fpdteam, Author at Bennetts Accountancy

New Energy Bills Discount Scheme

30th January 202312th January 2023 by fpdteam

The government has published details of a new Energy Bills Discount Scheme which will replace the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme that comes to an end on 31 March 2023. The new scheme will offer support until 31 March 2024, to eligible non-domestic energy customers, including UK businesses, the voluntary sector, for example charities, and the public sector such as schools and hospitals.

Under the new scheme, eligible non-domestic customers who have a contract with a licensed energy supplier will see a unit discount of up to £6.97/MWh automatically applied to their gas bill and a unit discount of up to £19.61/MWh applied to their electricity bill, except for those benefitting from lower energy prices.

The government has also confirmed that a substantially higher level of support will be provided to businesses in sectors identified as being the most energy and trade intensive – predominately manufacturing industries. These businesses will receive a gas and electricity bill discount based on a supported price which will be capped by a maximum unit discount of £40.0/MWh for gas and £89.1/MWh for electricity.

The latest data has shown that wholesale gas prices are continuing to fall and there are some concerns that the falling prices are not being passed on to businesses fast enough by energy suppliers.

Source:HM Treasury| 09-01-2023

Dissolved companies and bona vacantia

30th January 202312th January 2023 by fpdteam

A company comes to a legal end when it is dissolved. However, one if the important points to be aware of when doing so is that the dissolved company can no longer do or receive anything including receive a tax refund. It is the responsibility of the company directors to ensure that all of a company’s assets and liabilities are all dealt with before it is dissolved.

Any assets or rights (but not liabilities) remaining in the company at the date of dissolution will pass to the Crown as ownerless property. This happens under what is known as 'bona vacantia' which literally means vacant goods. The bodies that deal with bona vacantia claims vary across the United Kingdom, but they all ultimately represent the Crown.

Only formally dissolved companies are caught by bona vacantia. A company 'in liquidation' or 'being wound up' is on its way to being dissolved but is still in existence. Until the company is dissolved its property and rights will not be bona vacantia.

It may also be possible for a company to apply to be restored to the register if it was dissolved less than six years ago. This would mean that the bona vacantia ceases to exist. However, this process is by no means straightforward, and any assets or rights owned by the company should be properly dealt with before a company is dissolved.

Source:Companies House| 09-01-2023

IHT – estimating an estate’s value

30th January 202312th January 2023 by fpdteam

Inheritance Tax (IHT) is levied on a person’s estate when they die and can also be payable during a person’s lifetime on certain trusts and gifts. The rate of Inheritance Tax payable is 40% on death and 20% on lifetime gifts.

The current IHT nil rate band is £325,000 per person, below which no IHT is payable. This is the amount that can be passed on free of IHT as a tax-free threshold. A reduced rate of IHT of 36% (reduced from 40%) applies where 10% or more of a deceased’s net estate after deducting IHT exemptions, reliefs and the nil rate band is left to charity.

In order to ascertain whether or not IHT is due, the executor or personal representative of the deceased must value the deceased's estate. This is done by calculating the total value of the assets and gifts of the deceased and deducting any debts. An initial estimate of the value of the estate’s value should be undertaken to help determine if there is IHT to pay. This includes ascertaining the value of any assets owned by the deceased on the day they died, an analysis of any gifts made in the seven years prior to death and the value of trusts where the deceased had a beneficial interest.

If the estate is likely to owe tax, then full accurate valuations will be required. IHT is usually due six-months after the end of the month in which the deceased died. In certain cases, it is possible to pay by instalments or to make payments later with the addition of interest.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 09-01-2023

When you must register for VAT

30th January 202312th January 2023 by fpdteam

The taxable turnover threshold, that determines whether businesses should be registered for VAT, is currently £85,000.

The taxable turnover threshold that determines whether businesses can apply for deregistration is £83,000.

It was confirmed as part of the Autumn Statement 2022 measures that the taxable turnover registration and deregistration thresholds will be frozen at the current rates until 31 March 2026.

Businesses are required to register for VAT if they meet either of the following two conditions:

At the end of any month, the value of the taxable supplies made in the past 12 months or less has exceeded £85,000; or
At any time, there are reasonable grounds for believing that the value of taxable supplies to be made in the next 30 days alone will exceed £85,000.

The registration threshold for relevant acquisitions from other EU Member States into Northern Ireland is also £85,000.

Businesses with no physical presence in the UK may also have a liability to be VAT registered in the UK if they supply any goods or services to the UK (or are expected to in the next 30-days).

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 09-01-2023

Check your National Insurance Record

30th January 202312th January 2023 by fpdteam

HMRC offers an online service to check your National Insurance Contributions (NIC) record online. In order to use the service, you will need to have a Government Gateway account. If you don't have an account, you can apply to set one up online.

By signing in to the 'Check your National Insurance record' service you will also activate your personal tax account if you haven’t already previously done so. HMRC’s personal tax account can be used to complete a variety of tasks in real time such as claiming a tax refund, updating your address and completing your Self-Assessment return.

Your National Insurance record online will let you see:

What you have paid, up to the start of the current tax year (6 April 2022)
Any National Insurance credits you’ve received
If gaps in contributions or credits mean some years don’t count towards your State Pension (they aren't 'qualifying years')
If you can pay voluntary contributions to fill any gaps and how much this will cost

In some circumstances it may be beneficial, after reviewing your records, to make voluntary NIC contributions to fill gaps in your contributions record to increase your entitlement to benefits, including the State or New State Pension. If you think this might be relevant, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 09-01-2023

UK regains control over business subsidies

30th January 20239th January 2023 by fpdteam

A new system to regulate the award of subsidies to business came into force on Wednesday 4 January 2023. It should provide a boost to businesses across the country and empower public authorities to deliver support to businesses in a quicker, fairer, and simpler way.

