Q: I have just started my own business. When do I need to register with HM Revenue & Customs?
A: Firstly, you need to work out which tax year your start date falls into. The tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April, so your start date falls into the tax year ended 5 April 2012. You must therefore register by the following 5 October, i.e. 5 October 2012. As you are registering as self employed, the form you need to complete is HM Revenue & Customs form CWF1.
You will also need to pay Class 2 National Insurance which is only £2.50 per week for 2011/12 so most people choose to pay for these contributions via Direct Debit. You will need to complete HM Revenue & Customs form CA5601 if you would like to pay via this method.
Although you have some time before you need to submit form CWF1, avoid leaving it too long.
Q: We have just started up a plumbing and heating business and we’re going to buy a small fleet of vans and bit of equipment- probably totalling in the region of £60,000. It’s been a while since I’ve run my own business, but I know you used to get 50% of the cost of equipment offset against your profits in the year of purchase and 25% each year thereafter. What are the rules now?
A: In 2008/09 the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) of £50,000 was introduced, which applied to general plant and equipment. Expenditure up to the AIA can be written down by 100% in the year of purchase. Any expenditure in excess of that or assets brought forward are written down by 20% (writing down allowance). The AIA was increased to £100,000 from 2010/11.
Assuming your vehicles meet the HM Revenue & Customs definition of a ‘van’, they will qualify for the AIA.
Please note, from 2012/13 the AIA will reduce to just £25,000 and the writing down allowance to 18%. If your accounting period straddles two periods when the AIA was different, then the AIA will be prorated. So for instance, if your start date is 1 October 2011 and your period end is 30 September 2012, then your AIA will be:
(6/12 x £100,000) + (6/12 x £25,000) = £62,500
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Tuesday 1 November 2011
Common Q & A's - Property Accounts & Tax
Buying your children property
Q: My wife and I are retired and we would like to give our son and daughter some of their inheritance now. We’ve thought about buying them a house in joint names, which they could rent out (because they’ve already moved out and live with their families). What would the tax implications be?
A: Firstly, they wouldn’t qualify for Stamp Duty Land Tax Relief for First-Time Buyers, because firstly, they aren’t intending to live in the property and secondly, it sounds like they already own other property.
If you gift the cash to your son and daughter, there shouldn’t be any Capital Gains Tax to pay on the purchase because cash gifts are exempt from Capital Gains Tax. However, there would be Capital Gains Tax implications should they decide to sell it.
Your son and daughter would need to declare their share of the rental income and expenses on a self assessment tax return each year and pay any tax due.
And finally, if you both survive for another seven years then the gift will be ignored for Inheritance Tax purposes. If you don’t, then the cash gift will effectively be included as part of your estate at the time of death, and could be subject to Inheritance Tax depending on the size of your estate.
Selling your home at a loss
Q: My house has been on the market for four months now, so I have decided to drop the asking price. However, this now means that I’m selling it as a loss. Is there any way I can utilise this loss?
A: If you were to sell your house at a profit, it is unlikely there would have been any tax to pay because of Private Residence Relief (PRR). To qualify for the relief, the property must have been your only home and you should’ve used it as a home and nothing else.
The amount of PRR may have been restricted if you have a very large garden, you’ve let part of your entire home or you’ve used part of the property for business purposes.
If you would’ve qualified for PRR (had you made a gain), then I’m afraid you cannot obtain any relief if a loss was generated instead. If your PRR would’ve been restricted, then you may be able to claim loss relief for the part of the gain that didn’t qualify for PRR. But please note, these losses can only be used against other capital gains; not income.
Q: My wife and I are retired and we would like to give our son and daughter some of their inheritance now. We’ve thought about buying them a house in joint names, which they could rent out (because they’ve already moved out and live with their families). What would the tax implications be?
A: Firstly, they wouldn’t qualify for Stamp Duty Land Tax Relief for First-Time Buyers, because firstly, they aren’t intending to live in the property and secondly, it sounds like they already own other property.
If you gift the cash to your son and daughter, there shouldn’t be any Capital Gains Tax to pay on the purchase because cash gifts are exempt from Capital Gains Tax. However, there would be Capital Gains Tax implications should they decide to sell it.
Your son and daughter would need to declare their share of the rental income and expenses on a self assessment tax return each year and pay any tax due.
And finally, if you both survive for another seven years then the gift will be ignored for Inheritance Tax purposes. If you don’t, then the cash gift will effectively be included as part of your estate at the time of death, and could be subject to Inheritance Tax depending on the size of your estate.
Selling your home at a loss
Q: My house has been on the market for four months now, so I have decided to drop the asking price. However, this now means that I’m selling it as a loss. Is there any way I can utilise this loss?
A: If you were to sell your house at a profit, it is unlikely there would have been any tax to pay because of Private Residence Relief (PRR). To qualify for the relief, the property must have been your only home and you should’ve used it as a home and nothing else.
The amount of PRR may have been restricted if you have a very large garden, you’ve let part of your entire home or you’ve used part of the property for business purposes.
If you would’ve qualified for PRR (had you made a gain), then I’m afraid you cannot obtain any relief if a loss was generated instead. If your PRR would’ve been restricted, then you may be able to claim loss relief for the part of the gain that didn’t qualify for PRR. But please note, these losses can only be used against other capital gains; not income.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)