 Understanding the Recent Bank of England Rate Cut: Implications for UK Business Owners and Mortgage Holders
Last Thursday, 1st Aug 2024, the Bank of England made a pivotal decision to lower interest rates by 0.25%. This move, aimed at stimulating economic growth amid uncertain economic conditions has significant implications for both business owners and mortgage holders across the UK. Let’s explore what this rate cut means for you and how our accountants can guide you through it. What does the rate cut mean? The Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates to 5% is primarily designed to make borrowing cheaper and encourage spending, which can boost economic activity. Impact on Business Owners For business owners, the reduction in interest rates presents both opportunities and challenges:
Impact on Mortgage Holders For mortgage holders, the 0.25% rate cut can lead to significant savings and financial relief:
Strategic Considerations While the interest rate cut presents clear benefits, it’s essential for both business owners and mortgage holders to think strategically: Assess your financial health: Before taking on new debt, ensure your financial situation is stable and that you have a solid plan for repayment. Consider Long-Term Goals: Align borrowing decisions with your long-term financial and business goals. Don’t be swayed solely by the allure of lower rates. Stay Informed: Economic conditions can change rapidly. Keep abreast of financial news and be prepared to adapt your strategies as needed. Conclusion The bank of England’s decision to lower interest rates by 0.25% is a significant development for the UK economy. For business owners, it can provide opportunities for growth and expansion. We know how it offers a chance to save money and improve financial stability for mortgage holders and by understanding the implications and making informed decisions, you can take full advantage of this favorable interest rate environment. If you need personalized advice on how this rate cut affects your financial situation, feel free to contact our team. As expert tax accountants, we are here to help you navigate these changes and make the most of the opportunities they present. By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success. For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends.
0 Comments
 Expert tax accountants & advisors for small & medium sized business & individuals On 6th March 2024 the UK Chancellor announced the Spring Budget for the UK. There were quite a few positive changes and the main points to help plan ahead are below:
Child Benefit Changes Starting April 2024, parents will receive Child Benefit as follows: £25.60 per week (£1,331 annually) for the eldest child and £16.95 per week (£881 annually) for additional children. Presently, if either parent's income exceeds £50,000, the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) takes effect, requiring repayment of Child Benefit once income surpasses £60,000. This necessitates completing a self-assessment tax return. As of April 6, 2024, the threshold rises to £60,000 with a gradual taper, fully recouping Child Benefit when income exceeds £80,000. By April 2026, the clawback assessment will shift to a "household income" basis, pending HMRC adjustments. The 2024 threshold increase will lower the combined tax rate (HICBC, income tax, and NIC) on incomes above £60,000, encouraging parents to earn more. Eventually, transitioning to a "household income" basis should create fairer outcomes for families, albeit HMRC implementation challenges may arise. Changing the Non-Domiciled (non-dom) status and tax treatment The government plans to end the current tax treatment for UK resident non-domiciled individuals (non-doms) starting April 6, 2025. This regime, in place for over 200 years, allowed UK residents with permanent homes abroad to avoid UK tax on foreign income and gains (FIG) unless brought into the UK. It also shielded non-UK assets from Inheritance Tax. As of April 6, 2025, the current remittance basis will be replaced by a new residence-based test lasting four years for those who have been non-UK residents for at least the prior ten tax years. During this period, newcomers won't pay tax on foreign income or trust distributions brought into the UK. However, they'll lose personal allowances and CGT exemptions. After four years, individuals will be taxed like other UK residents on worldwide income and gains. Transitional rules apply: non-doms moving from remittance to arising basis in 2025/26 will be taxed on 50% of foreign income; reduced rates for pre-6 April 2025 FIG remittances till 2027; and Capital Gains Tax rebasing for non-UK assets. Business Investment Relief continues. From April 6, 2025, settlor-interested trusts lose tax protection unless they qualify for the four-year FIG regime. Overseas workday relief remains for the first three years, depending on opting into the new regime. Inheritance Tax shifts from domicile to residence-based from April 6, 2025, with assets within ten years of UK residency potentially liable. UK sited assets remain subject to IHT. These changes simplify the non-dom tax system, but complexities persist. Transitional provisions offer time for adjustment. Current non-doms should consult their Tax Affinity adviser promptly as these are significant changes. National Insurance Class 1 Changes (Employed) Starting from an annual income of £12,570 up to £50,270, employees pay Class 1 National Insurance