4
Apr, 2024

Restarting a dormant or non-trading company

HMRC must be informed when a non-trading or dormant company starts trading and becomes active for Corporation Tax purposes. Companies can use HMRC Online Services to supply the relevant information. 

When a company has previously traded and then stops it would normally be considered as dormant. A company can stay dormant indefinitely, however, there are costs associated with doing this and certain filings must still be made to Companies House. The costs of restarting a dormant company are typically less than starting from scratch again. 

The following steps are required:

  1. Tell HMRC that your business has restarted trading by registering for Corporation Tax again.
  2. Send accounts to Companies House within 9 months of your company’s year end.
  3. Pay any Corporation Tax due within 9 months and 1 day of your company’s year end.
  4. Send a Company Tax Return – including full statutory accounts – to HMRC within 12 months of your company’s year end.

Whilst reporting dates for annual returns and accounts should remain the same. The Corporation Tax accounting period is different and is set by reference to the date when the company restarts business activities.

Source:Companies House | 01-04-2024
4
Apr, 2024

Claim tax relief if working from home

If you are an employee who is working from home, you may be able to claim tax relief for part of your household bills that are related to your work. If your expenses or allowances are not paid by your employer, you can claim tax relief directly from HMRC.

You can claim tax relief if you have to work from home, for example because:

  • your job requires you to live far away from your office; and/or
  • your employer does not have an office.

Tax relief is not usually available if you choose to work from home. This includes if your employment contract lets you work from home some or all of the time or if your employer's office is unable to accommodate you.

Employees can claim tax relief of £6 per week (or £26 a month for employees paid monthly) to cover additional costs if they have to work from home. Employees do not need to keep any specific records if they receive this fixed amount.

Employees will receive tax relief based on their highest tax rate. For example, if you pay the 20% basic rate of tax and claim tax relief on £6 a week, you will receive £1.20 per week in tax relief (20% of £6). Alternatively, employees can claim the exact amount of extra costs they have incurred but will need to provide evidence to HMRC. HMRC will accept backdated claims for up to 4 previous tax years.

Employees may also be able to claim tax relief for using their own vehicle, be it a car, van, motorcycle or bike. As a general rule, there is no tax relief for ordinary commuting to and from your regular place of work. The rules are different for temporary workplaces where the expense is usually allowable or if an employee uses their own vehicle to do other business-related mileage. Employees may also be able to claim tax relief on equipment they have bought, such as a laptop, chair or mobile phone.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 01-04-2024
4
Apr, 2024

Claim tax relief on pension contributions

You can usually claim tax relief on private pension contributions worth up to 100% of your annual earnings, subject to the overriding limits. Tax relief is paid on pension contributions at the highest rate of income tax paid.

This means that if you are:

  • A basic rate taxpayer, you get 20% pension tax relief.
  • A higher rate taxpayer, you can claim 40% pension tax relief.
  • An additional rate taxpayer, you can claim 45% pension tax relief.

The first 20% of tax relief is usually automatically applied by your employer with no further action required if you are a basic-rate taxpayer. If you are a higher rate or additional rate taxpayer, you can claim back any further reliefs on your self-assessment tax return.

The above applies for claiming tax relief in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. There are some regional differences if you are based in Scotland.

There is an annual allowance for tax relief on pensions of £60,000. This limit remains unchanged in the new 2024-25 tax year. There is also a rule that allows you to carry forward any unused amount of your annual allowance for three tax years.

The lifetime limit for tax relief on pension contributions was removed with effect from 6 April 2023 and has now been abolished.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 01-04-2024
4
Apr, 2024

More about emergency tax codes

The letters in an employee’s tax code signify their entitlement (or not) to the annual tax free personal allowance. The tax codes are updated annually and help employer’s work out how much tax to deduct from an employee’s pay packet. 

