Tag: UK Tax

Government imposed levies for UK residents and companies.

Duty free limits if you are travelling abroad

by cigma, posted in Blogs, FAQ, General

DUTY FREE LIMITS WHEN returning from ABROAD

Looking to understand the ins and outs of UK duty-free allowances? At CIGMA Accounting, we’re committed to delivering the latest, most accurate information to help you enjoy your international travel stress-free.

When returning to Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland) from abroad, here’s a rundown of what you can bring back duty-free for personal use.

You are permitted to bring back:

  • 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars, 250g of tobacco, or 200 sticks of tobacco for electronic heated tobacco devices. Feel free to divide these allowances; for instance, 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars are perfectly fine.
  • 18 litres of still table wine.
  • 42 litres of beer.
  • 4 litres of spirits or strong liqueurs exceeding 22% volume or 9 litres of fortified wine (like port or sherry), sparkling wine or other alcoholic beverages under 22% volume. A split is possible here as well; for example, 4.5 litres of fortified wine and 2 litres of spirits meet the limit.
  • Other goods, including perfume and souvenirs, up to the value of £390. For those arriving via a private plane or boat for leisure, the limit is £270 tax-free.

Require accounting services?

Get in touch with our expert accountants today! Contact us via WhatsApp for personalized financial solutions.

Ask Us Now

Returning to northern ireland from the eu

For those returning to Northern Ireland from an EU country, no limits are imposed on tobacco or alcohol, provided you can prove that the goods are for your personal use, and all relevant taxes and duties were paid at purchase. However, HMRC suggests these maximum guidelines:

  • 800 cigarettes
  • 200 cigars
  • 400 cigarillos
  • 1kg of tobacco
  • 110 litres of beer
  • 90 litres of wine
  • 10 litres of spirits
  • 20 litres of fortified wine (like port or sherry)

Exceeding these numbers may trigger additional inquiries from HMRC.

Need Assistance from an Accountant?

We’d be more than happy to help you with your accounting needs in London, or anywhere else in the UK!

Reach out to us by completing this form and one of our staff members will get in touch within one business day. 


Wimbledon Accountant

165-167 The Broadway

Wimbledon

London

SW19 1NE

Farringdon Accountant

127 Farringdon Road

Farringdon

London

EC1R 3DA

the best way to pay yourself as a company director in the UK; london accountant; dividends taxation; income tax

How to best pay yourself as a UK company director

by , posted in Blogs, Capital Gains Tax, FAQ, Income Tax, National Insurance, Payroll

As a new company director in the UK, you are likely wondering how to best pay yourself through your company. You have several options for transferring company profits into personal income, including salaries, dividends, and investments. This post outlines the pros and cons of each, and gives you the information you will need to make your income as tax efficient as possible.

 

How can a company director pay themselves?

Company directors are considered employees of the company and so take a salary which is subject to income tax. Directors can also pay themselves using dividends, which are a common method of distributing profits to shareholders (which includes directors).

Salaries and dividends are subject to different tax rates, tax-free allowances, and National Insurance obligations, which we break down below.

 

Require accounting services?

Get in touch with our expert accountants today! Contact us via WhatsApp for personalized financial solutions.

Ask Us Now

What is the difference between salary and dividends?

Dividends are a way for companies to distribute a portion of their profits to their shareholders. As a director, you can choose to pay yourself through dividends instead of a salary. Dividends are typically paid out after the company has paid its taxes and can be a tax-efficient way to receive income.

However, there are some basic rules to follow. Firstly, your company must have sufficient profits to pay dividends, and you should keep records of these profits. Secondly, dividends must be declared and approved by the company’s shareholders. Lastly, dividends cannot be paid if the company is insolvent or if the payment would render it insolvent.

When it comes to tax purposes, it’s important to find the right balance. Dividends are subject to lower tax rates than salaries. You also do not need to pay National Insurance Contributions on dividend income, which you would have to do so on any salary income.

Lastly, as is also the case with personal income tax, a certain amount of dividends you receive is tax-free.

You can read our full guide to dividends to learn more.

 

What is the most efficient way for a company director to pay themselves?

From the explanation above, it should be clear that paying yourself efficiently as a company director involves balancing tax-free personal allowances and differing tax obligations.

The table below should be very helpful in outlining these differences between salary and dividends.

company director pay; dividends tax; income tax; london accountant

At the most basic level, directors clearly want to use all of their available tax-free personal allowance. That means taking at least £12,570 as salary and £1,000 as dividends.

It is important to note that once you reach the Higher Rate income bracket, your personal allowance amount begins to decrease. And in the Additional Rate bracket, there is zero tax-free personal allowance.