Contributions (NICs). The rate is currently 10% (down from 12% since January 6 this year). Above £50,270, the rate remains 2% for additional earnings. From April 6, 2024, the main rate will decrease by another 2% to 8%, potentially saving employees up to £63 monthly (£754 yearly). Employers' NICs, at 13.8% over the lower threshold, remain unchanged. This reduction benefits employees and may ease pressure on employers regarding wage hikes. Self-Employment Changes Self-employed individuals pay Class 4 NICs from £12,570 to £50,270 at 9% (dropping to 8% from April 6, 2024). Above this threshold, the rate stays at 2%. Starting April 6, 2024, the rate decreases by another 2% to 6%. This saves £30 for every £1,000 of profit, up to £1,131 annually for those paying at the main Class 4 NIC rate. Class 2 NICs were abolished from April 6, 2024, offering a positive financial change for the new tax year. Capital Gains Tax When you sell residential property and make a profit, you might owe Capital Gains Tax (CGT), except when it's your main home, which is CGT exempt. If the property wasn't always your main home, only part of the gain is taxable. Currently, residential property gains are taxed at 18% for basic rate band profits and 28% thereafter. Starting April 6, 2024, the higher rate reduces to 24% for property sales. Reporting the sale within 60 days from completion is crucial. Sales exchanged before April 6, 2024, may still be taxed at 28%. Landlords affected by the abolishment of Furnished Holiday Lets tax benefits from April 2025 will see changes. From April 6, 2025, furnished holiday lettings will be treated as property investment businesses, losing several tax benefits:
Investments The Budget introduced measures to encourage individual investing and foster a stronger savings culture. Here are the key points:
VAT threshold increased The government is raising the VAT registration threshold from £85,000 to £90,000 and the deregistration threshold from £83,000 to £88,000. These changes start on April 1, 2024. Over 28,000 businesses are expected to benefit by no longer needing to register for VAT in 2024-25. Conclusion Overall this is a much better budget than the previous autumn one presented in 2023. VAT announcement is decades overdue and the drop in NI thresholds don't make that much of a real world difference when price rise percentage is way higher then the percentage drop. And again the goverment did not address any of the large multinationals raking huge profits while small businesses and the public suffer. The sale of Natwest shares in a recession (that the government used tax payers money to bail out the bank recently) needs to be critically analysed more closely as to the effective timing of the sale and real time benefit for tax payers who directly paid for this out of their pockets. At times like these its even more important to have an experience and knowledgable tax accountant in your corner. By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success. For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends. Autumn statement 2023 main points for small and medium sized businesses (SME) and employees11/25/2023  Expert Tax Accountants for small, medium sized businesesses & individuals Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has disclosed the UK government's fiscal plans for the upcoming year. On November 22, 2023, Hunt presented the Autumn Statement in the House of Commons, likely the last pre-election mini-budget, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hinting at a potential election in October 2025 next year.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has concurrently unveiled its latest economic outlook for the UK. In response to last week's news of a drop in inflation to 4.6% for the year up to October, Conservative MPs had advocated for broader tax cuts, taking advantage of what was termed as 'fiscal headroom.' Consequently, the chancellor has indeed announced tax reductions in today's statement. The focus now turns to how these revelations might impact small businesses and the self-employed. Read on for key updates affecting this sector:
Despite receiving a little bit of positive feedback, reservations linger about the effectiveness of these reforms in bolstering the strained small business sector. The increase in minimum wages rates for employees will no doubt increase costs for SME's already suffering from high utility bills - and will ultimately mean smart business owners decease the days and hours of staff. The majority of small businesses already had access to small business rates relief so nothing changed there. Finally the much talked about CGT and IHT amendments did not materialise, neither was there any focus on reigning in large energy suppliers sapping the profits out of small and medium sized business to boost their annual profits. And the loss of class 2 NI is a blow for micro businesses and sole traders who needed it to top up their state pension contributions. Overall not impressed at all. By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success. For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends.  Tax Affinity has high street branches for customers support The new UK Chancellor (yes another one...can you believe the UK had 4 Chancellors in 4 months in 2022) has given his first budget. And as before we have refined the main points and facts for business owners including SME's and entrepreneurs. So you can easily navigate and plan ahead with clarity.