The basic personal allowance for the tax year starting 6 April 2024 is £12,570 and the tax code for an employee entitled to the standard tax-free Personal Allowance is 1257L. This is the most common tax code and is used for most people with one job and no untaxed income, unpaid tax or taxable benefits (for example a company car).

Emergency tax codes can be used if HMRC does not receive a taxpayer’s income details in time after a change in circumstances such as:

  • a new job
  • working for an employer after being self-employed
  • receiving company benefits or the State Pension

Employees on an emergency tax code will see one of the following codes on their payslip:

  • 1257L W1
  • 1257L M1
  • 1257L X

These codes mean that an employee’s tax calculation is based only on what they are paid in the current pay period. The emergency tax codes are temporary and will usually be updated once the necessary details about previous income or pension payments are sent to HMRC. Taxpayers will remain on an emergency tax code until they have paid the correct tax for the year.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 01-04-2024
27
Mar, 2024

Entitlement to carer’s allowance

Carer’s credit is a National Insurance credit that can help carers to fill gaps in their National Insurance record. Carers who don’t qualify for Carer’s Allowance may qualify for Carer’s Credit. This may also help carers increase their State Pension entitlement.

The Carer’s Credit is available to qualifying applicants caring for one or more people for at least 20 hours per week. A carer’s income, savings or investments do not affect their eligibility for Carer’s Credit. The carer must also be aged 16 or over and under the State Pension age to qualify.

The person the carer is looking after must usually receive one of the following benefits:

  • Personal Independence Payment – daily living component
  • Disability Living Allowance – the middle or highest care rate
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
  • Constant Attendance Allowance at the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Child Disability Payment – the middle or highest care rate
  • Adult Disability Payment – daily living component at the standard or enhanced rate

If the person being cared for is not receiving one of the qualifying benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will consider whether the level of care provided is appropriate to still qualify for Carer's Credit. The DWP will usually consider the level of care as appropriate if there is a signed care certificate confirming this from a health or social care professional. 

Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 25-03-2024
27
Mar, 2024

Rent a Room Scheme – another income stream

The rent-a-room scheme is a set of special rules designed to help homeowners who rent-a-room in their home to create a valuable tax free income stream. If you are using this scheme, you should ensure that rents received from lodgers during the current tax year do no exceed £7,500. The tax exemption is automatic if you earn less than £7,500 and there are no specific tax reporting requirements. Homeowners can opt out of the scheme and record property income and expenses as usual if this is beneficial.

The relief applies to the letting of furnished accommodation and is used when a bedroom is rented out to a lodger by homeowners in their home. The relief simplifies the tax and administrative burden for those with rent-a-room income up to £7,500. The limit is reduced by half if the income from letting accommodation in the same property is shared by a joint owner of the property.

The rent-a-room limit includes any amounts received for meals, goods and services provided, such as cleaning or laundry. If gross receipts are more than the limit taxpayers can choose between paying tax on the actual profit (gross rents minus actual expenses and capital allowances) or the gross receipts (and any balancing charges) minus the allowance – with no deduction for expenses or capital allowances.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 25-03-2024
27
Mar, 2024

HMRC to accept service of legal proceedings by email

HMRC has issued an updated ‘news story’ to confirm that, where possible, new legal proceedings and pre-action letters can be served on the department using email instead of post. This measure was originally introduced in April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The update confirms that this is a permanent change and not just limited to COVID-19 arrangements.

New legal proceedings in England and Wales to be served on the Solicitor for HMRC should be emailed to: newproceedings@hmrc.gov.uk. If you use email instead of hard copy, you must send the relevant documents to the same email address – whether or not an HMRC lawyer, paralegal or litigator has already been assigned to the case. HMRC may challenge any attempt to serve new legal proceedings on the department using a different HMRC email address.

Correspondence required to be sent to the Solicitor for HMRC in compliance with any pre-action protocol to the Civil Procedure Rules, including the Pre-Action Protocol for Judicial Review, can be emailed to: preactionletters@hmrc.gov.uk.

