TAX RATES

Corporation tax rates are set for each Financial Year. A Financial Year runs from 1 April to the following 31 March.

If the accounting period of a company straddles the 31 March, the profits are apportioned on a time basis to each Financial Year.

The Northern Ireland Executive has committed to setting the rate of corporation tax at 12.5% when the Northern Ireland Executive demonstrates its finances are on a sustainable footing.

Income tax applies to the amount of income after deduction of personal allowances.

Income is taxed in a specific order with savings and dividend income taxed last.

Dividend income and savings income falling within the dividend and savings allowances still form part of total income of an individual.

There is also a starting rate band (SRB) of £5,000 which is only applicable to savings income. The band is not available if the taxable amount of non-savings income exceeds the SRB.

The Scottish Parliament set the rates of income tax and the limits at which these rates apply for Scottish residents on non-savings and non-dividend income.

Income tax is devolved to Wales on non-savings and non-dividend income.

2021/22:

For Scottish residents the following bands apply for non-savings and non-dividend income:

For Welsh residents the following bands apply for non-savings and non-dividend income:

There are special rates for savings and dividend income falling into above bands of taxable income.

Savings Allowance:

Dividend Allowance:

2020/21:

For Scottish residents the following bands apply for non-savings and non-dividend income:

For Welsh residents the following bands apply for non-savings and non-dividend income:

There are special rates for savings and dividend income falling into above bands of taxable income.

Savings Allowance:

Dividend Allowance:

Allowances

A personal allowance gives an individual an annual amount of income free from income tax.

Income above the personal allowances is subject to income tax.

The personal allowance will be reduced if an individual's ‘adjusted net income’ is above £100,000. The allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000.

An individual born before 6 April 1935 may be entitled to a married couple's allowance but this is reduced if ‘adjusted net income’ is above the married couple's allowance income limit (see table below).

Marriage allowance - 10% of the personal allowance may be transferable between certain spouses where neither pays tax above the basic rate. The Marriage allowance is not available to couples entitled to the Married Couple's allowance.

Personal Allowance

Blind person's allowance

£2,520 (2020/21: £2,500)

Married couple's allowance

Either partner born before 6th April 1935.

IHT may be payable when an individual's estate is worth more than the IHT nil rate band when they die.

Lifetime and death transfers between UK domiciled spouses are exempt from IHT.

For 2021/22, a further nil rate band of £175,000 may be available in relation to current or former residences.

The IHT threshold available on death may be increased for surviving spouses as there may have been a nil rate band not used, or not fully used, on the previous death.

There are reliefs for some business and farming assets which reduce their value for IHT purposes.

IHT may also be payable on gifts made in an individual's lifetime but within seven years of death.

Some lifetime gifts are exempt.

Transfers of assets into trust made in an individual's lifetime may be subject to an immediate charge but at lifetime rates.

There are also charges on some trusts.

Threshold

Standard nil rate band: £325,000

Rates

Reliefs for lifetime gifts

Annual Exemption: £3,000

Small Gifts: £250

Marriage: The amount of relief depends on who the gift is from...

Reduced charge on gifts within seven years of death

Class 1

Employees start paying Class 1 NIC from age 16 (if sufficient earnings).

Employers pay Class 1 NIC in accordance with the table below.

Employer NIC for employees under the age of 21 and apprentices under the age of 25 is reduced from the normal rate of 13.8% to 0% up to the Upper Secondary Threshold of £967 per week. Also applies to veterans in the first 12 months of employment.

Employees Class 1 NIC stop when they reach their ‘State pension age’. The employer's contribution continues.

Employees

2021/22:

Entitlement to state pension and other ‘contribution-based benefits’ is retained for earnings between £120 and £184 per week

2020/21:

Entitlement to state pension and other ‘contribution-based benefits’  is retained for earnings between £118 and £166 per week

Employers

2021/22:

2020/21:

Other National Insurance payable by employers

Class 1A

13.8% on broadly all taxable benefits provided to employees and on certain taxable termination and sporting testimonial payments in excess of £30,000.

Class 1B

13.8% on taxable PAYE Settlement Agreements.

Class 2 and 4 (self-employed)

A self-employed person starts paying Class 2 and Class 4 NIC from 16 or over (if sufficient profits).

Class 2 NIC stop when a person reaches State Pension age.

Class 4 NIC stop from the start of the tax year after the one in which the person reaches State Pension age.

2021/22:

2020/21:

No Class 2 is due if the amount of trading profits assessable to income tax and Class 4 NIC is below this figure. However, a person might decide to carry on paying Class 2 voluntarily to accrue entitlement to the State Pension and entitlement to other benefits.

