Plant and machinery allowances and the allowances available for other assets.

Plant and Machinery

The cost of purchasing capital equipment in a business is not a revenue tax deductible expense. However, tax relief is available on certain capital expenditure in the form of capital allowances.

Plant and machinery allowances may be available on items such as machines, equipment, furniture, certain fixtures in a building (‘integral features’), computers, cars, vans and similar equipment used in a business.

There are special rules for cars and certain ‘environmentally friendly’ equipment.

Plant and machinery allowances may be available to owners of commercial property which is let out to a business.

The Annual Investment Allowances (AIA) gives a 100% write-off on most types of plant and machinery (but not cars) up to an annual limit.

Writing down allowances (WDA) are given for expenditure for which AIA is not, or cannot be, claimed.

A Structures and Buildings Allowance of 3% may be available for qualifying investments to construct new, or renovate old, non-residential structures and buildings.

AIA

The AIA may need to be shared between certain businesses under common ownership.

AIA limit – companies: £1,000,000

AIA limit – sole traders and partnerships: £1,000,000

Other plant and machinery allowances

Expenditure upon which AIA is not given/claimed will obtain relief through the ‘Main rate pool’ or the ‘Special rate pool’ rather than each item being dealt with separately.

The annual rate of WDA is 18% in the ‘Main rate pool’ and 6% in the ‘Special rate pool’.

A 100% first year allowance (FYA) may be available on certain energy efficient plant and cars.

Other allowances

Cars

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:

Standard and higher rates of capital gains tax (CGT) together with the annual exemption. The special rate of CGT and the limit applying for entrepreneurs’ relief purposes.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is payable by individuals, trustees and ‘personal representatives’ (PRs). Companies pay corporation tax on their capital gains.

There are annual tax free allowances (the ‘annual exempt amount’) for individuals, trustees and PRs. Companies do not have an annual exempt amount.

For individuals net gains are added to ‘total taxable income’ to determine the appropriate rate of tax. The standard rate applies only to the net gains which, when added to total taxable income do not exceed the ‘basic rate band’.

Gains which qualify for ‘Investors’ Relief’ are charged at 10% for the first £10m of qualifying gains.

Gains which qualify for ‘Entrepreneurs’ Relief’ are charged at 10% for the first £1 million.

The higher rate applies to higher rate and additional rate taxpayers.

Additionally, higher rates of 18% and 24% may apply to the disposal of certain residential property.

Weekly amounts of child / working tax credits and child benefit.

Child Benefit is receivable by a person responsible for each child who is under 16, or 19 if they stay in education or training.

If the person (or their spouse or partner) has ‘adjusted net income’ above £60,000 the person with the highest income has to pay some of the Child Benefit as a tax charge.

Where ‘adjusted net income’ is more than £80,000 a year, the tax charge equals the Child Benefit received.

Rate per week

Companies pay corporation tax on their income and gains. View the current rates and estimate the tax due.

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.

Year to 31.3.25:

Estimate your personal income tax liability using the current rates. View the current rates here.

Rates

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 and are fully taxable.

The starting rate band is only applicable to savings income. The 0% rate is not available if the taxable amount of non-savings income exceeds the starting rate band.

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. Welsh resident taxpayers continue to pay the same overall income tax rates using the UK rates and bands. The total rate of income tax = UK income tax + Welsh rate of income tax. Savings income and dividend income are taxed using UK tax rates and bands.

2024/25:

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:

2023/24:

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.

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

£3,700 (2023/24: £2,870)

Married couple’s allowance

Either partner born before 6th April 1935.

The annual ISA investment limits.

The income from ISA investments is exempt from income tax. Any capital gains made on investments held in an ISA are exempt from capital gains tax.

Savers are able to subscribe any amounts into a cash ISA, a stocks and shares ISA or an innovative finance ISA subject to not exceeding the overall annual investment limit.

Investors may transfer their investments from one kind of ISA to another.

The Lifetime ISA is available for those aged between 18 and 40. Save up to £4,000 each year up until the age of 50, and receive a government bonus of 25% (a bonus of up to £1,000 a year). Savers can use some or all of the money to buy their first home, or keep it until they are aged 60 when the account can be accessed tax free. Conditions apply to the account holder and property purchased. Penalties apply if funds are withdrawn in other circumstances.

A Help to Buy ISA provides a tax free savings account for first time buyers wishing to save for a home. The scheme provides a government bonus to each person who has saved into a Help to Buy ISA at the point they use their savings to purchase their first home. For every £200 a first time buyer saves, the government will provide a £50 bonus up to a maximum bonus of £3,000 on £12,000 of savings. The bonus will be paid in the form of a voucher when the first home is purchased. Conditions apply to the account holder and to the property purchased. Help to Buy ISAs closed to new savers on 30 November 2019. Existing holders can continue saving until 30 November 2029 and will have until 1 December 2030 to claim their bonus.

Limits

Inheritance tax rates and allowances.

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.

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 first 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/civil partnership: The amount of relief depends on who the gift is from…

Reduced charge on gifts within seven years of death

National Minimum Wage rates apply to employees up to the age of 20 (22 before 1 April 2024).

National Living Wage (NLW) rates apply to employees 21 and over (23 and over before 1 April 2024).

The Apprentice rate applies to apprentices under 19, or 19 and over in the first year of apprenticeship.

Penalties apply to employers who fail to pay minimum wages.

