It has been great to see the UK finally move in a positive direction out of lockdown. While we can look forward to restrictions loosening, we need to remember the financial new rules coming in April. It is always this time of year when the financial rules start to come in to place, the budget will be announced this week, and we will digest this for you to see what kind of economical shape we will be in, so keep your eyes for that one.

 

IR35 (Off Payroll Working)

 

The long overdue of IR35 also known as off payroll working, was initially announced to come in, in April 2020, however due to the pandemic, this has been pushed back to April 2021.

 

This will affect you if you are in the private sector from any industry and provide a service through an intermediary such as your own limited company, a partnership or an individual who is on self-assessment and the client could constitute an employer/employee relationship.

 

So, why are these rules coming in?

 

The rules are coming into level the playing field and to make sure that workers who would have been an employee if they were providing their service directly to the client, pay broadly the same tax and national insurance contributions as employees. You could claim travel expenses and other expenses before, which would lower your tax liability, now this will not be allowed.

 

If you are a worker and your client is in the private sector, it is your responsibility to decide your own employment status for each contract. Things that will help decide your employment status are;

·         Who has the control? Can you reject certain projects and decide your working days?

·         Do you use your own tools?

·         Do you have public liability insurance?

 

If you are a worker and your client is in the public sector like a school or library, it is their responsibility to decide your employment status. You should be told of their decision; we have seen a large number of the larger companies starting to make changes to their arrangements with their subcontractors in preparation for this.

 

Reverse Charge VAT

 

If you are in the construction industry, there are changes coming in from

1st March 2021 to the way you apply VAT to your invoices. If you are VAT registered in the UK, and supply building and construction industry service, if the following applies for you, then you will have to use the reverse charge;

·         Your customer is registered for VAT in the UK

·         Payment for the supply is reported within the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)

·         The services you supply are standard or reduced rated

·         You are not an employment business supplying either staff or workers, or both

·         Your customer has not given written confirmation that they do not make onward supplies of the building and construction services supplied to them, also known as an end user.

 

So, that might have been a bit of jargon and hard to follow, so let us break this down in simpler terms.

 

Example 1

If Alpha Ltd are selling a standard or reduced rated service for building and construction to Joe Bloggs (this can be a company as well), and Joe Bloggs is VAT and CIS registered and has not given Alpha Ltd written confirmation that he is an end user, then the reverse charge VAT must be used.

 

Alpha Ltd bills Joe Bloggs;

Net - £1,000

VAT - £0

Gross - £1,000

(Reverse charge applies)

 

Example 2

If Alpha Ltd are selling a standard or reduced rated service for building and construction to Joe Bloggs, and Joe Bloggs is not VAT registered, then the reverse charge must not be used, and VAT must be charged as normal.

 

Alpha Ltd bills Joe Bloggs;

Net - £1,000

VAT - £200

Gross - £1,200

 

The services you may provide that are subject to reverse charge are;

·         constructing, altering, repairing, extending, demolishing or dismantling buildings or structures (whether permanent or not), including offshore installation services

·         installing heating, lighting, air-conditioning, ventilation, power supply, drainage, sanitation, water supply or fire protection systems in any building or structure

 

Please click here for the full list of services.

 

What you will need to do

 

If you are needing to use reverse charge VAT then you will need to verify some of your customers information. You will need to verify;

·         If your customer has a valid VAT number – (Click here to verify)

·         If your customer is reporting under CIS. (This can be verified using the construction industry scheme online service)

Sole trader:

o   Name

o   Unique taxpayer reference

o   National Insurance number

 

Company:

o   Name of Company

o   Company’s unique taxpayer reference

o   National Insurance number

 

·         Ask your customer to confirm whether they are an end user or intermediary supplier (you will need written confirmation)

 

 

These rules will be enforced by HMRC, so you will have to take care to do this correctly. If you are facing problems with your own subcontractors with IR35, or if you are not sure whether this reverse charge VAT applies to you, please get in touch with us. This can be complicated to get your head around. 

