This month’s newsletter includes articles covering: possible Stamp Duty increases for home buyers and expanding your Income Tax bands.

STAMP DUTY PENALISES HOME BUYERS

There has been much press commentary regarding the extra 3% Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and the 3% Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) – part of the Land and Building Transaction Tax in Scotland – that applies to the purchase of a second residential property by individuals in the UK from 1 April 2016.

Home owners should be wary as this can more than triple the initial Stamp Duty costs of buying a second home in the UK.

The rules are strictly applied. For example, if a homeowner wants to move house, but is finding it difficult to sell their existing home, they may decide to complete on the purchase of their replacement home and press on with trying to complete the sale of their present home at some future date.

The problem is, HMRC or Revenue Scotland will still apply the 3% extra duty even though the intention is to replace one property with another. At the time the replacement property was purchased, the buyer owned two residential properties at the end of the day the deal was completed. As such, the replacement purchase was a second property.

Homebuyers caught in this position should seek advice and quantify the amount of the extra duty they will have to find. However, all is not lost. It is possible to claim a refund of the additional 3% paid but there are time limits. In England Wales and Northern Ireland, the replaced property must be sold within 36 months of the replacement purchase; whereas in Scotland the time limit is only 18 months.

EXPANDING INCOME TAX BANDS

For the tax year 2016-17, most taxpayers are entitled to claim a tax-free personal allowance of £11,000 from their taxable income. The maximum income that can be taxed at the basic rate of 20%, after the personal allowance has been deducted, is £32,000.

Accordingly, if your total income is £43,000 or below you will only pay Income Tax at the basic rate. Any income earned in excess of £43,000 will therefore be taxed at higher rates: 40% or 45%, unless the £43,000 has been increased.

For 2016-17, the higher rate (40%) Income Tax band is £118,000. Income taxable in excess of £150,000 (£43,000 plus £118,000 less the £11,000 personal allowance) will be taxed at the additional (45%) Income Tax rate.

How can you increase your Income Tax bands?

The most common way is to make personal pension contributions or charitable donations under the gift aid regulations. You will get no basic rate Income Tax relief for charitable donations as the payment you have made to the charity is deemed to be the amount of the gift after basic rate tax has been deducted. However, your higher rate (40% and 45%) Income Tax liabilities will be reduced as the basic rate and higher rate Income Tax bands will be increased by the gross gift aid payments you have made: “gross” means the amount before the basic rate tax is deducted. If you make a gift aid contribution of £100, the gross payment is £125 (100/80 x100).

Pension contributions – paid net of basic rate tax relief – have a similar effect, but there are limits on the amount of contributions that can be paid. Advice should be sought before considering this option.

These options for tax planning are especially beneficial for tax payers with annual income between £100,000 and £122,000; as the Income Tax personal allowance is gradually reduced for taxpayers in this income band the effective rate of tax chargeable is 60% on the gross income equivalent.

NEED HELP WITH ANY SAGE PRODUCTS?

Should you like any help or assistance with your Sage or would like to take advantage of any Special offers running this month or about any other Sage products please contact us on:

Email: info@vitalsupportconsultancy.co.uk

Or

Telephone 01691 684011/654545