased again by £630 to £8,105, and in that year the 40% threshold will be reduced further to £34,370.
Personal allowances are withdrawn at certain income thresholds, indicated below, and cannot be claimed by non-domiciled individuals who elect to have their foreign income and gains taxed on the remittance basis for the tax year.
The 2011/12 personal allowances are...
Under 65 - £7,475
65-74 - £9,940
75 and over - £10,090
Minimum married couples allowance* - £2,800
Maximum married couples allowance* - £7,295
Blind person's allowance - £1,980
Income limit for allowances for those aged 65 or more - £24,000
Income limit for allowances for those aged under 65 - £100,000
* given where one partner was born before 6 /4/1935, and only as 10% reduction in tax.
Income Tax Rates
The tax rates for 2011/12 have been frozen at the 2010/11 levels but the threshold at which the 40% tax rate is applied is reduced to £35,000. This introduces a subtle tax increase as it pulls more taxpayers into the 40% tax bracket, and increases the amount of income subject to tax at 40%.
The 2011/12 rates and bands are...
Savings rate* (10%) - 0 to £2,560
Basic rate (20%) - 0 to £35,000
Higher rate (40%) - £35,001 to £150,000
Additional rate (50%) - over £150,000
* Only applies if non savings income is below this amount
Non-Domiciled and Non Resident
Individuals who are domiciled outside of the UK (non-doms), and who have been resident in the UK for at least 7 years out of the previous 9 tax years, must pay a remittance basis charge if they want to exclude their off-shore income and gains from UK taxation. This remittance basis charge is current set at £30,000 per year. It is proposed that from 6 April 2012 the remittance basis charge will increase to £50,000 for non-doms who have been UK resident for at least 12 years. Those who have been resident in the UK for at least 7 years but less than 12 years will continue to pay the £30,000 charge.
There is currently no clear measure by which an individual can determine whether they are treated as resident for tax purposes in the UK. The Government intends to introduce a legal test of residence with effect from April 2012.
Tax Credits
The main changes to Tax Credits as it applies to the self-employed, is the change in the income disregard from £25,000 in 2010/11 to £10,000 in £2011/12.
The income disregard provides a buffer for changes in income, so overpayments of tax credits do not arise where income varies within this threshold year on year. The reduction in this threshold is likely to adversely affect families with fluctuating incomes, such as the self-employed. In the future, in order to avoid a claw-back of tax credits, the claimant will need to finalise their self-employed profit figures as close to the tax year end as possible.
Monday, 8 November 2010
Planning for the VAT Increase
We know the standard rate of VAT will increase on 4 January 2011 from 17.5% to 20%, but will your business be ready?
It may be difficult for retail businesses to re-price everything displayed in the store over the New Year break, ready for opening on 4 January. Fortunately the law does allow you to make the adjustment from 17.5% to 20% VAT at the till for up to 28 days after the VAT increase. You do need to notify your customers that you are making this adjustment so have a sign advising customers that a price adjustment will be made at point of sale to reflect the increased VAT, and find time to reprogramme your tills before 4 January!
An alternative approach is to increase all your prices before 4 January 2011 to accommodate the higher VAT rate. If you are having new menus printed for winter, now could be a good time to make the price changes.
Where a customer places an order before 4 January 2011 for goods or services to be delivered after that date, you can generally charge VAT at the current standard rate of 17.5%. To apply the current rate of VAT you must either issue an invoice, or receive a payment before 4 January 2011. You should not artificially advance sales by issuing invoices that are not due for payment for six months or more. You will also be caught by anti-avoidance rules if your business is connected with your customer, or the amount due is £100,000 or more.
If you use the flat rate scheme for small businesses you need to check-out the flat rates that will apply from 4 January 2011, as set out on the HMRC guidance website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/start/schemes/flat-rate.htm#5a
You may find that when you apply the new flat rate to the gross sales made on and after 4 January 2011, you will be worse off than operating outside the flat rate scheme. If this is the case you need to inform the VAT office in writing that you want to leave the flat rate scheme. It's easiest if you do this with effect from the start of your next VAT quarter. If you leave the flat rate scheme you can't rejoin the scheme for at least 12 months.
