Tag Archives: Interest

Save for Children but save tax where you can Reply

Accounting, Bicknell Business Adviser • Tags: , , , , , , ,

Mother and daughter with piggy bank

Many parents, grandparents and other family members like to save for children but are you paying tax on the interest?

The £100 Rule

HMRC Form R85 is used to claim interest tax free but what you might not realise is that despite your child having a personal tax allowance from birth there is a maximum of £100 per year which can earned tax free in interest and dividends earned on parental/family gifts.

So for 2 parents that’s £200 plus grandparents have the same exemption, but if the interest exceeds the limit even by a small amount, the exemption is lost and whole amount of interest becomes taxable.

Junior ISA

Children can have an ISA in their name, the maximum annual contribution limit is £3,720 (2013/14) in cash or shares but the money will be locked in until the child is 18. The £100 rule doesn’t apply to ISA’s.

Pension

Yes, crazy as it might sound your baby can start a pension plan.

You can receive 20% tax relief even if you don’t pay tax. The maximum you can contribute is £3,600 gross – a payment of £2,880 to which the taxman adds £720. This is the case even for people who don’t pay tax, such as children and non-earning spouses.

steve@bicknells.net

ABI to withdraw notification of Bank’s interest on Insurance Policies Reply

Accounting, Bicknell Business Adviser • Tags: , , , , ,

Since 1992, an agreement has been in place between the Association of British Insurers (‘ABI’) and the British Banking Association (‘BBA’) whereby a bank could notify its interest in relation to secured properties and the insurers would tell the bank of any cancellation or alteration in cover, with a grace period to allow the bank to arrange its own policy if the borrower had failed to maintain the required cover.

Last September the ABI announced that they were ending this agreement and that co-insured status either as Joint Insured or Composite Insured would be the only options open to Banks. These options are likely to increase insurance premiums.

Banking sources tell me that last week it was agreed that ABI would extend the agreement with BBA to December 2012, the BBA are yet to issue guidance and comment.

steve@bicknells.net

Lend money to your company and get Interest 2

Accounting, Bicknell Business Adviser • Tags: , , , , ,

Many directors lend money to their businesses, especially during the start up phase.

But did you know the company can pay you interest net of 20% – the tax deducted at source is reported and paid each quarter using form CT61

Form CT61 cannot be downloaded or ordered online. To order a form, you need to phone the HMRC Accounts Office Shipley on Tel 01274 539 665.

Here is a link to the HMRC notes on Form CT61 http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctsa/ct61-notes-2010.pdf

If the loan is from a family member and they are a non taxpayer they won’t be able to use form R85 but they will still be able to claim the tax back either by contacting HMRC 0845 366 7850 or by filing a self assessment return

Interest payments are not subject to National Insurance and can be a tax efficient of recieving part of your income from your business.

The income will need to be reported on your self assessment return.

The interest charges will be tax deductable by the Company.

You may also consider registering your loan with Companies House as a Debenture, here is a link to help you register your charge http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/infoAndGuide/faq/companyCM.shtml

This will make the you ‘the lender’ a secured creditor but you may have to take a secondary position behind your bank or other lenders or if other lenders are already lending you may need their permission to register a charge.

steve@bicknells.net