14. Series 14 Tax And Your Business The Year Ahead

14. Series 14 Tax And Your Business The Year Ahead

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  The Active BusinessSeries 14 2011 plummerparsons ab2011-14 Tax and your business: the year ahead This 2011/12 guide is intended to If you operate your business through a limited company, under current tax law you can pass shares on to other family members and thus help you and your [unincorporated] gradually transfer the business with no immediate tax liability in most cases. however, a tax saving for the donor usually impacts on the business tax planning. recipient and you need to steer clear of the anti-avoidance rules known as the settlements legislation, so again, seek our advice first. Don’t miss out on tax planning opportunities. exPeNses Planning for the year ahead will benefit your hmRC has extensive and changing regulations on what expenses can and cannot be claimed against tax. The rules governing whether late business. night taxis are a taxable benefit or not, for example, run to five pages. Tax is payable by an unincorporated business at income tax rates from 20 Naturally, you will want to make sure your business is claiming all to 50 per cent. In addition there is a liability to class 4 National Insurance available expenses. some of these benefits are due to be cut (including which is taxed at a rate of 9 per cent on taxable profits from £7,225 to late night taxis). £42,475 and thereafter at a rate of 2 per cent without limit. Professional guidance can ensure your business is making the right claims, and at the right time: incurring expenditure just before the end The famIly busINess of the accounting year means you can claim any available tax relief a Involving the family year earlier. for 2011/12 and the previous year, the first £100,000 of most capital expenditure qualifies for a 100% allowance. you may also want to you can employ family members in your business, provided the salary consider investing in energy efficient or environmentally beneficial plant and other benefits you pay them is commercially justifiable. you can and equipment which will attract 100% allowances, irrespective of cost – remunerate family members with a salary, and perhaps also with benefits more information can be found at www.eca.gov.uk - such as a company car or van. The cost in tax of having a company van that is available for private purposes ranges to a maximum of £1,775 DO yOu have a hOme OffICe? which includes the use of fuel for private purposes. Other options include medical insurance or making payments into a registered pension The number of people working from home has soared. according to a scheme. report by enterprise Nation, almost half of this country’s smes are based at a residential address, and 60% of new businesses start out of a home you can also take family members into partnership, thereby gaining more office. frustratingly, the complex tax rules governing this situation mean flexibility in profit allocation. In fact, taking your children into partnership few are receiving the full benefit. yet if you arrange your business affairs and gradually reducing your own involvement can be a very tax efficient in a clear and demonstrable way, you can claim a number of expenses. way of passing on the family business. be aware, though, that taking Potentially, depending on usage, area and working time, you can claim family members into your business may put the family wealth at risk an apportionment of both fixed and running costs. utility bills, mortgage if, for example, the business were to fail. hm Revenue & Customs may interest (or rent), water rates and general repairs may all be eligible, as is challenge excessive remuneration packages or profit shares for family telephone line rental and cleaning. hmRC officers are now instructed to members, so seek our advice before you make any decisions. ‘accept a claim on any reasonable basis.’ Naturally, any such claim should be diligently prepared. If you are working from home and qualify, please talk to us. you will also need to consider whether your business use of home breaches planning restrictions, and whether business rates may be due on the property. RewaRDINg sTaff There are ways of rewarding staff that can be tax efficient for both your business and your employees. for example, providing childcare vouchers of up to £55 per week to staff as part of their salary package is tax free and attracts no National Insurance Contributions, saving both your business and your employees money. This particular relief is, from 6 april 2011, restricted to £28 a week for new participants paying 40% tax, and to £22 for new participants paying 50% tax. Do also consider whether some staff might be provided with a company car. low emission models can attract 100% allowances when the Plummer Parsons | 01323 431 200 business purchases them brand new, and can produce a very low taxable [email protected] | www.plummer-parsons.co.uk 18 Hyde Gardens Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 4PT benefit in kind for the staff concerned. Do ask us for more details of how to implement these ideas, or for alternative suggestions. The Active Business Series 2011
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  The Active BusinessSeries 14 2011 The Tax PeNalTy RegIme and the circumstances of your business. special relief is available for businesses that incur losses in the first four years of trading. Penalties for inaccuracies in tax returns, late filing of returns, late payment of tax and failing to register for certain taxes are all being modernised. aReas wheRe we CaN helP Individuals and business owners now face up to 100% penalty for deliberately underpaying tax and taking steps to conceal this, and even • managing debt and cash flow higher penalties if the matter relates to non uK income or assets. even an • Dealing with administrators or liquidators honest mistake may be regarded as “careless” and attract a penalty equal to 30% of the tax. • Planning your business start-up hmRC also has wide ranging legal powers, including rights of entry for all business premises (including home offices), whether announced or not, • your options for finance and they can also demand the production of documents by any person • finding investors involved in the supply of goods and services. although businesses subject to compliance checks are selected on the basis of risk, it is • Putting you in touch with patent and intellectual property law essential that your records are adequate if you are going to satisfy a tax specialists inspection; if you take reasonable care to comply with the law you will not be penalised. If you are unsure if your business records will stand • helping you to comply with government regulations and avoid up to scrutiny, or would like more advice on what “Take care to avoid a fines, surcharges, penalties and interest penalty” means for you, do seek our advice. employers should be aware that there is now a penalty for failure to pay over Paye tax by the deadline • Timing capital and revenue expenditure to maximum tax advantage each month. • Improving your invoicing and debt recovery systems INCORPORaTION • Involving family members in the business Tax and the limited company • Improving profitability If the limitation of liability is an important consideration, then a limited company may be the right solution - but do bear in mind that banks • Protecting your business from financial disaster and other creditors often require personal guarantees from directors for company borrowings, so the owners or directors of the business may in • selling your business and grooming your business for sale, fact bear the liabilities of the business out of their personal assets. • valuing your business Trading through a limited company can be an effective way of sheltering profits as the rates of corporation tax on profits are generally lower • minimising employer and employee NIC costs than those applying to unincorporated businesses. although profits paid out in the form of salaries, bonuses, or dividends will normally be • minimising tax costs, enabling you to keep more of the profit you taxable at top rates (with quite punitive amount of National Insurance earn Contributions in addition), profits retained in the company will be taxed • Identifying and valuing unpaid bills and unbilled work at the year in 2011/12 at 20%. The tax rate increases significantly when taxable end profits exceed £300,000. Retained profits can be used to buy equipment or to provide for pensions • Preparing yourself and your business for your exit, succession or - both of which are eligible for tax relief. retirement maKINg The mOsT OuT Of lOsses • Changes in your business and in your personal life even a trading loss presents opportunities. The ability to carry tax losses back or forward requires a planning approach that takes into consideration a number of factors, including your personal tax situation The Active Business Series 2011