Wokingham Accountants
Accountancy may not strike everyone as exciting, but it is fast moving. We’ll keep you informed about issues we think may be of interest or relevance to you.
Embrace electric for tax-free benefits The Government is keen to encourage drivers to make environmentally friendly choices when it comes to choosing a car. As far as the company car tax market is concerned, tax policy is used to drive behaviour, rewarding drivers choosing lower emission cars with a lower tax charge while penalising those … Read more
Inheritance tax – frequent gifts can be free of tax. Within a family scenario, there are many situations in which one family member may make a gift to other family members. However, the way in which gifts are funded and made can make a significant difference to the way in which they are treated for … Read more
Travel expenses – do you visit other offices or are you seconded to a different workplace? Are you eligible for tax-free commuting? As a general rule, employees are denied a tax deduction for the cost of travel between home and work. Likewise, subject to a few limited exceptions, if the employer meets the cost of … Read more
Individuals who make charitable donations can do so tax-free. There are various ways of making tax-relieved gifts to charity – the way in which the relief works depends on whether the donation is made via Gift Aid, as a deduction from wages or a pension via the Payroll Giving Scheme, in a will or whether … Read more
Employees with a company car are taxed – often quite heavily – for the privilege. The charge is on the benefit which the employee derives from being able to use their company car for private journeys. The amount charged to tax is a percentage of the ‘list price’ of the car – known as the … Read more
The payment of National Insurance contributions provides the mechanism by which an individual builds up their entitlement to the state pension and certain contributory benefits. Different classes of contribution provide different benefit entitlements. Employed earners pay Class 1 contributions where their earnings exceed the lower earnings limit – set at £118 per week (£512 per … Read more
Where employees were provided with taxable benefits and expenses in 2018/19, these must be notified to HMRC. The reporting requirements depend on whether the benefits were pay-rolled or not. Benefits not pay-rolled Taxable benefits that were not pay-rolled in 2018/19 must be reported to HMRC on form P11D. There is no need to include benefits … Read more
The National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) increased from 1 April 2019. From that date, the NLW, payable to workers aged 25 and over, is set at £8.21 per hour. Workers under the age of 25 and over school leaving age must be paid the NMW appropriate for their age. From 1 … Read more
A PAYE Settlement Agreement (PSA) enables the employer to pay the tax and National Insurance instead of the employee on those benefits and expenses included within the PSA. This can be useful to preserve the beneficial nature of the benefit, for example in respect of a Christmas or other function falling outside the associated exemption, … Read more
There may be occasions on which an employer provides an employee with a taxi either to or from work. As a general rule, where an employer pays for a taxi for an employee’s journey between home and work, there is a taxable benefit as journeys between home and work are regarded as private, rather than … Read more
