We have tried to identify and highlight the key factors from the Budget, please feel to call Chris on 01522 543500 if you have any further queries.

 

PERSONAL TAX ALLOWANCE

From 2018-19 the allowance is set at £11,850 (previously 17/18 £11,500).

 

TRANSFERABLE ALLOWANCES

The maximum amount of free personal allowance that can be transferred between spouses is increased to £1,190 in 2018-19. Couples can only make a claim if one partner has spare personal tax allowance and the other is a basic rate tax payer. 

 

INCOME TAX RATE BANDS

The levels for 2018-19 are:
For 2018-19 – £45,000 (the UK apart from Scotland)
For 2018-19 – £43,000 (Scotland)

 

If your income before allowances exceeds these amounts you will be paying 40% Income Tax on the excess (this assumes that you are only entitled to the basic personal allowance).
The threshold at which the 45% rate starts is unchanged at £150,000.
For yet another year there were no changes to the basic Income Tax rate (20%), the higher rate (40%) and the additional rate (45%).

 

DIVIDEND ALLOWANCE TO BE REDUCED

From 6 April 2018, the tax-free dividend allowance is £2,000.

 

LIFETIME ISA’S

From April 2018 any person aged 18-40 will be able to save into a new Lifetime ISA. Up to £4,260 can be saved each year and savers will receive a government bonus of 25% on this money. Some or all of the money can be used to buy a first home, or it can be kept until age 60.

Accounts will be limited to one per person rather than one per home, so two first time buyers can both receive a bonus when buying together. If a saver has a Help to Buy ISA it can be transferred into the Lifetime ISA in 2018, or savers can continue saving into both, but it will only be possible to use the bonus from one to buy a house.

After your 60th birthday you can take out all the savings tax-free. You can withdraw the money at any time before you turn 60, but you will lose the government bonus (and any interest or growth on this). You will also have to pay a 25% charge.

 

CAPITAL GAINS TAX (CGT) REDUCTION

There are no changes to the basic CGT rates for 2018-19. The CGT on the disposal of chargeable assets, apart from residential property, remains at:

  • 10% on disposals that form part of the basic rate band.
  • 20% on disposals that form part of the higher rate band.

The higher rates (18% and 28%) will continue to apply to disposals of residential property subject to this tax and carried interest. Gains on a disposal of your home will continue to be exempt. The annual exempt amount for 2018-19 is £11,700 (2017-18: £11,300).

 

CORPORATION TAX RATE

The main rate of Corporation Tax from 1 April 2018 will remain at 19%. A reduction has been announced to 17% from 1 April 2020.

 

NIC INCREASES FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED

To narrow the perceived imbalance in NIC charges for the employed and self-employed, it was announced that the following increases in the self-employed Class 4 NIC contributions would be implemented.

  • From April 2018, an increase from 10% to 11%.

 

ISA LIMIT FROM APRIL 2018

The ISA savings limit for 2018-19 is confirmed as £20,000.

 

VAT REGISTRATION AND DE-REGISTRATION LIMITS

From 1 April 2018:

  • Registration threshold remains at £85,000
  • Deregistration threshold remains at £83,000

 

NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE – NEW RATES FROM 1st APRIL 2018

National Minimum Wage Rate will now change every April starting April 2018. The rates from 1 April 2018 will be:

  • £7.83 per hour – 25 yrs old and over
  • £7.38 per hour – 21-24 yrs old
  • £5.90 per hour – 18-20 yrs old
  • £4.20 per hour – 16-17 yrs old
  • £3.70 for apprentices under 19 or 19 or over who are in the first year of apprenticeship.

 

AUTO ENROLLMENT

Auto Enrolment is just around the corner for many of you, and yet for some you are well into the throes of processing this already.  Here at Chris Rooke Management Ltd we can meet all of your payroll needs from:

  • Pension setups (suitable for auto enrolment)
  • Staff Presentations on Auto Enrolment if required
  • Letters to employees on Auto Enrolment
  • All relevant submissions in line with the pension regulator
  • We also offer a full payroll service, weekly, fortnightly, 4 weekly and monthly

 

For all payrolls we process our Payroll Manager Jane will be in contact to ensure that all your regulatory requirements are met. For further information please do not hesitate to contact Jane on jane@chrisrookemanagement.co.uk