Earnings thresholds and contribution percentages for Class 1 (employed), Class 2 and 4 (self-employed) and Class 3 (voluntary) national insurance contributions.

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.

Employees’ NIC rate for the age of 21 and apprentices under the age of 25 is reduced from the normal rate 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

2024/25:

Entitlement to state pension and other ‘contribution-based benefits’ is retained for earnings between £123 and £242 per week.

2023/24:

Entitlement to state pension and other ‘contribution-based benefits’ is retained for earnings between £123 and £242 per week.

Employers

2024/25:

2023/24:

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 stops when a person reaches State Pension age.

From 6 April 2024, there is no longer a requirement to pay Class 2. Voluntary contributions can still be made.

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

2024/25:

A self-employed person with profits below the Small Profits Threshold might decide to carry on paying Class 2 voluntarily to secure entitlement to the State Pension and other benefits.

2023/24:

For 2023/24 the point at which the self-employed person starts to pay Class 2 NICs is £12,570. This means those with profits between the Small Profits Threshold and the Lower Profits Limit will not pay Class 2 NICs, but will still be able to access entitlement to contributory benefits. A self-employed person with profits below the Small Profits Threshold might decide to carry on paying Class 2 voluntarily to accrue entitlement to the State Pension and other benefits.

Class 4

2024/25:

2023/24:

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: £17.45

Details of the amounts of tax relievable pension contributions for individuals and employers.

Tax relief on pension contributions

Tax relief available for personal contributions is the higher of £3,600 (gross) or 100% of relevant earnings.

Any contributions in excess of £60,000, whether personal or by the employer, may be subject to income tax on the individual.

The limit may be reduced to £10,000 once money purchase pensions are accessed.

Where the £60,000 limit is not fully used it may be possible to carry the unused amount forward for three years.

The annual allowance is tapered for those with adjusted income over £260,000. For every £2 of income over £260,000 an individual’s annual allowance will be reduced by £1, down to a minimum of £10,000.

Employers will obtain tax relief on employer contributions if they are paid and made ‘wholly and exclusively’ for the purposes of the business. The tax relief for large contributions may be spread over several years.

Pensions automatic enrolment

Auto enrolment places duties on employers to automatically enrol ‘workers’ into a work based pension scheme. Employers are required to automatically enrol all ‘eligible jobholders’ into a qualifying pension scheme and pay pension contributions on their behalf.

Employer minimum contribution: 3%
Total minimum contribution: 8%

Where the employer does not make the total minimum contribution the employee is obliged to pay the balance.

State Pensions

The basic State Pension is a regular payment from the government that an individual may be entitled to when they reach ‘State Pension age’.

The basic State Pension depends on the number of years an individual has paid National Insurance or got National Insurance credits, eg while unemployed or claiming certain benefits.

To receive the basic State Pension an individual must have paid or been credited with National Insurance contributions (NIC).

In 2016 the State Pension was reformed into a single-tier new State Pension. In order to benefit from the full amount the individual will need 35 years, rather than the previous 30 years of NIC or credits for the full amount, with pro-rating where 35 years is not achieved. You will usually need 10 qualifying years to get any State Pension. The amount an individual receives can be higher or lower depending on their National Insurance record. It will only be higher if you have over a certain amount of Additional State Pension.

Currently an individual may also be entitled to the Additional State Pension. How much an individual gets depends on the number of qualifying years of NIC, the amount of earnings and whether the individual has been contracted out of the scheme.

The current percentages of stamp duty and the various UK property/land transaction taxes.

Stamp Duty

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.

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

First-time Buyer relief

First-time buyers may be eligible for first-time buyer relief on purchases of residential property up to £625,000. 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 6% 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

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

Residential rates may be increased 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.

Current weekly amounts.

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.

2024/25:

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 £184.03.

2023/24:

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 £172.48.

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.

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.

EIS, SEIS, VCTs and SIR.

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: £2,000,000

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: £200,000 ¹

Income tax relief: 50%

CGT treatment on disposal if held for 3 years: Exempt

An individual who makes a capital gain on another asset and uses the amount of the gain to make a SEIS investment will not pay tax on 50% of the gain (subject to certain conditions).

Capital gains from the disposal of other assets may be exempt up to £100,000* per annum by making an SEIS investment.

¹ Limits subject to Parliamentary approval.

Social Investment Relief (SIR)

Social Investment Relief (SIR) was designed to encourage private individuals to invest in social enterprises including charities.

SIR closed to any new investments from 6 April 2023.

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.)

The current VAT percentages and the annual registration and deregistration thresholds.

Registered businesses charge Value Added Tax (VAT) on their sales. This is known as output VAT and the sales are referred to as outputs.

Similarly VAT is charged on most goods and services purchased by the business. This is known as input VAT.

There are three rates: standard which applies to most goods and services, reduced rate for some goods and services such as home energy and zero rate goods and services, for example, most food and children’s clothes.

Some supplies are exempt from VAT for example postage stamps, financial and insurance transactions.

A business is required to register for VAT if the value of taxable supplies exceeds the annual registration limit.

Rates

Standard: 20%

Reduced: 5%

Limits

Annual Registration Limit (1.4.24 to 31.3.25): £90,000 (£85,000)

Annual Deregistration Limit (1.4.24 to 31.3.25): £88,000 (£83,000)

Calculate the taxable benefit using the relevant tables for employer provided cars, vans and related fuel.