The main points from the budget are: 1. Energy price guarantee for homes will remain at £2,500 extended for only 3 months until end of June. It was set to rise to £3,000 but that has now been cancelled. And no new support announced for business bills. 2. Corporation Tax for a limited company will rise from 19% to 25% from 6th April 2023. Small company's with profit of less than £50k will still pay the lower 19%. But companies with profits between £50k to £250k have to pay between 19% and 25% but are allowed to claim marginal relief. Company profits over £250k will be taxed at 25%. And companies with group ownership of other companies may end paying close to 26.5% (effectively) because the corporation tax for Group Companies was increased also - sadly all important details missed by the main stream media. 3. Tax-free yearly allowance for pension cash out to rise from £40,000 to £60,000 after being the same for the past 9 years. 4. Fuel duty (tax) frozen so the 5p cut to fuel duty/tax on petrol and diesel which was due to end in April, has been extended for another year. 5. Maximum amount a worker can accumulate in pensions over their lifetime before paying extra tax currently £1.07 Million will be cancelled. Now there is no limit. 6. Tax on tobacco to increase by 2% above inflation for normal and 6% above inflation for hand-rolling tobacco. 7. Those who are already drawing down on their pensions, the total amount they can save tax free under the Money Purchase Annual Allowance is increased from £4,000 to £10,000 from April 2023. 8. 30 hours of free childcare for working parents in England expanded to cover 9 months to three year olds. 9. New £600 "incentive payment" for people becoming childminders, and the rules have been changed in England to let childminders look after more children. 10. Immigration rules to be relaxed for five roles in the construction sector, to ease labour shortages in the Industry. These categories are:
11. Super deduction of 130% will end on 31/03/23 and move back to 100% AIA for plant and machinery purchased and can be used directlty against corporation tax payable. A list of typical purchases is lasting until 31/03/26:
If your worried how these will effect you and need more specific guidance to help your business carry on growing during turbulent times then contact one of our Tax Affinity expert business advisors today (click here). With their countless years of knowledge and expertise they can guide your business to success even in the toughest of economic conditions. By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success. For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends.  Tax Affinity Accountants your local experts with high street branches On 17/11/2022 Jeremy Hunt the Chancellor for the UK Governments expressed their plans for the coming year and the contents of his autumn budget. As before we have read thorugh the detailed report and listed the main bullet points for small business and the self employed.
Personal Income Tax There are no changes to the personal tax thresholds. And they will remain at the current level until April 2028. This also includes the National Insurance Contribution threshold for PAYE and self employed. Minimum wage for people aged over 23 to increase from £9.50 to £10.42 an hour from April 2023 Company Dividend Tax-Free Allowance (DIV) The dividend tax free allowance threshold will be reduced from £2,000 to £1,000 from April 2023. And this will be reduced even more in 2024-25 to £500. Additional Rate of Income Tax (Higher Tax band) From April 2023, the higher rate band will be reduced from £150,000 to £125,140. Which means anyone earning above £125,140 will now be taxed at the 45%. Apart for Scotland. Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) The Annual Investment Allowance will be permanently set at £1 million to help promote growth in the economy. Corporation Tax (CT600) From April 2023, the Corporation Tax is due to increase to 25% if a company’s profits exceed £250,000. Companies whose profits are between £50,001 to £250,000 will be subject to a tapered relief. Companies whose profits fall below £50,000 will remain at the current level of 19%. Capital Gains Tax-Free Allowance (CGT) Also rumoured before the budget, the threshold for Capital Gains Tax will be reduced from £12,300 to £6,000 from April 2023. Similarly to the dividend allowance, a further reduction will be seen in 2024-25 to £3,000. Employment Allowance (Employer NIC) The Employment NIC Allowance will stay at £5,000 meaning that eligible employers. Road Tax Electric cars, vans and motorcycles will start to pay road tax from April 2025. Energy The household energy price cap has been extended for one year beyond April 2023 but has been made less, with typical bills capped at £3,000 instead of £2,500 a year. By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success. For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends.  Tax Affinity Accountants - high street branches The UK now has a new PM Rishi Sunak after the shock resignation of the previous PM Liz Truss due the GBP (Sterling) stock market crashing after the announcment of her mini budget just weeks ago. So the new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced a raft of reversals listed below that seem to have temporarily reassured the markets and IMF etc. But what are they in a quick short read - well see below: 1. Cut to Corporation tax down to 19% from 25% - cancelled 2. Removal of 45% higher rate tax - cancelled 3. Personal Income tax cut from 20% to 19% - cancelled 4. Alcohol duty freeze - cancelled 5. VAT free shopping for overseas visitors - cancelled 6. National Insurance reverse of 1.25% - retained 7. No stamp duty on first £250,000 - retained 8 First time buyers no stamp duty on first £425,000 - retained 9. IR35 rules reversal - cancelled 10. Removal of bankers bonus cap - retained 11. Freeze on energy bills for 2 years - amended to 6 months only now By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success. For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends.  Expert Tax Accountants with high street branches On the 23rd March 2022 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the UK goverments mini budget. With a long speech and pages and pages of information. We did the hard work and went through the whole report to get to the bare facts and save our clients time and sanity. Listing the important and relevant points below:
