Asset disposals not subject to Capital Gains Tax
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is a tax on the profit made from selling certain assets such as property, shares or other investments. CGT is usually charged at a flat rate of 20% and applies to most chargeable gains made by individuals. If taxpayers only pay basic rate tax and make a small capital gain, they […]
Dividend tax increase from 6 April 2022
A reminder that the 1.25% increase in NIC contributions that came into effect on 6 April 2022 are reflected in a similar increase in the tax charge on dividends. This means that the dividend tax rates for 2022-23 are as follows (all rates having increased by 1.25% over the 2021-22 rates): Basic rate taxpayers will pay […]
Tax-free mileage expenses
If you use your own vehicle for business journeys, then you may be able to claim a tax-free allowance from your employer known as a Mileage Allowance Payment or MAP. The allowance is paid when employees use their own car, van, motorcycle or bike for work purposes. It is important to note that this tax-free […]
Basic principles of domicile
Domicile is a general legal concept which in basic terms is taken to mean the country where you permanently belong. However, actually determining domicile status can be complex. In fact, HMRC’s guidance states that domicile cannot be defined precisely, but the concept rests on various basic principles. Every individual must have a domicile at all […]
Planning for Basis Period reform
The basis period reforms will change the way trading income is allocated to tax years. The reforms will change the basis period from a ‘current year basis’ to a ‘tax year basis’. Under the current rules there can be overlapping basis periods, which charge tax on profits twice and generate corresponding ‘overlap relief’ which is […]
Demergers
There are special statutory demerger provisions that are designed to make it easier to divide and place into separate corporate ownership the trading activities of a company or group of companies. Using these provisions, an exempt demerger will be deemed to take place and the distribution will normally be exempt for Income Tax purposes and usually […]
Business tax cuts from April 2022
A number of business tax cuts came into effect from April 2022. This includes an increase in the Employment Allowance from £4,000 to £5,000. The allowance enables eligible employers to reduce their National Insurance liability. An employer can claim less than the maximum if this covers their total Class 1 NIC bill. This increase represents […]
Tax if you live abroad and sell UK home
One of the most often used and valuable of the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) exemptions covers the sale of the family home. In general, there is no CGT to pay on a property which has been used as the main family residence. An investment property which has never been used will not qualify. This relief from […]
Check your Income Tax for current year
HMRC offers taxpayers the ability to check their Income Tax for the current tax year. The online portal has been updated for the new 2022-23 tax year from 6 April 2022 to 5 April 2023. The service is not available to taxpayers who only pay Income Tax using Self-Assessment. The service can be used to: […]
HMRC names avoidance scheme promoters
HMRC has used new powers introduced in the Finance Act 2022 to name tax avoidance schemes and their promoters for the first time. Under this legislation HMRC can name avoidance scheme promoters, publish details of the way they promote tax avoidance schemes and name the schemes they promote. This allows HMRC to warn users and potential […]
