Fiscal drag

You may have encountered this phrase, fiscal drag, in recent weeks, particularly if following the Autumn Statement announcements last week.

A large part of Chancellor Hunt’s announcements confirmed that rates and allowances for Income Tax are to be frozen at current levels until April 2028.

Your immediate response to this news may have been one of ‘underwhelm’. No changes so no worse-off.

But in many cases, this would be an incorrect assumption.

As we are frequently reminded, with inflation currently running at over 11%, you would need to secure a pay increase of 11% to maintain the purchasing power of your take-home pay.

Unfortunately, if you are already a taxpayer, you would need a pay increase in excess of 11% to maintain your spending power.

For example, freezing your annual tax-free personal at the current £12,570 means any additional income you earn will by taxed (on the assumption that you are already paying tax) and it will be payable at your top rate.

In certain circumstances, this may mean paying tax at higher rates for the first time.

This double hit on your earnings, from inflation and tax on pay increases, will likely result in falling disposable income in the coming years.

May be time to dust off ideas for additional income streams?

Source: Other Mon, 21 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0100

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Breaking even – checking the numbers

In previous newsfeeds we have described how you can calculate the level of turnover you need to create in order to meet all your costs whether they be fixed costs (rent, rates etc.,) or variable costs (goods you need to buy to convert into goods you sell).

For example, if your fixed costs are £50,000 per annum and your variable costs are 25% of your turnover, the annual turnover you need to breakeven will be £200,000. The formula is:

Annual fixed costs divided by 25 (the gross profit)

Bereavement Support Payment

The amount of Bereavement Support Payment you can claim will depend on your relationship to the person who died and when you make your claim.

Your payments will be paid into your bank, building society or credit union account.

If you were married or in a registered civil partnership with the person who died

If you were receiving Child Benefit when your partner died (or did not get it but were entitled to it), you will get the higher rate.

This is made up of:

a first payment of £3,500;

Tax codes for employees

The P9X form is used to notify employers of the tax codes to use for employees. The latest version of the form has been published and shows the tax codes to use from 6 April 2023. The form states that the basic personal allowance for the tax year starting 6 April 2023 will, as expected, be £12,570 (£12,570 in 2022-23) and this means that the tax code for emergency use will remain at 1257L.

The basic rate limit will be £37,700 (£37,700 in 2022-23) except for those defined as Scottish taxpayers

Properties not let at commercial rates

There are special rules where a property is let at less than a commercial rate or isn’t let on commercial terms. These rules also apply if a property is occupied rent free or at less than a commercial rate, for example, a property is occupied by a family member at a reduced or nil rent.

In these circumstances, HMRC can take the view that unless the landlord charges a full market rent for a property and imposes normal market lease conditions, it is unlikely that the expenses of the property are

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