Strategies for saving tax ahead of the 5 April year end
With the end of the 2017/18 tax year approaching, now may be the ideal time to think about strategies to help mitigate your tax liability. There are many different options to consider so do contact us for further advice.
Reducing your personal tax liability…
Are you making the most of your tax-free personal allowance (PA)? Individuals are entitled to their own PA, which is set at £11,500 in 2017/18. Therefore, if your spouse or partner has little or no income, you could stand to benefit by spreading your income more evenly to ensure that each PA is being fully utilised.
Some married couples may also be eligible to transfer 10% of their PA to their spouse under the Transferable Tax Allowance, or ‘Marriage Allowance’. It means £1,150 may be transferred in 2017/18, which could help to reduce a couple’s tax liability by up to £230 in this financial year. Certain rules apply.
And despite relatively low interest rates, for many individuals ISAs are still an attractive tax-free way to save. For 2017/18, the overall subscription limit for ISAs is £20,000, of which no more than £4,000 can be deposited into a Lifetime ISA. With a range of ISAs to choose from, you have until 5 April 2018 to make your 2017/18 ISA investment.
… and your business’s tax bill
Are you maximising claims for capital allowances? Most businesses can claim a 100% Annual Investment Allowance on the first £200,000 of expenditure on most types of plant and machinery (except cars). In many cases, a purchase made just before the end of the current accounting year will mean that the allowances are available a year earlier than if the purchase was made just after the year end.
Business owners may also wish to consider tax-efficient ways in which they can extract profit from their business. There are many ways to achieve this. Some may opt to take dividends instead of a salary or bonus, as these are paid free of national insurance contributions. Others may wish to talk to us about incorporating their business, while employer pension contributions can be another tax-efficient means of extracting profit.
As always, it is important to seek our advice before taking action.
Disclaimer:- The information contained herein is given by way of general guidance only and no action should be taken solely on the basis of the information contained herein. The Avanti Group (UK) Ltd will be pleased to provide further guidance on the issues, and how they might affect you. No liability is accepted by the firm for any action taken without seeking appropriate professional advice