It has been a tough past 12 months for everyone. A lot of our plans have been ruined due the ongoing pandemic and we are still not sure when we are expecting better days. We should not let 2021 be a repeat of 2020. The best plan is to move forward and move better.

 

We are one month down and 11 more to go, although we are probably keeping count on the number of lockdown days we are in. 2021 shouldn’t be another year of standstill, this should be the year to plan.

 

There is support out there available for the economic environment to soften the blow. The furlough scheme is still available at 80% to help cover wages for non-working staff. The Welsh government has helped with the economic resilience fund. For full details of the grants, click here to see what is available.

 

Is there something you have been wanting to do for your business, but have held back on doing so? You should write down your goals and set a plan to achieve this. We need to make 2021 a positive stepping stone to achieve the most we can for our business. Is there a sales target you want to hit? Is there software or machine you want to purchase? Writing down what you will need for this is the best way to plan.

 

You should sort out your goals in short term and long term. What is it that you want to achieve in the next month, or 6 months, or 1 year or 5 years?         Click here for a great template that you can work off to get started.

 

Set your Goal what do you want to achieve in one years time, 3 years time,

or 5 years time.      WRITE IT DOWN

 

Then piece together what you need to do in small manageable tasks what you need to do to achieve this goal.   It does not even have to be a goal for the business, but a personal goal that the business can help you materialise.

 

Watch your costs, time runs away with us so easily, and so do the costs. Make sure you are tracking these. If you need to renew a contract, do so. 

It’s a telephone call, it’s a form. What have you got to lose? But to gain you will.  Don’t be afraid to negotiate even with the large companies.

 

What you want to say at the end of this year 2021, I not only lived through a pandemic and survived it, but I made something of my year that is 2021.

 

We have to plan and overcome this pandemic, we have to strive to progress.

If you want help with budgets or cashflow, get in touch with us and we can discuss on 02920 653 995. You can find all our latest information on www.crossaccountingservice.co.uk

If you have sold an asset that has increased in value, then Capital Gains Tax will be due. It is the gains that you will pay tax on and not the amount of money received. When Capital Gains Tax is due, it is more than often, when a house has been sold. Although Capital Gains Tax will be due when you have sold a painting, stocks and shares, sale of a business etc…


So, for example, if you have bought a house for £120,000 and sold it for £190,000 then Capital Gains Tax will be due on £70,000. You do not pay any Capital Gains Tax if you have sold a house that is your main home and residence. You also do not have to pay Capital Gains Tax if all your gains in a year are under your tax-free allowance.

 

Your tax-free allowance also known as the Annual Exempt Amount for Capital Gains for this current tax year (2020/2021) is £12,300.


You do not pay Capital Gains Tax on assets you give or sell to your husband, wife, or civil partner, unless,

 

If they decide to sell later, they may have to pay tax on any gain. Their gain will be calculated on the difference in value between when you first owned the asset and when they sold it. They should keep a record of what you paid for the asset


The rules have changed from April 2020.


 If you sell a house, you must report and pay any tax due within 30 days of selling. Before you had until your next self-assessment to report and pay. If you have not reported and paid any gains within 30 days of selling, HMRC can charge penalties and even interest on any late payments.

 

You will have to register and you’ll need a Government Gateway user ID and password to set your account up or sign in. If you do not have a user ID, you can create one the first time you sign in.


You will need the following information at the ready,

  • Property address and postcode
  • Date you got the property
  • Date you exchanged contracts when you were selling or disposing of the property
  • Date you stopped being the property’s owner (completion date)
  • Value of the property when you got it
  • Value of the property when you sold or disposed of it
  • Costs of buying, selling or making improvements to the property

 

Once you have an account you can sign in at any time to report Capital Gains Tax on UK property or see any returns you have already sent.

 

Once you have sent your return to HMRC, you will be notified on how much you owe in Capital Gains Tax, how to pay and when to pay by.


How much do I pay?