An important factor that is left out of the above table is the added cost of National Insurance Contributions on salary income. National Insurance Contributions must be paid both by the employee and employer. The basic NIC rate for employees is currently 12% of earnings, and an additional 13.8% of earnings to be paid by the employer. These are basic figures, see our guide to National Insurance for a detailed understanding.

As a company director, you will effectively bear both of these costs, making salary income even less appealing when compared to dividends. A common strategy is to take enough of a salary that the director qualifies for state benefits such as the State Pension, but that does not incur NIC payments.

Under most circumstances, dividends will be more tax efficient than salary income, though how easy it is to distribute dividends will depend on the structure of your company and its shareholders.

Related Blog Posts:

Using investments as tax-efficient income sources

It is also important to take advantage of any other tax free allowances that HMRC makes available. An example of this would be transferring company profits into investments, rather than personal salary. In that way, you could take advantage of the tax-free capital gains allowance of £6,000.

Trusts are another way of accomplishing this, and which have their own tax-free capital gains allowance of £3,000.

It is also essential to consider how increased income may push you into a new tax band, and create much higher tax liability. For example, the dividend tax rate jumps from 8.75% in the first income bracket to 33,75% in the second.

As such, it may be more profitable in the long term to reinvest money into business (tax-free), or into other investments, rather than taking extra personal income that pushes you into a higher tax band.

 

Need Assistance from an Accountant?

Our CIMA-certified Management Accountants specialise in working with businesses to form companies, create financial strategies and take care of regulation compliance.

We’d be more than happy to help you with your accounting needs in London, or anywhere else in the UK!

Reach out to us by completing this form and one of our staff members will get in touch within one business day. 


Wimbledon Accountant

165-167 The Broadway

Wimbledon

London

SW19 1NE

Farringdon Accountant

127 Farringdon Road

Farringdon

London

EC1R 3DA

top 5 reasons to register trusts with HMRC; london accountant; farringdon accountant

The Top 5 Reasons to Register Trusts for Your Assets

by , posted in Blogs, Inheritance Tax, Personal

If you are looking to protect your assets and minimise your tax liability, you will likely want to register trusts to hold them. In some cases, you may have to register trusts with HMRC. Trusts offer a range of benefits, from shielding your assets from creditors to providing a clear plan for distributing your wealth after you pass away. In this post, we’ll explore the top 5 benefits of registering trusts and why they may be a wise investment for your financial future.

 

1. Protect Your Assets from Creditors and Lawsuits

One of the biggest benefits of registering trusts for your assets is the protection they offer from creditors and lawsuits. When your assets are held in a trust, they are no longer considered your personal property and are therefore shielded from any legal action taken against you.

This can be especially important for business owners or individuals in high-risk professions, as it provides an added layer of protection for their hard-earned assets. Additionally, trusts can also protect your assets from being seized by the government in the event of a lawsuit or bankruptcy.

Require accounting services?

Get in touch with our expert accountants today! Contact us via WhatsApp for personalized financial solutions.

Ask Us Now

2. Register trusts with HMRC to Minimize Estate Taxes and Probate Costs

Another major benefit of registering trusts for your assets is the potential to minimize estate taxes and probate costs. When assets are transferred through a trust, they are not subject to the same taxes and fees as assets transferred through a will. This can save your beneficiaries a significant amount of money and hassle in the long run.

Additionally, trusts can help ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes, without the need for lengthy and costly probate proceedings.

3. Register trusts to Maintain Control Over Your Assets

Registering trusts for your assets allows you to maintain control over them even after you pass away. With a trust, you can specify exactly how and when your assets will be distributed to your beneficiaries. This can be particularly important if you have minor children or beneficiaries with special needs who may not be able to manage their inheritance on their own.

By setting up a trust, you can ensure that your assets are used in the way you intended and that your beneficiaries are taken care of according to your wishes.

 

Related Blog Posts:

4. Ensure Privacy and Confidentiality

Registering trusts for your assets can also provide privacy and confidentiality. Unlike wills, which become public record after your death, trusts are private documents that are not subject to public scrutiny. This means that your personal and financial information will remain confidential and only be shared with your chosen beneficiaries and trustees.

Additionally, trusts can protect your assets from potential creditors or legal disputes, providing an added layer of privacy and security.

 

5. register trusts to Provide for Your Loved Ones After You're Gone

One of the top reasons to register trusts for your assets is to ensure that your loved ones are provided for after you pass away. By setting up a trust, you can designate specific beneficiaries to receive your assets and ensure that they are distributed according to your wishes. This can be especially important if you have minor children or family members with special needs who may require ongoing financial support.