Class 4

2021/22:

2020/21:

Class 3

A person needs 35 years (30 years if State Pension age is before 6 April 2016) of NIC to get a full State Pension.

Class 3 voluntary contributions can be paid to fill or avoid gaps in a NI record.

Flat rate per week: £15.40 (2020/21: £15.30)

When you buy shares, you usually pay a tax or duty of 0.5% on the transaction. If you buy shares electronically Stamp Duty Reserve Tax (SDRT) is payable. For shares purchased using a stock transfer form, you will pay Stamp Duty if the transaction is over £1,000.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

SDLT is payable on land and property transactions in England and Northern Ireland.

Property transactions in Scotland are subject to Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).

Property transactions in Wales are subject to Land Transaction Tax (LTT).

Residential property

The rates apply to the portion of the total value which falls within each band. The following rates apply to 30 June 2021:

The following rates apply from 1 July to 30 September 2021:

The following rates apply from 1 October 2021:

These rates may be increased by 3% where further residential properties, costing over £40,000, are acquired.

First-time Buyer relief

From 1 July 2021 First-time buyers may be eligible for first-time buyer relief on purchases of residential property up to £500,000. The rates apply to the portion of the total value which falls within each band.

Non-residential property

Payable on consideration which falls in each band.

Land and Buildings Transaction Tax

Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) is payable on land and property transactions in Scotland.

Residential property

The rates apply to the portion of the total value which falls within each band.

Residential rates may be increased by 4% where further residential properties, costing over £40,000, are acquired.

First-time Buyer relief raises the zero rate tax threshold for first-time buyers from £145,000 to £175,000.

Non-residential property

The rates apply to the portion of the total value which falls within each band.

Land Transaction Tax

Land Transaction Tax (LTT) is payable on land and property transactions in Wales.

Residential property

Rates applying to 30 June 2021:

Rates applying from 1 July 2021:

The rates apply to the portion of the total value which falls within each band.

Residential rates may be increased by 4% where further residential properties costing over £40,000 or over are acquired.

Higher residential tax rates

Higher residential rates may apply when you already own one or more residential properties.

The rates apply to the portion of the total value which falls within each band.

Non-residential property

The rates apply to the portion of the total value which falls within each band.

Payments may be required from an employer if an employee is not at work for a variety of reasons.

There are detailed conditions for an employee to qualify for any of these statutory payments.

Employees are only eligible for a statutory payment if they have sufficient average weekly earnings of at least the lower earnings limit.

2021/22:

Average weekly earnings £120 or over.

With the exception of Statutory Sick Pay, statutory payments may be payable at 90% average weekly earnings throughout the payment period in certain circumstances. This applies where 90% weekly earnings are less than the standard rate of £151.97.

2020/21:

Average weekly earnings £120 or over.

With the exception of Statutory Sick Pay, statutory payments may be payable at 90% average weekly earnings throughout the payment period in certain circumstances. This applies where 90% weekly earnings are less than the standard rate of £151.20.

Statutory Sick Pay

Payments may be required from an employer if an employee is too ill to work.

SSP is generally payable for a period up to 28 weeks.

SSP support during coronavirus outbreak

The government has temporarily made SSP more accessible to employees in response to the coronavirus outbreak. During the outbreak SSP is available from the first day of absence, including for those self-isolating or caring for others.

The government is supporting small and medium-sized businesses and employers to cope with the extra costs of paying coronavirus related SSP by refunding eligible SSP costs.

Statutory Maternity Pay

Payments may be required from an employer when an employee takes time off to have a baby.

SMP is payable for a period up to 39 weeks.

Statutory Paternity Pay

Payments may be required from an employer when an employee takes time off during their partner's Statutory Maternity Pay period.

Payment is for a period of either one or two complete weeks.

Shared Parental Pay

Payments may be required from an employer when an employee takes time off following the curtailment of the period of SMP by the mother.

Payment is for up to a maximum of 37 weeks and is dependent on the mother's unused SMP period.

Statutory Adoption Pay

Payments may be required from an employer when an employee takes time off when they adopt a child.

Payment is for a period up to 39 weeks.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

Payments may be required from an employer when parents take time off following the death of a child or a stillbirth.

Payment is for up to a maximum of two weeks.

Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) provides tax relief for individuals prepared to invest in new and growing companies. Investors can obtain generous income tax and capital gains tax (CGT) breaks for their investment and companies can use the relief to attract additional investment to develop their business. Individuals are entitled to relief on investments in certain unquoted trading companies through EIS. A junior version of EIS the SEIS is also available.