For specific advice on how to deal with the VAT rate change in your business, please contact us.
It may be difficult for retail businesses to re-price everything displayed in the store over the New Year break, ready for opening on 4 January. Fortunately the law does allow you to make the adjustment from 17.5% to 20% VAT at the till for up to 28 days after the VAT increase. You do need to notify your customers that you are making this adjustment so have a sign advising customers that a price adjustment will be made at point of sale to reflect the increased VAT, and find time to reprogramme your tills before 4 January!
An alternative approach is to increase all your prices before 4 January 2011 to accommodate the higher VAT rate. If you are having new menus printed for winter, now could be a good time to make the price changes.
Where a customer places an order before 4 January 2011 for goods or services to be delivered after that date, you can generally charge VAT at the current standard rate of 17.5%. To apply the current rate of VAT you must either issue an invoice, or receive a payment before 4 January 2011. You should not artificially advance sales by issuing invoices that are not due for payment for six months or more. You will also be caught by anti-avoidance rules if your business is connected with your customer, or the amount due is £100,000 or more.
If you use the flat rate scheme for small businesses you need to check-out the flat rates that will apply from 4 January 2011, as set out on the HMRC guidance website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/start/schemes/flat-rate.htm#5a
You may find that when you apply the new flat rate to the gross sales made on and after 4 January 2011, you will be worse off than operating outside the flat rate scheme. If this is the case you need to inform the VAT office in writing that you want to leave the flat rate scheme. It's easiest if you do this with effect from the start of your next VAT quarter. If you leave the flat rate scheme you can't rejoin the scheme for at least 12 months.
For specific advice on how to deal with the VAT rate change in your business, please contact us.
Friday, 15 October 2010
Taxman Brings in the Heavies
The Taxman has hired four debt collection firms to help collect an additional £140 million of unpaid taxes each year. Those firms are:
- Commercial Collection Services Ltd;
- Credit Solutions Ltd;
- Fairfax Solicitors Ltd; and
- iQor Recovery Services Ltd.
They will all be expected to operate under industry and Tax Office standards.
If you owe tax, even a just a few hundred pounds, you may well find a bailiff from one of those commercial firms on your doorstep. Before this happens you should receive a warning letter from the Collector of Taxes, but we know those letters can be out of date, contain incorrect figures or sometimes never arrive.
We are aware of some problems with corporation tax demands such as:
- Letters asking for tax to be paid but with no details of how the debt arose, or what period it is for;
- Demands sent where no corporation tax is due;
- Estimated tax bills issued and chased when in fact no tax is due.
If you receive a letter regarding an unpaid tax debt do not ignore it, even if the facts are incorrect and you don't owe the tax stated. If the Taxman's information is not corrected promptly you can expect to see the bailiffs and they can be hard people to deal with.
- Commercial Collection Services Ltd;
- Credit Solutions Ltd;
- Fairfax Solicitors Ltd; and
- iQor Recovery Services Ltd.
They will all be expected to operate under industry and Tax Office standards.
If you owe tax, even a just a few hundred pounds, you may well find a bailiff from one of those commercial firms on your doorstep. Before this happens you should receive a warning letter from the Collector of Taxes, but we know those letters can be out of date, contain incorrect figures or sometimes never arrive.
We are aware of some problems with corporation tax demands such as:
- Letters asking for tax to be paid but with no details of how the debt arose, or what period it is for;
- Demands sent where no corporation tax is due;
- Estimated tax bills issued and chased when in fact no tax is due.
If you receive a letter regarding an unpaid tax debt do not ignore it, even if the facts are incorrect and you don't owe the tax stated. If the Taxman's information is not corrected promptly you can expect to see the bailiffs and they can be hard people to deal with.