Subsidies will be tailored to local needs, with public authorities and devolved administrations having added flexibility to ensure they can get support to where it’s most needed as quickly as possible.

The introduction of these new rules is the most significant change in subsidy administration in over forty years and marks a landmark transition away from the restrictive aid scheme the UK was subject to as part of the EU, which would regularly block elected devolved administrations and local authorities from delivering funds to businesses that most needed it in their communities.

Under the previous EU system, all subsidies except for a select few under a ‘Block Exemption Regulation’ would be required to undergo a time-consuming bureaucratic process, subject to European laws and the European Commission.

Subsidies would require notification to and approval from the European Commission well in advance, therefore delaying vital funds reaching businesses in good and efficient time. The new regime is tailor-made for businesses and public authorities in the UK, with views gathered from stakeholders across the country in an extensive consultation.

The new regime will also give public authorities the ability to award subsidies through streamlined routes, schemes that are pre-assessed by the government, and provide public authorities with an even easier and quicker way to award subsidies to businesses. The government is currently developing three of these schemes, which will cover research, development and innovation, energy usage, and local growth.

Source:Other| 08-01-2023

Which way to turn

30th January 20239th January 2023 by fpdteam

Inflation and recession are cruel task-masters.

If you provide goods or services that can be readily sourced from alternative suppliers, and at a lower cost, trying to beef-up your sales prices will likely result in lost income as your customers go elsewhere. If your costs are increasing this can only lead to lower profits.

If you sell luxury goods, there will likely be a reduction in demand as customers concentrate their expenditure on meeting rising fuel and food bills.

Business owners can react by reducing their own costs but there is a limit to the saving that can be made.

There is an argument to mothball business activity. i.e., reduce activity and hibernate until market conditions improve, although this is unlikely to prove a workable strategy for an extended period.

Businesses who supply goods or services with no competition, or for goods that have no ready substitutes, are in the best position as they can increase their prices to cover cost increases with little or no impact on sales.

During this period, all businesses would be wise to take control of cashflow and scale down or at least reconsider investment activity until market conditions become more buoyant.

If you are in business and really don’t know which way to turn, please call so we can talk over your options.

Source:Other| 08-01-2023

Applying for National Insurance number

30th January 20235th January 2023 by fpdteam

If you do not already have a National Insurance number you will normally need to apply for one if you are planning to work in the UK, claim benefits, apply for a student loan or pay Class 3 voluntary National Insurance contributions. It can take up to 4 weeks for a National Insurance number to be issued after you have proved your identity.

HMRC’s guidance states that you can apply for a National Insurance number if you:

live in the UK;
have the right to work in the UK; and
are working, looking for work or have an offer to start work.

However, you can start work without a National Insurance number if you can prove you can work in the UK. You can also apply for benefits or a student loan without a National Insurance number. If a National Insurance number is required, you will be notified at the time.

Most teenagers in the UK are automatically sent a letter just before their 16th birthday detailing their National Insurance number. These letters should be kept in a safe place. It should be noted that a National Insurance number remains the same for life, even if your personal details change.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 02-01-2023

Mortgage Guarantee Scheme extended

30th January 20235th January 2023 by fpdteam

The Mortgage Guarantee Scheme was set to end on 31 December 2022. In a last-minute announcement from HM Treasury, it was confirmed that the scheme will now be extended for a further 12 months until 31 December 2023.

The scheme helps prospective home buyers (mainly first-time buyers) who only have a small deposit and may find getting a traditional mortgage difficult. Under the scheme, lenders can offer 95% mortgage products.

The scheme has assisted over 24,000 households since it was launched in April 2021.

The scheme is open to first time buyers and home movers across the UK. Home buyers can purchase properties valued at up to £600,000 and both new-build and existing properties are eligible.

The government provides lenders with the option to purchase a guarantee on the top-slice of the mortgage (over 80%). Lenders will also take a 5% share of net losses above this 80% threshold. This helps to ensure that lenders are not motivated to provide poor quality loans. Lenders also need to pay the government a commercial fee for each mortgage in the scheme. The mortgage guarantee is valid for up to seven years after the mortgage is taken out.

Source:HM Treasury| 02-01-2023

What is the VAT One Stop Shop?

30th January 20235th January 2023 by fpdteam

The VAT One Stop Shop is an EU wide scheme that allows a VAT registered business to register in only one single EU Member State. The scheme was extended with effect from 1 July 2021. The extended scheme covers three special schemes: the non-Union scheme, the Union scheme and the import scheme.

The VAT One Stop Shop scheme can be used by businesses selling goods from Northern Ireland to consumers in the EU under the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol. In order to use the scheme, sales must be above the distance selling limit of €10,000 – currently set at £8,818. The scheme only covers the sale of goods. Supplies of digital services to consumers in the EU should not be reported.

Using the VAT One Stop Shop can save affected businesses from having to register for VAT in up to 27 EU countries. If a qualifying Northern Ireland business chooses not to use the scheme, they will have to register for VAT in each EU country where they make distance sales of goods.

Source:Other| 02-01-2023