Rates on Capital Gains varies. If you are a higher rate taxpayer you will pay,

  • 28% on your gains from residential property
  • 20% on your gains from other chargeable assets

If you are a basic rate taxpayer, the rate depends on the size of the gain and your taxable income.


  1. Work out your taxable income
  2. Work out your taxable gains
  3. Deduct your annual exempt amount from your taxable gains
  4. Add this to your taxable income
  5. Work out which tax rate you pay

If the amount falls within the basic income tax band (£12,501 to £50,000 for 2020/2021) you will pay,

  • 18% on your gains from residential property
  • 10% on your gains from other chargeable assets

 

You will pay the higher taxpayer rate for any amount above the basic tax rate.


Example

Your taxable income (your income minus your personal allowance and any income tax reliefs) is £15,000

 

You sell a house for £200,000 which you bought for £170,000 for a gain of £30,000

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There are approximately 5.6 million businesses in the UK, of which 98% are considered small to medium sized businesses. So, we small businesses are crucial to the UK economy, there is no denying this.

 

Whether you are a start-up and excited for the times ahead, or an establishment renewing your challenges, we all want to be successful with our business. In our latest blog, we talk about tips we think are vital to any business.

 

We all have a vision in mind, of where we’d like to see our business in the future. This vision needs to be translated on paper as your business plan. A business plan is a must for all business owners. This can help outside investors get an insight of your business, for if ever you need funding to grow your business.

 

Business Plan


A business plan should consist of;

·    Summary – What is your purpose, what is your vision?

·    Target market – Who are you likely to sell to

·    Competitors – What is your rivals weakness? Why are you different?

·    Staff – Do you need people to help run your business. What level of skill and pay is required?

·    Suppliers – Who will be your main supplier?

·    Marketing Plan – How will you advertise yourself to the world

·    Operations – Which is the best way to run your business.

·    Finance – How much money do you need? Determine the profitability of the business.

 

Business Structure

As well as a business plan, you will need to have a business structure. Sole trader, partnerships and limited companies all have their own pros and cons. Deciding which structure to choose is not always straightforward. If an asset is owned outright, then you would need to consider retaining personal ownership on incorporation. If you’re not sure which structure model you should go for, then here at Cross Accounting we can give tailored advice to you.

 

Year End

We cannot stress enough the importance of doing your year end as early as possible. Once completed, this will give you peace of mind as you will not have to worry, until next year. It will also give you more time to budget for your tax bill. You will not be in a rush to find the money for the tax bill and not kill your cashflow. Keep all receipts for your expenses, these will all help lower the tax bill. If you buy equipment or tools, mobile phone bills, petrol, these are all deductible. HMRC can conduct random spot checks, so it’s important to keep paperwork, recommended for 6 years.

 

Budgeting

Having budgets in place for your business can help you predict the near future. This allows you to have a spending plan, so you can make sure you have money for the things you need and the things that are important to you. You can see what is eating up your cash and avoid spending on unnecessary fees. Below is an example of a very simple budget.

 

 

Month 1 (Budget)

Month 1 (Actual)

Variance

Month 2 (Budget)

Month 2 (Actual)

Variance

Month 3 (Budget)

Month 3 (Actual)

Variance

Starting Cash

10,000

10,000

0

11,630

11,600

-30

 

 

 

Income

2,500

2,500

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Income

2,600

2,600

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rent

800

800

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mobile

50

55

5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel

20

50

30

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gas and Electricity

100

95

-5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Expense

970

1,000

30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income - Expense

1630

1,600

-30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These tips will keep you motivated and more importantly give you an idea of where your finances lay, helping you to quickly identify if there are rainy days ahead.

If you need expert tailored advice, please do get in touch as we are always happy to help.

The UK Government announced a new capital allowances relief. From 1 April 2021 until 31 March 2023, companies investing in qualifying new plant and machinery assets will be able to claim:

  • 130% super-deduction capital allowance on qualifying plant and machinery investments
  • 50% first-year allowance for qualifying special rate assets


This super-deduction is designed to promote companies to invest in productivity enhancing plant and machinery. It is important businesses understand and take advantage of these generous new reliefs while they are available.


