If most of your income is taxed under PAYE (Pay As You Earn) you may soon receive a reconciliation of the income tax you have paid compared to the amount that was due to be paid for 2013/14. This calculation arrives on a form P800, which should be checked very carefully for errors and omissions. If mistakes are missed they can be carried forward for several years, resulting in escalating amounts of tax over or under-paid.
For example the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) may be due where you earn over £50,000 and your family receives child benefit. But the HICBC will not be reflected in the P800 calculation, as HMRC can't accurately match child benefit claimants with the high earners in those families. If you believe you are due to pay the HICBC to claw-back the child benefit received, you need to register for a self-assessment and complete a tax return. We can help you with that.
Other common errors on the P800 arise from the changing value of taxable benefits, varying pension contributions, and estimated amounts of other income included in your PAYE code such as rents or interest.
If you have paid the right amount of tax under PAYE for 2013/14 you won't receive a communication from HMRC. If you have overpaid tax you should receive a cheque from HMRC within two weeks of the issue of the P800. Don't respond to emails promising a tax repayment - those are scams.
If the P800 shows you owe tax, that amount will normally be collected through your PAYE code for 2015/16. We can help you challenge the calculation if you think it's wrong, but we will need to see the P800 you have received, as HMRC don't send us a copy.
Showing posts with label pension contributions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pension contributions. Show all posts
Monday, 7 July 2014
Monday, 2 June 2014
Auto-enrolment
Auto-enrolment is the term for the law that requires all employers to register their employees into a qualifying workplace pension scheme. This requirement is being rolled-out to the largest employers first and will eventually apply to the smallest employers from June 2015 onwards.
For example if you have 62 to 89 employees you have to apply auto-enrolment from 1 July 2014. Those with larger payrolls should already have auto-enrolment in place.
There are let-outs; auto-enrolment only applies to employees working in the UK who are aged 22 to state pension age, and who earn more than the personal allowance (£10,000 for 2014/15). After being enrolled in to a pension scheme, each employee has an opt-out period of one month whereby they can receive a full refund of any contributions already made. Another opt-out opportunity must be offered every three years.
Once the workplace pension scheme is running both the employee and the employer must make contributions, which will start at 1% of qualifying earnings rising to a total of 8%. Qualifying earnings consist of pensionable pay in the range £5,772 to £41,865 (for 2014/15). The employee's employment contract will define what "pensionable pay" is.
We can help you work out what auto-enrolment may cost you, and which employees will be covered. There is a lot to think about, and if you haven't already got a suitable pension scheme in place you will need to set one up. There are significant penalties for employers who fail to enrol employees on time, so don't let the auto-enrolment timetable overtake you.
For example if you have 62 to 89 employees you have to apply auto-enrolment from 1 July 2014. Those with larger payrolls should already have auto-enrolment in place.
There are let-outs; auto-enrolment only applies to employees working in the UK who are aged 22 to state pension age, and who earn more than the personal allowance (£10,000 for 2014/15). After being enrolled in to a pension scheme, each employee has an opt-out period of one month whereby they can receive a full refund of any contributions already made. Another opt-out opportunity must be offered every three years.
Once the workplace pension scheme is running both the employee and the employer must make contributions, which will start at 1% of qualifying earnings rising to a total of 8%. Qualifying earnings consist of pensionable pay in the range £5,772 to £41,865 (for 2014/15). The employee's employment contract will define what "pensionable pay" is.
We can help you work out what auto-enrolment may cost you, and which employees will be covered. There is a lot to think about, and if you haven't already got a suitable pension scheme in place you will need to set one up. There are significant penalties for employers who fail to enrol employees on time, so don't let the auto-enrolment timetable overtake you.
Marginal Tax Rates
What rate of tax would you pay on an additional £1 of earnings? If your annual income is between £41,865 and £150,000 you may think the tax rate would be 40%, but the peculiarities of the UK tax system mean you could pay much more.
To start with earned income above the 40% threshold carries a national insurance charge (NICs) of 2% so for every £1 you earn above £41,865 (for 2014/15) you will pay 42% in tax and NICs.
Child benefit is withdrawn from the highest earner in the family at the rate of 1% of the benefit for each £100 of income exceeding £50,000 per year. This translates into an effective marginal tax rate of 60% on income between £50,000 and £60,000.
When your income exceeds £100,000 your personal allowance is withdrawn at the rate of £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000. This is an effective tax rate of 62% including NICs.
From 6 April 2015 married couples will be able to transfer up to 10% of their personal allowance between them. This will allow up to £1,050 of the allowance to be transferred from the person who earns less than £10,500, to their spouse who earns up to the 40% threshold. Thus £1 of additional income that takes you over the 40% threshold will mean you lose the whole of that transferable allowance - an infinite marginal tax rate.
If you are able to control the level of your taxable income, perhaps because you run your own business, it makes sense to adjust your income to avoid those high marginal tax rates. Perhaps you could employ other members of your family, or take them into business with you as partners, to spread the business income.
Payments of pension contributions and Gift Aid donations can stretch your 40% threshold, so the higher earner in the family should making those charitable donations and pay pension contributions. We can help you plan to avoid the highest tax rates and make the best use of all allowances available.
To start with earned income above the 40% threshold carries a national insurance charge (NICs) of 2% so for every £1 you earn above £41,865 (for 2014/15) you will pay 42% in tax and NICs.
Child benefit is withdrawn from the highest earner in the family at the rate of 1% of the benefit for each £100 of income exceeding £50,000 per year. This translates into an effective marginal tax rate of 60% on income between £50,000 and £60,000.
When your income exceeds £100,000 your personal allowance is withdrawn at the rate of £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000. This is an effective tax rate of 62% including NICs.
From 6 April 2015 married couples will be able to transfer up to 10% of their personal allowance between them. This will allow up to £1,050 of the allowance to be transferred from the person who earns less than £10,500, to their spouse who earns up to the 40% threshold. Thus £1 of additional income that takes you over the 40% threshold will mean you lose the whole of that transferable allowance - an infinite marginal tax rate.
If you are able to control the level of your taxable income, perhaps because you run your own business, it makes sense to adjust your income to avoid those high marginal tax rates. Perhaps you could employ other members of your family, or take them into business with you as partners, to spread the business income.
Payments of pension contributions and Gift Aid donations can stretch your 40% threshold, so the higher earner in the family should making those charitable donations and pay pension contributions. We can help you plan to avoid the highest tax rates and make the best use of all allowances available.
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