Important Tax Deadlines for 2017/18
Important Tax Deadlines We have listed below the key tax deadlines for individuals, self-employed and businesses: The tax year runs from the 6th April – 5th April. Date Information Required 31 July 2018 The second payment on account must be paid to HMRC for tax year 2017/18 05 October 2018 The deadline to let HMRC know that you need to do a self-assessment tax return for tax year 2017/18 31st October 2018 The deadline for submitting paper copies of your tax return for 2017/18 to HMRC and also the deadline for submission if you want HMRC to calculate how much tax you owe 30 December 2018 The deadline for submitting a tax return if you want HMRC to adjust your 2018/19 PAYE code to recover any underpaid tax. The maximum you can repay via your PAYE code is £3000 31 January 2019 Deadline for on line self-assessment submissions. The balance of any outstanding tax and national insurance for 2017/18 must be paid to HMRC. The first on account payment for tax year 2018/19 must be made 5 April 2019 Last Day of Tax Year Limited Companies Taxable profits of up to £1.5 million You must pay your Corporation Tax 9 months and 1 day after the end of your accounting period. Your accounting period is usually your financial year, but you may have 2 accounting periods in the year you set up your company. Taxable profits of over £1.5 million If your taxable profits of more than £1.5 million, you must pay your Corporation Tax in installments. If you need help managing any of your tax deadlines please get in...
HMRC Cease to Accept Credit Cards
HMRC cease to accept payments via credit cards In a surprisingly timed announcement, HMRC said that they would cease to accept credit card payments for tax bills from 13 January 2018. Those who previously paid their self assessment by this means will now have to select an alternative means of payment. It’s a painful change which will most impact those who were hoping to reduce the suffering of their tax bill by paying by plastic. Self Assessment tax payments In 2016, more than 800,000 of us paid our self assessment bill by credit card. Allowing us to benefit from the period of extra grace this gave us to dig up the cash and for some, being able to spread the cost over several months by only paying off the minimum charge. Only personal credit cards are covered by the ban. Debit card payments are still possible, although they confer none of the benefits of credit cards. Those with corporate and business credit cards can also still pay. Why the change? It’s not entirely unexpected. New legislation around credit card surcharges which came into effect in the summer has caused the knock-on effect that’s led to this ban. Organisations can no longer charge a fee to those paying with credit cards, but they must still pay the processing fees for credit card payments. HMRC would have been in a difficult position of charging back the processing fees to the public purse. Alternative payment methods are: debit cards, direct debits, online (BACs) or telephone banking services provided by banks. It’s a double blow to the self-employed who used to pay via Transcash –...
Entrepreneur’s Relief – One of the Best Kept Secrets
Entrepreneur’s Relief Since April 2008, Entrepreneur’s Relief (ER) has been one of the best kept secrets of British business life. Perhaps the way that successive governments have handled Entrepreneur’s Relief explains why this excellent scheme is not as well recognised, or as used, as it should be by the business community. The Benefits of Entrepreneur’s Relief Qualifying businesses can save between 8% and 18% Capital Gains tax. Each individual’s qualifying amounts are subject to a lifetime limit which is related to business period. Businesses disposed of between: April 2008 to 5 April 2010 up to £1 million 6 April 2010 to 22 June 2010 up to 2 million 23 June 2010 to 5 April 2011 up to £5 million or after 6 April 2011 up to £10 million. Spouses or civil partners working in the same business are classed as separate individuals. Therefore claim individually. Because each person is entitled the full amount of Entrepreneurs’ Relief, this makes the benefit doubly attractive. Especially to family firms. It’s clearly an attractive benefit, so how do you ensure you qualify? Qualifying for Entrepreneur’s Relief Qualifying conditions for this benefit must be maintained throughout a 12 month qualifying period. This can be before the date of disposal or before the date the business ceased trading. Both individuals and some qualifying trustees of settlements can claim the relief. But, it’s not available to personal representatives of the deceased nor in relation to trusts where the entire trust is a discretionary settlement. The relief must be claimed, in writing, by the first anniversary of the 3rd January following the end of the tax year...
How to protect your business from currency fluctuations
Currency fluctuations The Brexit vote has left UK firms more exposed to currency fluctuations in an increasingly volatile and globalised market. Sterling’s devaluation against both the dollar and the Euro have improved competitiveness between firms inside the UK who are net exporters of products. This, however, causes major difficulties for businesses that are using sterling to buy imported products. They are exposed to currency movement and in some cases have seen 10-20% price increases on imports which have had a substantial effects on margins. Fluctuating exchange rates also make budgeting difficult creating uncertainty in cash and profit forecasting. Ways to manage currency fluctuations: Partner Agility Working with suppliers who operate within several regions offering different currencies, allows a business to request products that are sourced from financially advantageous locations. Changing location, however, can have its own inherent risks, including: variation in quality lack of transparency to the end consumer potential negative impacts in corporate social responsibility terms if a firm is seen to ‘go where the cheapest goods/services’ can be found. Another option is to pass the currency risk to customers or suppliers by demanding payments in domestic currency. Although this approach will be tempered by the level of buying and selling power you have in the market. Establishing a bank account in the foreign currency you trade in This is a simple and common strategy for SMEs particularly those that buy and sell in the same currency. The approach ensures you don’t need to change your revenue to sterling, which is usually the point in the process where most losses are incurred. Whilst this can be relatively easy...
Auto Enrolment – how to get ready and stay compliant
What is auto enrolment? Automatic enrolment requires virtually every UK small business to automatically enrol qualifying employees onto a suitable workplace pension scheme and make regular contributions to it on behalf of those employees. What must UK businesses do for auto enrolment? Know your staging date – businesses have been ‘staged’ into auto enrolment since 2012 and the process has now reached the micro-business level Create a plan – be sure your business is prepared – working with a specialist consultant, outsourcing your auto enrolment and/or using payroll software are all ways you can be auto enrolment compliant without headaches Remember to reassess – this has to be done every pay period. All your employees need to be assessed to ensure they qualify for the next period of auto enrolment: age, hours worked and payment received are all criteria that must be checked Inform all workers – this includes all new workers. Once you’ve entered the auto enrolment process you must remember to communicate with new employees and any who cease to be eligible Complete a declaration of compliance – records have to be maintained for six years and The Pension Regulator requires you to complete your declaration within five months of your staging date Maintain contributions to workers’ pensions – when the scheme began in 2012, contributions were 2% but phasing means they will reach 8% by October 2018. Which businesses must implement auto enrolment? At this point in the staging process it is SMEs who are being required to become auto enrolment compliant. So called ‘micro-businesses’ are dis-proportionally hard hit by auto enrolment because there is an...Your Finance Team Ltd
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