HMRC issues tax returns each year to those who meet the criteria; you may be self-employed or a higher earner from employment income. The tax return software available online will calculate your tax liability if you fancy giving it a try yourself. However, most people use accountants and tax advisors who might, in their wisdom, be able to save you money and in some circumstances give you guidance and good advice. Indeed, Taxfile can help in all these areas and we explore this in today’s article. Read more
Today we look at the tax-free allowance thresholds for what’s officially known as the tax-free Personal Allowance in the tax and accountancy world.
The Tax-Free Personal Allowance
This is the amount a UK individual can earn as income before they have to pay any Income Tax. In the current tax year (6 April 2022 to 5 April 2023) individuals can earn up to £12,570 before they have to start paying Income Tax, as you’ll see in the first table. In other words, if their taxable income is two thousand pounds more than that, they’ll only have to pay income tax on the extra £2000, not the core £12,570. There are exceptions, and different rules applied before 2016/17, but our aim is to keep things simple in this guide rather than focusing on more rare exceptions. So, below, we show the Personal Allowance thresholds for tax-free income over the last 7 tax years. As you will see, the Tax-Free Personal Allowance has gradually increased over the years.
Tax Bands for Basic Rate, Higher Rate and Additional Rate Taxpayers
The tables also show the various tax bands for earnings above the Personal Allowance threshold. These are the Basic Rate, Higher Rate and Additional Rate income tax bands, with tax rates increasing the more people earn. The information might be useful if you owe income tax from previous years but bear in mind that anyone born prior to 6 April 1948 may be entitled to a larger Personal Allowance.
Please note: this guide focuses only on Income Tax. Taxpayers will also need to allow for other deductions like National Insurance, which we’ll cover in a separate guide, and things like pension contributions, any student loan interest repayments, any tax on dividends, and so on.
Tax-Free Allowance Thresholds 2022/23
For the tax year 6 Apr 2022 to 5 Apr 2023:
The first £12,570 (your Personal Allowance) is tax-free*
Earnings between £12,571 and £50,270 are taxed at 20% (‘Basic Rate’ income tax)
Earnings between £50,271 and £150,000 are taxed at 40% (‘Higher Rate’ income tax)
Earnings over £150,000 are taxed at 45% (‘Additional Rate’ income tax)
* For every £2 earned above £100,000, the Personal Allowance is reduced by £1. It therefore reduces to zero for earnings of £125,140 or more.
Tax-Free Allowance Thresholds 2021/22
For the tax year 6 Apr 2021 to 5 Apr 2022:
The first £12,570 (your Personal Allowance) is tax-free*
‘Basic Rate’ earnings between £12,571 and £50,270 are taxed at 20%
‘Higher Rate’ earnings between £50,271 and £150,000 are taxed at 40%
‘Additional Rate’ earnings over £150,000 are taxed at 45%
* For every £2 earned above £100,000, the Personal Allowance is reduced by £1. It therefore reduces to zero for earnings of £125,140 or more.
Tax-Free Allowance Thresholds 2020/21
For the tax year 6 Apr 2020 to 5 Apr 2021:
The first £12,500 (your Personal Allowance) is tax-free*
‘Basic Rate’ earnings between £12,501 and £50,000 are taxed at 20%
‘Higher Rate’ earnings between £50,001 and £150,000 are taxed at 40%
‘Additional Rate’ earnings over £150,000 are taxed at 45%
* For every £2 earned above £100,000, the Personal Allowance is reduced by £1. It therefore reduces to zero for earnings of £125,000 or more.
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled his Spring Statement for 2022 on 23 March and in some ways it was more like a mini budget.
Key takeaways from the Spring Statement include:
The earnings threshold at which you start to pay National Insurance Contributions (NICs) will increase to £12,570 from July 2022. This is currently set at £9,880 (correct at time of writing, March 2022), so will leave people with more money in their pockets.
Class 2 NICs for the self-employed will also reduce, from April 2022, to zero for profits between £6,515 and £9,568
5p per litre has been cut immediately from fuel duty.
The basic rate of income tax will reduce from 20% to 19% starting in April 2024.
The Employment Allowance will increase to £5,000 per annum from April 2022. Currently it’s set at £4,000. The allowance reduces the NICs that employers have to pay.
VAT on materials that save energy will be reduced from 5% to zero from April 2022. This should reduce the cost of things like solar panels, heat pumps and insulation.
Councils in England will be able to pass on their share of an additional £500m in extra Government support via the Household Support Fund. The new tranche is for the period 2022/23. The fund helps vulnerable residents, via councils, with short-term help with things like fuel and household bills, food, clothing and other essentials. The previous tranche ends on 31 March 2022, so this is timely.
https://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Spring-Statement-2022.jpg501894Markhttps://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/taxfile-logo-2020.pngMark2022-03-24 17:16:372025-03-13 13:05:54Key Takeaways from the Spring Statement 2022
We’re aware that many people are struggling right now. So, I wanted to personally touch base with you to confirm that, although the official deadline for submission of 2020/21 self-assessment tax returns and tax payments is Monday (31 January), there is now some extra time this year. This is great news for you if you are concerned about missing the deadlines or having to pay an HMRC penalty for being late. It should really take the pressure off for those who are struggling or worried.
For self-assessment tax returns, you now have until midnight on 28 February to submit. HMRC will only charge you a late filing fee if you file later than this.
For self-assessment tax payments, you now have until 1 April to make your payment (or arrange an HMRC payment plan) before incurring an HMRC late tax payment surcharge. While you will still incur interest for late tax payments from 1 February, HMRC’s interest rate is only 2.75% per annum, so even a month’s interest is unlikely to equate to much for most people.
For tax payments on account (payment in advance for the next tax year), there is no HMRC surcharge/penalty if you’re late but it does attract interest. However, again, that’s only at HMRC’s low rate, so is unlikely to amount to much for most.
We are here to help you, so don’t worry if you owe tax or are running late on your tax return. The Taxfile team can help you sort things out, particularly as we have a little longer than usual. We can work something out during February if you are worried about HMRC surcharges, interest and deadlines. Please get in touch if so.
Lastly, don’t forget that we are open on Saturdays during January and February (by appointment) and open later (until 6pm) on Mondays and Tuesdays. Read more
https://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Guy-Bridger-Taxfile.jpg537537Taxfilehttps://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/taxfile-logo-2020.pngTaxfile2022-01-29 11:18:522025-03-13 15:15:28A Personal Message from Guy Bridger at Taxfile
HMRC has taken the decision to not issue a late filing penalty for anyone who does not submit their self-assessment tax return before midnight on 31st January 2022. It is important to point out that the deadline for filing your 2020-21 tax return remains 31/01/22 but the waiving of the penalty allows anyone who is unable to file their self-assessment tax return by the 31/01/22 deadline avoid a £100 late filing penalty as long as they submit their tax return sometime before midnight 28th February 2022.
Furthermore, anyone that is unable to pay their self-assessment tax liability before 31st January 2022 will not receive a late payment penalty if they pay their tax in full, or call HMRC to arrange a payment plan before 1st April 2022. It is important to note that interest will be added on taxes owed from 1st February 2022.
For a second year in a row, due to COVID, an extra Read more
https://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Late_Payment_Penalty_Relief.jpg533800Taxfilehttps://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/taxfile-logo-2020.pngTaxfile2022-01-10 09:05:492022-01-12 09:15:16HMRC Waives Late Filing & Payment Penalty for 31st January Deadline
Season’s greetings to all our clients and readers and sincere thanks to all of you who have kept us busy with work during 2021 — we really appreciate it.
Here’s a quick reminder of our opening times during the Christmas period and into the New Year. This is for our Tulse Hill office (Thurlow Park Road) and our Dulwich office (Turney Road) except where otherwise indicated.
Friday 24 December 2021 (Christmas Eve): we’re open from 9am until 3pm (Tulse Hill office only).
Saturday 25 December 2021 (Christmas Day): closed.
Sunday 26 December 2021 (Boxing Day): closed.
Monday 27 December 2021 (a public holiday): closed.
Tuesday 28 December 2021 (a public holiday): closed.
Wednesday 29 December 2021: open 9am until 5pm.
Thursday 30 December 2021: open 9am until 5pm.
Friday 31 December 2021: open 9am until 3pm (Tulse Hill office only).
Saturday 1 January 2022 (New Year’s Day): closed.
Sunday 2 January 2022: closed.
Monday 3 January 2022 (a public holiday): closed.
Tuesday 4 January 2022: we re-open from 9am until 6pm.
Wednesday 5 January 2022: open as usual, 9am until 5pm.
Thursday 6 January 2022: open as usual, 9am until 5pm.
Friday 7 January 2022: open as usual, 9am until 3pm (Tulse Hill office only).
Saturday 8 January 2022: open 9am until 1pm by appointment (Tulse Hill office only).
Sunday 9 January 2022: closed.
From week commencing Monday 10 January: open as usual (see footer).
Have You Contacted Taxfile About Your Tax Return Yet?
If you need a self-assessment tax return or any other kind of return and haven’t yet arranged it with us, please arrange an appointment urgently. January becomes frantically busy in the accounting world, so please make the most of the remaining December appointments while they’re still available — thank you. Appointments are by telephone, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, in person (under safety protocols) … Read more
https://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Christmas-Opening-Times.jpg524894Markhttps://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/taxfile-logo-2020.pngMark2021-12-22 13:59:132025-03-13 13:08:18Christmas & New Year Opening Times at Taxfile
Welcome to Taxfile’s Autumn Newsletter for 2021. One of our biggest yet, it includes useful tax- and accountancy-related news that you need to be aware of, ways to save time or money – and much more. Take a look!
QR Codes
You’ll find QR codes throughout the newsletter. These are a quick and easy way to access further information about the topic. Assuming you are viewing the newsletter on a desktop device or a printed* version, simply point your mobile camera phone at a QR code and then open the link that pops up. Your mobile’s browser will then take you straight to the information page. Alternatively, we supply simple link URLs to simply tap in.
New rules have now come into force in relation to capital gains made on disposals of UK residential property*. Several key actions are now required if a taxable capital gain has arisen, including some that now need to be made fast:
Taxpayers need to report the property’s disposal within 30 days of the actual disposal;
They will need to pay the estimated Capital Gains Tax (‘CGT’) to HMRC within 30 days of the disposal.
Those who fill in and submit a Self-Assessment tax return will also need to include details of the disposal on their return.
Who Do the New CGT Rules Apply To?
The new rules apply whether you’re an individual, joint property owner, trustee, partner in a partnership or LLP, or a personal representative.
What Counts as a Residential Property Disposal?
The new rules apply to all UK residential property that was disposed of (taken as the date of the exchange of contracts) since 6 April 2020 inclusive, where a capital gain was made that will require payment of CGT.
To fall within the rules, a UK residential property must be one that:
is suitable for use as a dwelling, or;
is being built or adapted for use as a dwelling.
It can be one in which the the owner has never lived or has lived for only part of the period they owned it. It can also be a rental property or a holiday home.
Where a property has been used for mixed purposes, only the capital gain that’s equivalent to Read more
https://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/New-Property-CGT-rules-SQ.jpg894894Markhttps://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/taxfile-logo-2020.pngMark2021-07-22 17:25:522025-03-13 13:27:29New 30-Day Rules for Capital Gains on Residential Property
The rapid pace of technological change has caused some of the biggest shifts in how we view and process our tax returns. At Taxfile, we’re constantly striving to use technology as effectively as possible to aid us in collecting, analysing, and collaborating when working on your personal data.
Over the pandemic, we’ve had to place our reliance even further on technology to maintain our standards, with regular meetings online. We’re constantly improving the efficiency of our work pipeline and, with the ability to pull figures directly from online bank statements, we can ensure precision in the numbers we present you with. For the last two years, we’ve implemented cloud technology as both a collaborative tool between our senior and junior staff and as storage for various databases used to track everything from employee working hours to the status of your tax return. We’re expanding further on this concept in collaboration with Pure Technology by merging our existing cloud systems with our current remote work solution to form one, all-encompassing workspace environment. Hosting it in the Microsoft Cloud ensures that, with the help of our office staff, your paperwork and bookings can be sent to and viewed by your tax agent as soon as possible. This and a variety of other endeavours are examples of our ambitions to be at the forefront of innovations, and constant review of our policies ensures we remain ahead, or on track, to meet the standards set by Making Tax Digital (MTD) for its 2023 launch.
Contact South London’s Favourite Accountant
Taxfile can help you with all your tax or accountancy requirements. We offer Read more
https://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Michaels-technology-post.jpg537894Taxfilehttps://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/taxfile-logo-2020.pngTaxfile2021-07-08 14:56:072025-03-13 14:56:42Harnessing Technology at Taxfile
Hello; I’m Faiz Mazloumiar. I have been working for Taxfile since May 2005, mostly doing tax returns for subcontractors, self-employed individuals, partnerships and landlords. I specialise in helping clients who, for whatever reason, have fallen behind in their tax affairs, assisting in making disclosures to HMRC whilst trying to minimise the penalties imposed on them over the years. I always aim to put our customers first by calling HMRC to try to cancel recent years’ penalties, then I submit any outstanding tax returns. When I submit the tax returns I also do an appeal for older years’ penalties to be revoked. In many cases HMRC accept my appeals and clients get their money back for anything they have had to pay. I am always fighting for my clients and I have been known to battle on behalf of them for over a year.
I also help many people in our local community who are on PAYE but perhaps do not know if they are paying the right tax and NI contributions. It is a little like charity work. When people from the local community bring in their P60, I will check it and give them advice on how to contact HMRC and ask for a refund if they have overpaid. When new clients come with any problems, they are usually very stressed and anxious and sometimes don’t understand the intricacies of the UK tax system. We aim to help them with their tax problems, so they can leave us feeling relieved and a little happier. When I help clients they trust me and I have grown my client base only through recommendations. It is very exciting and satisfying for me to be able to help my clients and community as a whole.
Contact Taxfile, South London’s Favourite Tax Accountants
https://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Faiz-at-Taxfile.jpg537894Taxfilehttps://www.taxfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/taxfile-logo-2020.pngTaxfile2021-06-22 16:40:592025-03-13 13:31:59Faiz from Taxfile – Helping the Community with Tax Problems
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Welcome to Taxfile’s Autumn Newsletter for 2021. One of our biggest yet, it includes useful tax- and accountancy-related news that you need to be aware of, ways to save time or money – and much more. Take a look!
You’ll find QR codes throughout the newsletter. These are a quick and easy way to access further information about the topic. Assuming you are viewing the newsletter on a desktop device or a printed* version, simply point your mobile camera phone at a QR code and then open the link that pops up. Your mobile’s browser will then take you straight to the information page. Alternatively, we supply simple link URLs to simply tap in.
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