A trust can provide for their needs and ensure that they are taken care of even after you’re gone.

 

Need Assistance from an Accountant?

We’d be more than happy to help you with your accounting needs in London, or anywhere else in the UK!

Reach out to us by completing this form and one of our staff members will get in touch within one business day. 


Wimbledon Accountant

165-167 The Broadway

Wimbledon

London

SW19 1NE

Farringdon Accountant

127 Farringdon Road

Farringdon

London

EC1R 3DA

Autumn Finance Bill published

by cigma, posted in General

The government published the Autumn Finance Bill 2022 on 22 November 2022. The Bill is officially known as Finance Bill 2022-23. The Bill contains the legislation for many of the tax measures announced in the recent Autumn Statement.

The Autumn Finance Bill will be followed by the main Spring Finance Bill 2023 which will be published after the spring Budget and will cover any remaining tax measures needed ahead of April 2023. Summary of most important changes to the UK Finance Bill is summarised in the following infographic. 

UK Finance Bill Updates

Some of the many measures included within the Bill are:

 

  • The Energy Profits Levy (EPL) will increase to 35% (from 25%), effective 1 January 2023. The investment allowance will be reduced from 80% to 29% for qualifying investment expenditure thereby maintaining its existing cash value.

The government introduced the Energy (Oil and Gas) Profits Levy in May 2022 to respond to exceptionally high prices that mean oil and gas companies are benefiting from extraordinary profits.

European and UK wholesale gas prices reached record highs this year and are expected to remain significantly elevated for the foreseeable future. This is driven by global circumstances, including resurgent demand for energy post COVID-19 and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.The proposed changes are not expected to have any significant impact on individuals, households and families. In contrast, around 200 companies operating in the UK will pay more tax, however, they will be able to claim additional tax relief through the Energy Profit Levy's investment allowance.

 

  • The Income Tax additional rate threshold will be reduced from £150,000 to £125,140 with effect from 6 April 2023

This change will be implemented to support the government's objective of putting the public finances on a sustainable path in a way that is fair, with those on the highest incomes taking on a larger burden. These changes will apply on all income including non-savings, non-dividend income, for taxpayers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This will also apply to the savings rates, dividend rates and the default rates which apply for taxpayers across the UK. These changes will not affect Scottish taxpayers. These changes will affect around 792 000 UK taxpayers in April 2023, with more men than women being affected by the changes. 

 

  • The current £2,000 dividend tax-free allowance is to be reduced to £1,000 from April 2023 and to £500 from April 2024.

The dividend allowance is not always an addition to the personal allowance. Sometimes it uses up part of the personal allowance. It should always be remembered that the personal allowance applies to all income. If the taxpayer has income from other sources, only one personal allowance may be claimed.  For a detailed explanation, yuo can visit the HMRC website.

  • Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) will become payable on new electric cars, vans and motorcycles from April 2025 in the same way as it currently applies to petrol and diesel vehicles. This change will apply to new and existing zero emission cars.

​​​​​​​

  • The Income Tax thresholds will be maintained at their current levels for a further two years until April 2028. The higher rate threshold will remain frozen at £37,700 and the personal tax allowance will remain at £12,570 through to April 2028.

 

  • The Research and Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC) rate will increase to 20% (from 13%) with effect from 1 April 2023.
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) additional deduction will decrease from 130% to 86% effective from 1 April 2023.
  • The SME credit rate will decrease from 14.5% to 10% effective from 1 April 2023.
Source:HM Treasury| 28-11-2022

Gifts paid out of disposable income

by cigma, posted in Inheritance Tax

It is possible for wealthier taxpayers to make tax exempt gifts and payments that are funded as normal expenditure out of income. This is a very flexible exemption from IHT as there are no specific requirements, for example by making fixed regular gifts to the same person. With proper planning this can be a very useful tool including enabling grandparents to help pay school fees for their grandchildren.

However, careful consideration has to be given to ensure that these payments form part of the transferor’s normal expenditure and is made out of income and not out of capital. The person gifting the money must also ensure that they are left with enough money for them to maintain their normal standard of living out of their regular income after making the gift.

HMRC’s internal manual states that although the normal expenditure gifts must have left the transferor with ‘sufficient income’ to maintain their usual standard of living, they do not need to have actually used this for living expenses. The transferor may in fact choose to use capital to meet their living expenses and use the income remaining, after making the gifts, for some other purpose. It is enough, for the exemption to apply, that the income was enough to meet both the normal expenditure gifts and the usual living expenses.

If the income that is left after making the gifts is not enough to meet the usual living expenses, the exemption is not available in full, but part of the gifts may still qualify for the exemption.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 14-11-2022