If you or your business is affected by these changes and you want help and support contact us today. By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success. For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends.  We love a list that gets right to the point. So here is our key points for businesses in the UK from the Chancellor's autumn budget 2021:
1) Dividends: rise of 1.25% tax after nil band from 7.5% to 8.75% and higher rate band up from 32.5% to 33.75% from April 2022 2) Capital gains tax (CGT): with immediate deadline to report & pay after selling a UK residential property has increased from 30days to 60days after completion date. Giving landlords more time 3) Corporation tax: will rise from 19 % to 25 % from April 23. Businesses with profits less than £50k will get a small profit rate which is still 19%. For profits above £50,000 there is a tapered rate with bands & %’s going up to the 25% rate. 4) National insurance: Increase 1.25% national insurance contribution for all (employees, employers & self-employed) from April 2022. 5) National living wage: increase from £8.91 to £9.50 p/hr. 6) R&D tax relief: to be expanded to cover cloud computing & data costs now also as well. 7) Business rates : Rates revaluation cycle changed from 5 years to 3 years from 2023. New Improvement Relief, for businesses to improve/extend property, meaning they won’t pay additional business rates in 12 months after improvements. Plus a 50% business rates discount from April 2022 (to max £110k) for 1 year for retail, hospitality & leisure. 8) Annual investment allowance (AIA): £1m Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) extended to March 2023. If your business is effected by these changes and you want help and support contact us today By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success. For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends.  The 5th and final (so far advised) grant from the government for self employed people impacted by Covid 19 (coronavirus) is now open and available to claim.
The 5th grant is different from the previous four as there are two levels available and the claimant needs to declare how trade as been negatively effected (reduced activity / capacity / demand) between 1st May 2021 to 30th Sept 2021. And requires that the 19/20 and 20/21 self assessments (personal tax returns) be filed. There is also a relevant basis period applicable and a financial impact declaration (FID). This has caused a lot of members of the public confusion and worry on how to claim for this correctly and not make an incorrect that can be picked up by HMRC and asked to be paid back. So we at Tax Affinity Accountants are here to help and support everyone who needs help with this regard. We can help complete the paperwork and documentation required to claim the 5th grant without the hassle and time spent trying to work out and worrying if you have declared everything correctly. Contact us via our online form here. And because our company vision is to improve the financial life of every person in the world we are here to help anyone who needs help in this matter. So feel free to Contact Us via our online form. By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success. For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends.  Tax Affinity Accountants have high street branches within easy access UK GDP rises slightly in Quarter 4 of 2020 showing positive signs of economic growth according to the ONS UK (Office of National Statistics). This is despite a huge drop in GDP since the start of the covid 19 pandemic, cornavirus lockdowns and Brexit.
The ONS reported a rise of 0.97% from 498,000,000 Quarter 3 to 504,000,000 in Quarter 4 after massive 20% drop from 529,000,000 to 426,000,000 in Quarter 1 to Quarter 2 in 2020. Why is GDP important and why does mainstream media not report it? - Well the short answer is they are journalists not economists so they dont understand it as well as what a certain celebrity is wearing to the oscars etc. And the its easier to focus on nonsense that sells than statistics and fact that fly over the head of most readers. But business owners and directors and CEO's need to know what is happening to be able to plan and steer their businesses successfully through the current turbulent times. Importantly, quarter 1 2021 figures (ie January to March 2021) are yet to compiled these undoubtedly show a truer picture of the economy in its most recent state especially after Brexit on the 1st of January with their backlogs at the ports and problems with shipping in and out of Europe. British politicians were quick to report the 0.97% increase (without stating the figures, obviously) and say that their goverment support policies were helping but this hardly cover the 20% drop previosuly and what Quarter 1 GDP 2021 will show. Certainly there was pent up sales demand due to the lockdown and as soon as the lockdown was eased, UK shoppers returned in their droves to high street stores, pubs and gyms. But with the looming end of government furlough support in September 2021 the number of unemployed is likely to jump up again denting GDP towards the middle to end of 2021. Nonetheless all things considered this is positive sign that the UK may have bypassed a recession and having a complete wash out for 2021 like for 2020. By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success. For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends. |
Various AuthorsOur experienced accountants and tax advisers provide valuable insights into practical every day questions and issues. Archives
March 2025
Categories
All
Ask your own question: If you would like to have a tax related question answered here, please send your question to [email protected]. |
RSS Feed
