Originally written by Katerina Nicolova on Small Business
Providing mileage allowance for employees who drive for work has become more popular in recent years. But with HMRC’s many rules, it can be confusing for employers and employees alike how this process works. This article will guide you through the main rules you should be aware of as an employer paying out mileage allowance, as an employee receiving the payments, and as self-employed – claiming deductions.
Mileage allowance for employees
My employees use their private vehicles for travelling for business. Do I have to provide them with mileage allowance payments?
As an employer, you are not obliged to pay a mileage allowance to your employees. However, many choose to reimburse their employees for business mileage, as anything paid under or at the same level of the approved mileage rates from HMRC is not reported to the authority.
Your company can choose to pay the exact amount of mileage allowance as stated by HMRC, less or more than it.
If you pay more per mile than the approved rate, the excess sum will be considered as personal benefits for your employee and they’ll have to pay tax on that amount.
To pay out MAPs (mileage allowance payments), your employees
Tag Archive for Accounts & tax
Hot Business News Today
Mileage allowance in the UK – what is it and how does it work?
by Katerina Nicolova • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Katerina Nicolova on Small Business
Providing mileage allowance for employees who drive for work has become more popular in recent years. But with HMRC’s many rules, it can be confusing for employers and employees alike how this process works. This article will guide you through the main rules you should be aware of as an employer paying out mileage allowance, as an employee receiving the payments, and as self-employed – claiming deductions.
Mileage allowance for employees
My employees use their private vehicles for travelling for business. Do I have to provide them with mileage allowance payments?
As an employer, you are not obliged to pay a mileage allowance to your employees. However, many choose to reimburse their employees for business mileage, as anything paid under or at the same level of the approved mileage rates from HMRC is not reported to the authority.
Your company can choose to pay the exact amount of mileage allowance as stated by HMRC, less or more than it.
If you pay more per mile than the approved rate, the excess sum will be considered as personal benefits for your employee and they’ll have to pay tax on that amount.
To pay out MAPs (mileage allowance payments), your employees
Hot Business News Today
5 most common tax mistakes when you’re self-employed
by Simon Thomas • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Simon Thomas on Small Business
What’s worse when you’re self-employed? Having to pay your tax bill, or making a mistake and finding out you’ve overpaid?
Filing your small business taxes each year does not have to be stressful or painful. Tax can be a bit of a headache for anyone in business, and for the self-employed, it’s no different. The danger of getting taxed wrongly could mean submitting tax returns late, incorrectly, or not at all, leading to some hefty penalties and time-consuming investigations from HMRC.
>See also: How the newly self-employed should navigate the complex SEISS process
However, if you make sure to do little bits of work throughout the year, filing your taxes can be quite straightforward.
5 most common tax mistakes when you’re self-employed
Some stresses are easily avoidable. Make sure to avoid these 5 common tax return mistakes that many self-employed people make:
#1 – Not registering for self-assessment
If you earn more than £1,000 from one or more trades, you must register with HMRC. People commonly confuse this with the basic personal allowance and believe they do not need to register with HMRC unless they earn over a certain threshold.
This, however, isn’t the case.
Everyone is entitled to earn a certain
Hot Business News Today
5 most common tax mistakes when you’re self-employed
by Simon Thomas • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Simon Thomas on Small Business
What’s worse when you’re self-employed? Having to pay your tax bill, or making a mistake and finding out you’ve overpaid?
Filing your small business taxes each year does not have to be stressful or painful. Tax can be a bit of a headache for anyone in business, and for the self-employed, it’s no different. The danger of getting taxed wrongly could mean submitting tax returns late, incorrectly, or not at all, leading to some hefty penalties and time-consuming investigations from HMRC.
>See also: How the newly self-employed should navigate the complex SEISS process
However, if you make sure to do little bits of work throughout the year, filing your taxes can be quite straightforward.
5 most common tax mistakes when you’re self-employed
Some stresses are easily avoidable. Make sure to avoid these 5 common tax return mistakes that many self-employed people make:
#1 – Not registering for self-assessment
If you earn more than £1,000 from one or more trades, you must register with HMRC. People commonly confuse this with the basic personal allowance and believe they do not need to register with HMRC unless they earn over a certain threshold.
This, however, isn’t the case.
Everyone is entitled to earn a certain
Hot Business News Today
All small businesses to go Making Tax Digital by 2024, Treasury suggests
by Timothy Adler • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Millions of self-employed and small businesses face having to pay income and corporate tax bills much earlier, as the Treasury seeks to fill its £31bn tax gap.
The £31bn is the money HMRC should be collecting but falls through the gaps in the current tax system.
And small businesses, including freelancers, are the worst miscreants for this, accounting for £13.4bn of this tax gap.
>See also: 1m self-employed face having to pay tax bill larger than what they earnt
As part of a raft of 30 consultations and updates, the Treasury has proposed bringing forward the payment of income tax self-assessment and corporation tax for small companies. The Treasury suggested accelerating all tax payments after 2024 to fulfil its “vision [for] a tax system that works closer to real time”.
The consultation suggested using the rollout of the requirements on digital filing of tax returns under Making Tax Digital over the next two years to use up-to-date data to “bring the calculation and payment of tax closer to the point where the income or profit arises”.
