Posts Tagged ‘accountancy’

Gift Hold-over Relief

Monday, February 23rd, 2015

This relief will help you to defer capital gains tax (CGT) when you give away chargeable assets or if you sell something subject to CGT for less than its market value. The relief is called Gift Hold-Over Relief and could be claimed if you give away business assets (including certain shares) or sell them for less than they are worth to help the buyer.

Gift Hold-Over Relief means:

  • you don’t pay Capital Gains Tax when you give away the assets
  • the person you give them to pays Capital Gains tax (if any is due) when they sell (or ‘dispose of’) them

Tax isn’t usually payable on gifts to your husband, wife, civil partner or a charity.

Eligibility

The conditions for claiming relief depend on whether you’re giving away business assets or shares.

If you’re giving away business assets you must:

  • be a sole trader or business partner, or have at least 5% of shares and voting rights in a company (known as your ‘personal company’)
  • use the assets in your business or personal company

You can usually get partial relief if you used the assets only partly for your business.

If you’re giving away shares the shares must be in a company that’s either:

  • not listed on any recognised stock exchange
  • your personal company

The company’s main activities must be in trading (e.g. providing goods or services) rather than non-trading activities like investment.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2015 at 12:00 am by Slaters and is filed under Capital Gains Tax, Company Tax, Personal Tax, Tax, Tax planning, Tax relief. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

New rules to safeguard value for money in workplace pensions

Thursday, February 12th, 2015

From April, people automatically enrolled into a workplace pension will see their charges capped at 0.75%, unless they have chosen a more expensive option. The details are set out in draft regulations laid before Parliament on 4 February 2015.

For an average earner currently paying into a fund with a charge of 1.5%, this new cap could save them around £100,000 over the course of their working life. Over the next decade, the default fund charge cap will transfer around £200 million from the pensions industry to savers.

Minister for Pensions Steve Webb said:

Today is an excellent day for pension savers. It is vital that workplace pension schemes are run in the interests of their members and that their hard-earned savings are not eaten away by excessive charges.

Over 5 million people have now been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension and by 2018 millions more will be saving for the first time, or saving more. This is why we are building a pensions system that these workers can save into with confidence – and not see their money disappear in opaque charging structures.

There is an understandable buzz around what April will bring for those retiring now, with the unprecedented pension freedoms coming in. But these reforms show we are also determined to help the pensioners of tomorrow – people working hard and saving hard for their families’ future.

The next stage of the government’s work to ensure full disclosure of costs and charges throughout the value chain is also set out in the February paper – with the plan to publish a joint call for evidence with the Financial Conduct Authority in spring 2015.

Most of the updated draft regulations will come in to force on 6 April 2015, subject to Parliamentary approval.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 12th, 2015 at 12:00 am by Slaters and is filed under Auto Enrolment, Buy to let, Landlords, Personal Pension, Property, Renting, Workplace Pension. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Staff loans for would be tenants

Wednesday, February 11th, 2015

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis announced recently government-wide support for a new scheme that will become available to thousands of potential tenants.

The minister said he was determined to “create a bigger, better private rented sector”.

All of Whitehall has now agreed to offer deposit loans to staff looking to take up new tenancies in the private rented sector, following in the footsteps of the Department for Communities and Local Government. This includes the Home Office, Ministry of Defence, Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and the Department of Health.

More help for tenants

The scheme, which works in the same way as a staff season ticket loan, will allow employees to borrow some of their salary upfront in order to pay for rental deposits, which is then repayable from salary payments over up to a year. It is available to be taken up in both the public and private sectors.

The Department for Communities and Local Government last October became the first government department to roll the scheme out to its staff, with ministers pushing other parts of government and the public sector to follow suit. The department is working with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills to increase availability across the private sector.

Brandon Lewis said:

With millions of people across the country renting their home we are determined to create a bigger, better private rented sector that is fair to tenants.

Today’s move will mean thousands of people will be offered a helping hand to rent privately through season ticket style loans from their employers.

I hope to see more employers in the public and private sector joining the scheme in the near future.

The tenancy deposit scheme can be adapted by different employers to suit their needs, but generally employees are offered interest-free loans to pay their deposits when they move into a privately rented home, which are then paid back through their salary over the course of up to a year.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 11th, 2015 at 12:00 am by Slaters and is filed under Landlords, Personal Tax, Property, Tax relief. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Pension wise

Tuesday, February 10th, 2015

The government has announced the launch of ‘Pension wise’ which will offer free and impartial guidance to people on the new pension freedoms which comes into effect in April.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury Andrea Leadsom has unveiled the name and logo of the new pensions guidance service.

Pension wise will offer free and impartial information and guidance to people with a defined contribution pension approaching retirement and will be available from April 2015 for individuals approaching retirement.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury Andrea Leadsom said:

‘People who have worked hard and saved all their lives will be free to choose what they do with their money from next April.

We want people to be empowered to make informed and confident choices and I’m delighted to announce Pension wise: Your money. Your choice as the brand name for the impartial guidance service we are building.

Pension wise will be a first port of call for people with a defined contribution pension who are approaching retirement. It is a distinctive brand, making it easy for consumers to know where to go for help and guidance.’

Internet link: News

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 10th, 2015 at 4:14 pm by Slaters and is filed under Pension, Personal Pension, Workplace Pension. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Government wants suggestions for Budget 2015

Tuesday, February 10th, 2015

HM Treasury is encouraging groups, individuals and representative bodies to submit their ideas for consideration in advance of Budget 2015.

HM Treasury has also published guidance on the correct procedure for making a representation, which advises that ‘representations should contain policy suggestions for the upcoming fiscal event and explain the policy rationale, costs, benefits and deliverability of proposals’.

‘It should also be evidence based, providing clear arguments on how it contributes to the aims of the Budget.’

Written representations for the 2015 Budget can be submitted until Friday 13 February, via an online survey or by emailing budget.representations@hmtreasury.gsi.gov.uk.

Chancellor George Osborne will present Budget 2015 on Wednesday 18 March.

Internet link: News

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 10th, 2015 at 4:13 pm by Slaters and is filed under Budget, Business, Business planning, Tax. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

State Pension Changes

Tuesday, February 10th, 2015

Following our recent updates on the important changes to personal pensions which will affect those over 55 taking effect from 6 April 2015, we have some more news.

From 6 April 2016 the new flat rate State Pension will be introduced, which is expected to be around £150 a week. A person’s actual entitlement will depend on their National Insurance contribution record.

Those who have built up an entitlement greater than the flat rate amount due to paying SERPs or other additional contributions will receive that higher amount.

Individuals will need a minimum of 10 qualifying years and the full flat rate State Pension will only be given if they have 35 qualifying years (previously 30 years).

Those aged over 55 are encouraged to contact the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to receive a projection of their expected State Pension and check their contribution record. It is possible to make good any shortfall by making voluntary Class 3 contributions (£13.90 a week). Those who are self-employed will find it cheaper to make Class 2 contributions (currently £2.75 per week).If you are an employee or director, provided your salary exceeds the Lower Earnings Limit (currently £5,772 p.a.) then although no NIC is actually due you are deemed to have contributed for that year.

£150 a week may not seem a lot to live on but note that at a 5% annuity rate you would need a fund of over £155,000 to generate such an income.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 10th, 2015 at 3:49 pm by Slaters and is filed under Pension, Personal Pension, Personal Tax, Tax, Workplace Pension. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.