There is a different email address (expertadviceservice@hmrc.gov.uk) for the service of employment law claims on HMRC.

These email addresses are for the service of new proceedings and pre-action letters only. There is separate guidance if you wish to request a review of a tax decision by HMRC or appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber). 

Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 25-03-2024
27
Mar, 2024

What are the off-payroll working rules?

The rules for individuals providing services via an intermediary such as a personal service company (PSC) are complex. The rules apply if the worker who provides services to a client through their own intermediary would have been an employee if they were providing their services directly to that client.

The off-payroll working rules usually shift the responsibility for deciding whether the intermediaries’ legislation applies, known as IR35, from the intermediary itself to the client receiving the service. In most cases, the client will be responsible for determining the employment status of the worker. However, if a worker provides services to a small client outside the public sector, the worker’s intermediary is responsible for deciding the worker’s employment status and if the rules apply.

You may be affected by these rules if you are:

  • a worker who provides their services through their own intermediary to a client;
  • a client who receives services from a worker through their intermediary; or
  • an agency or other supplier providing workers’ services through their intermediary.

There are different rules that apply to those working for a small business and those working for medium or large-sized businesses.

Private sector companies and voluntary sector organisations are considered medium or large-sized if they meet two or more of the following conditions:

  • have an annual turnover of more than £10.2 million;
  • have a balance sheet total of more than £5.1 million; 
  • have more than 50 employees.

There are a number of scenarios that fall outside the off-payroll working rules. If you think you might be affected, we would be happy to help with looking at this issue.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 25-03-2024
27
Mar, 2024

Assistance with debt management

Earlier this month, saw the 10th anniversary of the StepChange Debt Charity’s annual Debt Awareness Week. This is designed to shine a spotlight on the causes of problem debt.

The focus on this year's campaign is looking at the main barriers to getting debt advice. This includes understanding that many people can take too long to get the help they need because they:

  • Don’t understand what debt advice is and how it works;
  • Are dealing with anxiety, stress or a mental health condition;
  • Are worried about my credit file;
  • Never have enough time to get debt advice; or
  • Feel ashamed and do not want their loved ones to find out.

It is important to be aware that there are various options available to help people who have serious debts that they cannot pay. Insolvency solutions include bankruptcy, Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) and Debt Relief Orders (DROs).

A senior leader within the bankruptcy and Debt Relief Order teams at the Insolvency Service has the following usual advice:

‘The first step for people who are struggling to pay off their debts is to seek free, regulated debt advice. They will identify the solution that is best for them. 

Sometimes this will be a formal solution, like bankruptcy or a Debt Relief Order. But a regulated debt adviser will make sure that whatever people decide will be the right solution for them. 

Your first step is picking up the phone, getting on webchat or visiting a debt advice office, and having that conversation.’

Source:Other | 25-03-2024
27
Mar, 2024

HMRC helpline changes on hold

HMRC has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown on plans to close the Self-Assessment, VAT and PAYE helplines from early April until September this year. HMRC has now confirmed that these helpline changes have been abandoned following feedback from many concerned stakeholders, including MPs, accountants and members of the public. This means that the helplines will remain open as usual for the time being.

However, these moves indicate that a significant shift towards online self-service options will become the norm in the longer term. HMRC has also said that they will continue encouraging customers to self-serve where possible and access the information they need more quickly and easily by going online or to the HMRC app, which is available 24/7.

HMRC’s Chief Executive said:

‘Making best use of online services allows HMRC to help more taxpayers and get the most out of every pound of taxpayers’ money by boosting productivity.

Our helpline and webchat advisers will always be there for those taxpayers who need support because they are vulnerable, digitally excluded or have complex affairs.

However, the pace of this change needs to match the public appetite for managing their tax affairs online.

We’ve listened to the feedback and we’re halting the helpline changes as we recognise more needs to be done to ensure all taxpayers’ needs are met, whilst also encouraging them to transition to online services.’

Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 25-03-2024