Maximum investment per annum: £1,000,000

Additional investment limit where investing in knowledge-intensive companies: £1,000,000

Income tax relief: 30%

CGT treatment on disposal if held for 3 years: Exempt

Capital gains from the disposal of other assets may be deferred by making an EIS investment.

Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)

The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) provides tax relief for individuals prepared to invest in new and growing companies. Investors can obtain generous income tax and capital gains tax (CGT) breaks for their investment and companies can use the relief to attract additional investment to develop their business. SEIS is a junior version of EIS.

Maximum investment per annum: £100,000

Income tax relief: 50%

CGT treatment on disposal if held for 3 years: Exempt

Capital gains from the disposal of other assets may be exempt up to £50,000 per annum by making an SEIS investment.

Social Investment Relief (SIR)

Social Investment Relief (SIR) is designed to encourage private individuals to invest in social enterprises including charities. Individuals are entitled to relief on their investment:

Maximum investment per annum: £1,000,000

Income tax relief: 30%

CGT treatment on disposal if held for 3 years: Exempt

Capital gains from the disposal of other assets may be deferred by making a SIR investment.

Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs)

Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) are designed to encourage private individuals to invest in smaller high-risk unquoted trading companies. VCTs operate by indirect investment through a mediated fund. In effect they are very like the investment trusts that are obtainable on the stock exchange, albeit in a high-risk environment. Individuals are entitled to relief on investments in VCTs.

Maximum investment per annum: £200,000

Income tax relief: 30%

Dividend income: Exempt

Capital gains treatment on disposal: Exempt

(All reliefs are subject to detailed conditions being met.)

Car Benefit

The car benefit is calculated by multiplying the car's list price, when new, by a percentage linked to the car's CO2 emissions. Due to a change in the way CO2 emissions are measured different benefit percentages apply to cars registered from 6 April 2020.

For diesel cars generally add a 4% supplement (unless the car is registered on or after 1 September 2017 and meets the Euro 6d emissions standard). The overall maximum percentage is capped at 37%.

The list price includes accessories.

The list price is reduced for capital contributions made by the employee up to £5,000.

Special rules may apply to cars provided for disabled employees.

For cars registered before 1 January 1998 and cars with no agreed CO2 emissions the charge is based on engine size.

2021/22:

2020/21:

Note...

Round down to nearest 5gm/km for values above 95

Car Fuel Benefit

Car fuel benefit applies if an employee has the benefit of private fuel for a company car.

The benefit is calculated by applying the percentage used to calculate the car benefit by a 'fuel charge multiplier'.

The charge is proportionately reduced if provision of private fuel ceases part way through the year. The fuel benefit is reduced to nil only if the employee pays for all private fuel.

Fuel charge multiplier: £24,600 (2020/21: £24,500)

Van Benefit

Van benefit is chargeable if the van is available for an employee's private use.

A fuel benefit may also be chargeable if an employee has the benefit of private fuel paid for in respect of a company van.

The charges do not apply to vans if a 'restricted private use condition' is met throughout the year.

A reduced benefit charge may apply to vans which cannot emit CO2 when driven.

Van benefit: £3,500 (2020/21: £3,490)

Fuel benefit: £669 (2020/21: £666)

Advisory Fuel Rates for Company Cars

Advisory rates only apply where employers reimburse employees for business travel in a company car or require employees to repay the cost of fuel used for private travel in a company car.

If the rate paid per mile of business travel is no higher than the advisory rate for the particular engine size and fuel type of the car, HMRC will accept that there is no taxable profit and no Class 1 NIC liability.

From 1 March 2021:

Petrol

Diesel

LPG

Notes...

Hybrid cars are treated as either petrol or diesel cars for this purpose.

The Advisory Electricity Rate for fully electric cars is 4 pence per mile. Electricity is not a fuel for fuel car benefit purposes.

Mileage Allowance Payments (MAPs) for employees

MAPs represent the maximum tax-free mileage allowances an employee can receive from their employer for using their own vehicle for business journeys.

An employer is allowed to pay an employee a certain amount of MAPs each year without having to report payments to HMRC.

If the employee receives less than the statutory rate, tax relief can be claimed on the difference.

2021/22 and 2020/21:

Low emissions:

For expenditure incurred on cars, costs are generally allocated to one of the two plant and machinery pools.

AIA is not available on any car but a 100% FYA may be available on certain cars. To qualify for FYA, the car must be purchased new.

Cars acquired from April 2021: