Tax relief allows you to deduct a few payments you make at some stage in the tax year from your gross earnings, so there is less that you can be taxed on. You can declare tax reliefs in addition to any personal tax allowances that you are entitled to, which essentially way you will take home extra of your profits, and pay much less tax.
The UK tax system provides various tax reliefs to individuals and businesses to reduce their tax liability and support specific activities. Tax reliefs are deductions from the tax that is owed, which reduces the amount of tax that must be paid. In this article, we will take a look at some of the different types of tax reliefs available in the UK. This guide explains which tax reliefs are available, how they work, and whether you are eligible to acquire them.
Personal Allowance: Every individual in the UK is entitled to a personal allowance, which is a set amount of income that can be earned tax-free. In the 2021-2022 tax year, the personal allowance is £12,570.
Income Tax Relief for Pension Contributions: Individuals who contribute to a pension can claim tax relief on the contributions they make, up to certain limits. The amount of relief depends on the individual's marginal rate of income tax. For example, someone who pays the basic rate of income tax will receive 20% relief on their pension contributions, while someone who pays the higher rate of income tax will receive 40% relief.
The tax relief is available on contributions up to 100% of your annual earnings - i.E. In case you earn £30,000 a yr, you can get tax remedy on as much as £30,000 paid into your pension in an unmarried tax yr. However, the maximum contribution you may earn tax remedy on in a yr is £forty,000. This is known as the yearly allowance. The rules are barely special in case you earn extra than £one hundred fifty,000. Your maximum contribution is decreased by way of £1 for every £2 you earn over this quantity until you hit a 'ground' of £10,000. This would be the case for every person earning £210,000 or more
Gift Aid: Individuals who make donations to charity can claim Gift Aid, which is tax relief on their donation. Gift Aid increases the value of the donation by 25%, which the charity can claim back from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). When you prefer to make a donation via the Gift Aid scheme, your donation is net of tax, which means the charity can reclaim a further 20% of the balance immediately from HMRC.
Say you pay £100 to charity. You'd earn £125 gross pay in order to have £one hundred in your pocket after tax. So when you make your donation, the charity can declare back the 20% tax, and receive £125. In exercise, this indicates charities acquire 25p for every £1 you donate. Higher-rate taxpayers, who pay forty% tax, can declare the extra 20% tax remedy either via their tax return or by using contacting their tax office.
Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS): The Enterprise Investment Scheme is a tax relief designed to encourage investment in small, high-risk businesses. Investors who invest in companies approved by HMRC can claim tax relief on their investment, including a reduction in their income tax bill and capital gains tax exemptions.
Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credits: Companies that carry out research and development activities can claim tax relief in the form of R&D Tax Credits. These tax credits are designed to encourage companies to invest in research and development and provide financial support for these activities.
Business Property Relief: Business Property Relief is a tax relief available to individuals who own shares in unlisted companies. The relief is designed to encourage investment in these companies by reducing the tax liability on the individual's investment.
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Relief: Capital Gains Tax is a tax that is levied on the profit made from the sale of assets, such as shares or property. In the UK, individuals are entitled to an annual exemption from CGT, which is the amount of profit that can be made tax-free each year.
Marriage Allowance: Married couples and civil partners can claim the Marriage Allowance, which allows one partner to transfer 10% of their personal allowance to the other partner. This can reduce the couple's tax bill, provided that the recipient partner is a basic rate taxpayer and the transferor is not using all of their personal allowances.
Uniforms and Tools: Cleaning, repairing, and replacements of uniforms, and repairing or changing gear you want in your activity. This can be anything from a couple of scissors to electric equipment.
Vehicles: If you operate a car for paintings, you'll be capable of claiming tax comfort. However, how an awful lot you may claim will depend upon the vehicle and whether you very own or hire it, or whether it’s an organization vehicle.
Travel and Overnight Expenses: You can declare tax comfort on travel and overnight prices for your work. This includes shipping charges, lodging, food, and drinks.
Professional Fees and Subscriptions: If you’re required by using your corporation to join approved companies, you'll be eligible for tax alleviation.
Working from Home: You may be able to retrospectively declare operating from domestic tax relief if you have been required to make money working from home during the pandemic in 2020/21 and 2021/22. However, you can simplest declare operating from home tax comfort for the cutting-edge 2022/23 tax yr in case your task requires you to live a long way far away from your workplace or your corporation does now not have an office. Tax alleviation can be applied to extra bills you may want to pay, which include telephone, energy, and net.
Buying Other System: Some gadget you want for paintings, which includes a laptop, is eligible for tax relief.
Charity Donations: Donations to charity with the aid of individuals are tax-unfastened. Donating via Gift Aid or Payroll Giving (which whilst you donate immediately out of your wages or pension) means you can get tax alleviation.
Employer's Pension Schemes: If you belong to an enterprise's pension scheme, in maximum instances, your pension contribution could be deducted from your revenue earlier than tax is calculated. This means you get a complete tax remedy for your contribution at your highest price of tax right away.
Personal and Stakeholder Pension Schemes: If you pay into your own non-public or stakeholder pension, you claim tax alleviation in a different way. The premium you pay is the internet of fundamental-fee tax and your pension provider claims the stability from HMRC. The basic charge of tax is 20%, so in case you pay £a hundred a month right into a stakeholder pension, your pension company will declare an additional £25 from HMRC, making the whole amount paid in for your pension £a hundred twenty-five a month. If you are a better-price taxpayer, your tax price is 40% - so you will want to say alleviation for the additional 20% tax via your self-evaluation tax return. If you do not pay tax, you could still contribute to a personal pension scheme, and advantage from tax comfort at 20% on the primary £2,880 you make a contribution internet every 12 months (£three,600 gross).
Tax Remedy On Qualifying Loan Interest Bills: When paying returned certain styles of loans, you can get tax comfort at the hobby bills you're making. For instance, mortgages or loans to buy property for your personal use don't qualify for tax remedy. Loans to purchase apartment assets may qualify for alleviation.
Other loans that normally do qualify are:
A Loan Taken Out to Purchase Shares in The Borrower's Company or to Finance Loans to The Company, Provided That, Generally Speaking, That Company Is Not an Investment Company
A Loan Taken Out to Make an Investment into Certain Types of Partnership
A Loan Taken Out to Buy Plant and Machinery for Use in A Trading, Professional, or Property Partnership's Business
A Loan Taken Out to Pay Inheritance Tax
Provided the relevant conditions are met in each case, you may deduct the gross amount of hobby paid throughout the tax year at the mortgage from your profits earlier than tax is implemented. This has the effect of decreasing the number of earnings you pay tax on. For example, if you pay £five,000 in interest bills on a loan you've taken out, and also you earn £30,000 a year, you'd deduct the £5,000 out of your income so you simplest pay tax on £25,000. If you are a simple-rate taxpayer in this scenario, the tax you pay to your earnings could be reduced by using £1,000.
Conclusion
The UK tax system provides a range of tax reliefs to individuals and businesses, covering a variety of activities and financial needs. From personal allowances and pension contributions to R&D Tax Credits and Business Property Relief, the tax reliefs available in the UK can help reduce tax liability and support specific activities. It is important to understand the different types of tax reliefs available and to seek professional advice to ensure that you are claiming the reliefs to that you are entitled.