The super-deduction will allow companies to cut their tax bill by up to 25p for every £1 they invest, ensuring the UK capital allowances regime is amongst the world’s most competitive. There is no upper limit set for the expenditure, so as long the expenditure is incurred between 1 April 2021 – 31 March 2023. The enhanced relief also does not allow for plant and machinery that will be made available for leasing (including landlord fixtures within rented property) and excludes cars.

 

The pandemic has been a big blow for a lot of businesses, if you have been looking at equipment to help you grow, now may be the time to use this relief. If you are not sure on whether it is the right time to make a purchase, or if the equipment qualifies for the super-deduction relief, message us on nicola@crossaccountingservice.co.uk or if you would prefer to chat, call Cardiff: 02920 653 995 or Bridgend: 01656 530 063. Our team is always happy to help.

We are seeing a lot of restrictions being eased and it is the closest to normality for a very long time. The bonus of the sunshine is something to make the most out of. While we enjoy ourselves and plan for an entertaining summer, we should not forget about business. We should take steps in to planning on how to bounce back stronger.

 

As the country opens slowly and the opportunity arises to mingle with other business owners, you should make time to try and attend where businesses are likely to be. Nearer the end of 2021, we are likely to see trade fairs taking place, with all businesses on the same boat, getting the business name out there.  

 

If you do not have the budget or time to be a part of the trade show, then you should try and attend as a visitor. It will be a great way to connect and being a visitor will give you the freedom on your timing as you can leave when you feel like you have made the most out of the day. Who knows, you may even bump into some familiar faces, for a long-awaited catchup.

 

Our usual go to for these types of events are The Welsh Business Show, Zokit and Introbiz. Some may have updated dates for the events, some may be posting later. Keep an eye out on social media as we are sure there will be a buzz. Click here to look at what is out there with trade fairs https://10times.com/cardiff-uk/business-consultancy/tradeshows

 

To get your company to achieve the highest levels, you may need a hand by employing staff. This may seem a scary step to take, especially if this will be your first time employing someone. There are many things to consider. Due to the disruption of jobs during the pandemic, the government have introduced a Kickstart scheme. This scheme is to provide funding to create new jobs for 16- to 24-year-olds on Universal Credit.

 

It does not matter on the size of your business, everyone can apply. The funding will cover:

·        100% of the National Minimum Wage (or the National Living Wage depending on the age of the participant) for 25 hours per week for a total of 6 months

·        Associated employer National Insurance contributions

·        Minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions

Further funding is available for training and support so that young people on the scheme can get a job in the future.

 

More info on how to apply, please click here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-kickstart-scheme-grant

 

If you already have staff, and are bringing them back in to work, remember the furlough scheme is flexible and available until 30 September 2021. You will have to contribute for any hours worked by your employees. From 1 July 2021, the level of grant will be reduced, and you will be asked to contribute towards the cost of your furloughed employees’ wages. To be eligible for the grant you must continue to pay your furloughed employees 80% of their wages.

 

 

June 2021

July 2021

August 2021

September 2021

Government contribution

80%

70%

60%

60%

Employer contribution for hours not worked

No

10%

20%

20%

Employee receives for hours not worked

80%

80%

80%

80%

 

You can continue to choose to top up your employees’ wages above the 80% for the hours not worked at your own expense. This is completely up to you and not a requirement.

 

Let us try and finish 2021 strong and push past this pandemic. It has been tough for everyone, but with planning and preparing, we can start looking ahead.

We’ve all heard of IR35, but do you know the rule changes that are being introduced? IR35 also known as the ‘off-payroll’ working rules and will kick in if a worker provides their services through an intermediary.  It’s been in the news for some time now affecting a lot of News and TV presenters and has been making big headlines.   From April 2020 this will now be affecting the private sector from any industry where they are working either through a limited company or as a sole trader but the relationship between themselves and the client could constitute an employer/employee relationship.