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
VAT Online - Are You Ready?
Compulsory online filing for VAT returns is here. The first period for which an established business with a turnover of £100,000 or more is required to submit their tax return online is the quarter ending 30 June 2010. That VAT return is due in by midnight on 31 July 2010. In fact as the VAT return is submitted online the submission date is stretched to 7 August 2010, although a VAT repayment claim must still be received by 31 July.
Businesses who always receive VAT repayments can ask to complete monthly VAT returns, in which case the first period for which they must submit their VAT return online was 30 April 2010.
Once you start to submit your VAT returns online you will no longer receive a paper form from the VAT office, or any type of paper reminder.
If you have included your email address in the information about your business in the HMRC online services page, you should receive an email reminder when your VAT return becomes due.
When you submit your VAT return online you also need to pay any VAT due electronically. One of the easiest ways to do this is by direct debit (DD), when the VATman calls the exact amount of VAT due from your account as reported on your VAT return. To allow the VAT office time to allocate your VAT return to the DD instruction, you must set up the DD instruction at least five working days before your VAT return is submitted online. Not five days before the VAT payment is due.
Please talk to us without delay if you would like us to submit your VAT returns online on your behalf.
Businesses who always receive VAT repayments can ask to complete monthly VAT returns, in which case the first period for which they must submit their VAT return online was 30 April 2010.
Once you start to submit your VAT returns online you will no longer receive a paper form from the VAT office, or any type of paper reminder.
If you have included your email address in the information about your business in the HMRC online services page, you should receive an email reminder when your VAT return becomes due.
When you submit your VAT return online you also need to pay any VAT due electronically. One of the easiest ways to do this is by direct debit (DD), when the VATman calls the exact amount of VAT due from your account as reported on your VAT return. To allow the VAT office time to allocate your VAT return to the DD instruction, you must set up the DD instruction at least five working days before your VAT return is submitted online. Not five days before the VAT payment is due.
Please talk to us without delay if you would like us to submit your VAT returns online on your behalf.
Giving Shares to Employees
There are a number of approved share schemes that a company can use to provide its employees with shares in the company they work for, or options to buy those shares at a favourable price. The scheme designed for small companies to use is the Enterprise Management Investment scheme (EMI).
If the company chooses not to use one of the approved share or share option schemes and issues shares or options to its employees, there can be some very serious tax consequences, such as:
- The employee is taxed on the value of the shares he receives as if that value was part of his salary.
- The company must pay the employer's class 1 NICs on the value of the shares issued.
- The company must also fund the employee's class 1 NIC and the tax that should have been deducted under PAYE from the value of the shares provided to the employee.
- If the employee leaves shortly after acquiring the shares, the employer may not be able to recover the PAYE and NIC paid in respect of the value of those shares.
- If the Taxman views the giving of the shares as part of a tax avoidance scheme, the employee may be subject to tax and NICs on any dividends he receives from those shares, as if those dividends were salary payments.
If you want to provide your employees with shares please talk to us about how you want to achieve this, so we can advise on how to do it the most tax efficient manner.
If the company chooses not to use one of the approved share or share option schemes and issues shares or options to its employees, there can be some very serious tax consequences, such as:
- The employee is taxed on the value of the shares he receives as if that value was part of his salary.
- The company must pay the employer's class 1 NICs on the value of the shares issued.
- The company must also fund the employee's class 1 NIC and the tax that should have been deducted under PAYE from the value of the shares provided to the employee.
- If the employee leaves shortly after acquiring the shares, the employer may not be able to recover the PAYE and NIC paid in respect of the value of those shares.
- If the Taxman views the giving of the shares as part of a tax avoidance scheme, the employee may be subject to tax and NICs on any dividends he receives from those shares, as if those dividends were salary payments.
If you want to provide your employees with shares please talk to us about how you want to achieve this, so we can advise on how to do it the most tax efficient manner.
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