Newsletter Supplement
Year End Tax Planning
Tax saving tips for the family
Throughout this publication the term spouse includes a registered civil partner. We have included the relevant amounts for 2013/14 and where the 2014/15 figures are available these are shown in brackets.
Each spouse is taxed separately, and so it is an important element of basic income tax planning that maximum use is made of personal reliefs and the starting and basic rate tax bands. Currently, the personal allowance cannot be transferred between spouses, so it may be necessary to consider gifts of assets (which must be outright and unconditional) to distribute income more evenly.
Currently, a transfer of just £1,000 of savings income from a higher rate (40%) taxpaying spouse to one with income below the personal allowance of £9,440 (£10,000) may save up to £400 a year. For those paying the additional rate of tax of 45%, which applies to those with taxable income above £150,000, the saving may be £450 a year.
Income from spouse jointly owned assets is generally shared equally for tax purposes. This applies even where the asset is owned in unequal shares unless an election is made to split the income in proportion to the ownership of the asset. The exception is dividend income from jointly owned shares in 'close' companies which is split according to the actual ownership of the shares. Close companies are broadly those owned by the directors or five or fewer people.
Tip
If you are self-employed or run a family company, consider employing your spouse or taking them into partnership as a way of redistributing income. This could be just as relevant for a property investment business producing rental income as for a trade or profession.
Comment
Care must be taken because HMRC may look at such situations to ensure that they are commercially justified. If a spouse is employed by the family business, the level of remuneration must be justifiable and the wages actually paid to the spouse. The National Minimum Wage rules may also impact.
Child Benefit
If you are in receipt of Child Benefit and either you or your live-in partner (widely defined) have income above £50,000, then it is possible that you may have to pay back some or all of the benefit through the High Income Child Benefit Charge. If you think this may affect you please contact us as it might be possible to reduce the impact of this charge. This could be achieved by reducing your income for this purpose. Methods include making additional pension contributions or charitable donations or reviewing how profits are shared and extracted from the family business.
Born before 6 April 1948?
Taxpayers born before 6 April 1948 should consider how to make full use of the available age allowances. The higher allowances (£10,500 or £10,660 depending on your date of birth) are gradually withdrawn once income exceeds £26,100 (£27,000).
Tip
Consider switching to non-taxable or capital growth oriented investments to avoid losing out on allowances.
Children
Children have their own allowances and tax bands. Therefore it may be possible for tax savings to be achieved by the transfer of income producing assets to a child. Generally, this is ineffective if the source of the asset is a parent and the child is under 18. In this case the income remains taxable on the parent unless the income arising amounts to no more than £100 gross per annum.
Tip
Consider transfers of assets from other relatives (eg grandparents) and/or employing teenage children in the family business to use personal allowances and the basic rate tax band.
Remember that children also have their own capital gains tax (CGT) annual exemption (see Capital gains section). It may be better for parents to invest for capital growth rather than income.
Want a 'Nest Egg' for your children?
A Junior ISA (for children born from 3 January 2011) or Child Trust Fund (CTF) accounts offer tax free savings opportunities for children. Existing CTF accounts continue alongside the Junior ISA (a child can only have one type).
Both CTF and Junior ISA accounts allow parents, other family members and friends to invest up to £3,720 (£3,840) annually in a tax free fund for a child. There are no Government contributions and no access to the funds until the child reaches 18.
Non-taxpayers
Children or any other person whose personal allowances exceed their income are not liable to tax. Where income has suffered a tax deduction at source a repayment claim should be made. In the case of bank or building society interest, a declaration can be made by non-taxpayers to enable interest to be paid gross.
Tip
Tax credits on dividends are not repayable so non-taxpayers should ensure that they have other sources of income to utilise their personal allowances.