An intermediary will usually be the worker’s own personal service company, such as a limited company. They could also be a partnership, a managed service company, or an individual who is on self-assessment.

The rules make sure that workers, who would have been an employee if they were providing their services directly to the client, pay broadly the same tax and National Insurance contributions as employees.

 

The rules apply if a worker provides their services to a client through an intermediary but would be classed as an employee if they were contracted directly.

 

So, who decides?

 

If you’re a worker and your client is in the public sector like a school or library, it’s their responsibility to decide your employment status. You should be told of their decision; we’ve seen a large number of the larger companies starting to make changes to their arrangements with their subcontractors in preparation for this event.     This will affect everyone, including people who employ a Cleaner, a subcontractor in the building industry.   IR35 supersedes the CIS scheme i.e. its take priority over the CIS scheme above everything.

 

If you are a worker and your client is in the private sector, it’s your intermediary’s responsibility to decide your own employment status for each contract. The private sector includes third sector organisations, such as some charities.


HMRC do have a calculator on their website to help you see for yourself whether you would have to comply with the rules.

 

There are tests that are run to decide this for you.

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-employment-status-for-tax

 

Some of the tests are as follows

 

Who has the control, can you say no to projects or specific pieces of work, or are you required to take whatever work is given to you.


Do you use your own tools at work?


Do you have public liability insurance and employers liability insurance?

 

Can you send in a substitute for yourself?   Not a main point but it does get weighted on any HMRC decision.

 

The difference on what this will mean for you, is that you will no longer be able to claim the travel expenses you would have been able to claim before regardless of the distance you are travelling to work, plus you will pay the higher national insurance which currently is 12% for employees and 13.8% for  employers.   You effectively could pay out both rates, not just the one.

HMRC do not care if you have given up your employment rights, i.e. holiday pay and sick pay.    We are expecting them to spot check individuals at any point during 2020.

The costs to the private sector will be very high, we haven’t seen the updated budget expected to be out in March 2020.  But are expecting with all the news coverage and the actions the larger companies are planning, everyone could be affected imminently.

If you are facing this problem with your own subcontractors, please get in touch with us, we have a risk assessment template for our clients that they can use.   If you are a subcontractor yourself, it is worth getting in touch with your contractor to find out their plans for the system.   

A lot of these companies are planning on putting everyone on PAYE whether you receive the employment rights that go with that change, we are still waiting to see.

We’re in the full swing of the Summer Holidays, as a business owner this can be a very busy time if youre in the food and leisure industry, it can also be a quieter time as many owners see because everything appears to be put on hold when suppliers and customers take time off and are on holiday.

How does Summer affect you? I see many business owners not taking time away from their business and carrying on regardless. Its important to have time away to recharge the batteries and to re-evaluate where you are going with it.

A lot of my clients are small micros businesses who might not have an army of staff to take care of things whilst theyre away. Heres a few tips they’ve shared with me on how they still manage to run their business but still take some important r & r.

Plan the diary around their holiday, do the bigger more important jobs in the run up to the holiday then plan the next jobs to be in the diary when they return.

Take small breaks so time away isn’t too dramatic and they don’t face backlogs coming back. Ie a long weekend away a couple of times a year.

Use a subcontractor to keep things ticking over until they come back.

Those companies with staff, leave clear instructions on what is to be done whilst theyre away.

Others leave the mobile phone on in case of emergencies but limit their workload reduced over the time period.

Whatever your business please take that rest time, you will read time and time again, those owners who take time away and have the rest are far more likely to succeed, than someone who never takes time away.

Work life balance is important to keep in the mind, we all like to think of ourselves as workaholics, and fully committed. Our health and wellbeing, and feeling motivated and energised is important too.

 

This blog is intended for information purposes only and is only advice from past experience, you may have other suggestions of your own. It is not intended to be used to make all of your business decisions but as a guide only.