Jesse Norman, financial secretary to the Treasury, said the government recognised the plan would be a significant change and, as a result, “has
Hot Business News Today
All small businesses to go Making Tax Digital by 2024, Treasury suggests
by Timothy Adler • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Millions of self-employed and small businesses face having to pay income and corporate tax bills much earlier, as the Treasury seeks to fill its £31bn tax gap.
The £31bn is the money HMRC should be collecting but falls through the gaps in the current tax system.
And small businesses, including freelancers, are the worst miscreants for this, accounting for £13.4bn of this tax gap.
>See also: 1m self-employed face having to pay tax bill larger than what they earnt
As part of a raft of 30 consultations and updates, the Treasury has proposed bringing forward the payment of income tax self-assessment and corporation tax for small companies. The Treasury suggested accelerating all tax payments after 2024 to fulfil its “vision [for] a tax system that works closer to real time”.
The consultation suggested using the rollout of the requirements on digital filing of tax returns under Making Tax Digital over the next two years to use up-to-date data to “bring the calculation and payment of tax closer to the point where the income or profit arises”.
Jesse Norman, financial secretary to the Treasury, said the government recognised the plan would be a significant change and, as a result, “has
Hot Business News Today
7 tax myths for small business owner/managers exploded
by Stuart Clark • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Stuart Clark on Small Business
As we head towards a new tax year, it always surprises me how many tax myths small business owners believe, when knowing the truth could actually put more money in your pocket.
Did you know for example that (depending on your circumstances) you could potentially extract over £25,000 tax free from your company (in fact better than tax free as the company can get corporation tax relief so the cost is less than £21,500).
This often means speaking with professionals (your accountant and/or IFA) but here are some quick small business tax myths and tips:
#1 – There is no difference between taking salary and a dividend
Some while ago I did a video that demonstrated increased cash in hand for the business owner of almost £6,000 on profits of £50,000 (based on 2019/20 tax rates). What would an extra £500 a month allow you to do?
#2 – I can just take money out the company when I want, and the accountant will sort my dividends out when I do my year end accounts
This could be illegal and open the company up to PAYE liabilities. Backdating dividends is illegal. It is vital that tax planning is done
Hot Business News Today
7 tax myths for small business owner/managers exploded
by Stuart Clark • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Stuart Clark on Small Business
As we head towards a new tax year, it always surprises me how many tax myths small business owners believe, when knowing the truth could actually put more money in your pocket.
Did you know for example that (depending on your circumstances) you could potentially extract over £25,000 tax free from your company (in fact better than tax free as the company can get corporation tax relief so the cost is less than £21,500).
This often means speaking with professionals (your accountant and/or IFA) but here are some quick small business tax myths and tips:
#1 – There is no difference between taking salary and a dividend
Some while ago I did a video that demonstrated increased cash in hand for the business owner of almost £6,000 on profits of £50,000 (based on 2019/20 tax rates). What would an extra £500 a month allow you to do?
#2 – I can just take money out the company when I want, and the accountant will sort my dividends out when I do my year end accounts
This could be illegal and open the company up to PAYE liabilities. Backdating dividends is illegal. It is vital that tax planning is done
Hot Business News Today
Super-deduction tax break – what is it and how does it work?
by Timothy Adler • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
What is the super-deduction tax?
The super-deduction £25bn tax break, announced in last Wednesday’s Budget, is intended to spur investment by providing 25p off company tax bills for every pound of qualifying spending on plant and machinery.
How the super-deduction works
The super-deduction offers 130 per cent first-year relief on qualifying main rate plant and machinery investments from April 1 2021 until March 31 2023 for companies.
For most business equipment, there will be a super-deduction of 130 per cent of the expenditure incurred. This will mean that on a spend of £100,000, the corporation tax deduction will be £130,000, giving corporation tax relief at 19 per cent on £130,000, which is £24,700.
Normally such expenditure would either fall within a company’s annual investment allowance and produce relief of only £19,000 or alternatively be tax-relieved at 18 per cent of the cost per annum.
Nigel May, partner at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, said: “Companies looking to use this relief will need to take care when the assets that the expenditure relates to are sold: tax charges may then arise clawing back the relief. It is perhaps worth noting that certain expenditure is excluded, in particular the acquisition of company cars.”
What
Hot Business News Today
Super-deduction tax break – what is it and how does it work?
by Timothy Adler • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
What is the super-deduction tax?
The super-deduction £25bn tax break, announced in last Wednesday’s Budget, is intended to spur investment by providing 25p off company tax bills for every pound of qualifying spending on plant and machinery.
How the super-deduction works
The super-deduction offers 130 per cent first-year relief on qualifying main rate plant and machinery investments from April 1 2021 until March 31 2023 for companies.
For most business equipment, there will be a super-deduction of 130 per cent of the expenditure incurred. This will mean that on a spend of £100,000, the corporation tax deduction will be £130,000, giving corporation tax relief at 19 per cent on £130,000, which is £24,700.
Normally such expenditure would either fall within a company’s annual investment allowance and produce relief of only £19,000 or alternatively be tax-relieved at 18 per cent of the cost per annum.
Nigel May, partner at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, said: “Companies looking to use this relief will need to take care when the assets that the expenditure relates to are sold: tax charges may then arise clawing back the relief. It is perhaps worth noting that certain expenditure is excluded, in particular the acquisition of company cars.”
What