A SAFE HAVEN FOR CASH!

While there is a great deal of competition by banks and building societies for your cash deposits, a safe and secure option is the National Savings and Investments Bank (NS&I).

While deposits with other savings institutions are insured by the Government up to a maximum

of £85,000 for each individuals, NS&I is a Government institution and ALL money held in S&I is guaranteed by the Treasury. (Note: The £85,000 limit applies to each banking group so you would need to check if you have savings with two or more companies which might in the same banking group, e.g. the Lloyds Banking Group includes Lloyds Bank, the Halifax and the Bank of Scotland so the £85,000 limit would apply to the total sum you have in all three of those institutions.)”.

Here is a look at some of the NS&I products:

1. Premium Bonds set to return 1.40% free of tax. Maximum £50,000 per person.

2. Guaranteed Income Bonds paying 1.45% guaranteed for one year or 1.90% guaranteed for 3 years (taxable). Maximum £10,000 per person in each.

3. Income Bond paying 1.15% with a maximum of £1 million (taxable)

4. Direct ISA paying 0.90% free of tax.

It is worth looking at NS&I as an option for your cash savings.

THE AUTUMN STATEMENT!

There was not much announced in the Chancellor’s October statement that was new, but it is

worth taking note of the key tax changes from the 6th of April 2019.

Personal Tax And Benefits Changing From 6 April 2019

• The Personal Allowance (the amount that you can earn before you have to start paying any tax)increases from £11,500 to £12,500.

• The amount you can earn over and above this Personal Allowance and pay only 20% tax increases

to £37,500. This means that in the new Tax Year you will only pay 40% tax on earnings you make in

excess of £50,000 per annum.

• Earnings you have in the new Tax Year above £150,000 will be subject to 45% tax, the “Additional Tax Rate”. (Note: if you earn £100,000 or more, your entitlement to the £12,500 Personal Allowance will be lost progressively until it is gone completely for those earning £122,000 or more.)

• The Individual Savings Account (ISA) contribution limit will remain the same at £20,000. This includes the total of all payments in the year to any ISA.

• The Capital Gains Tax allowance increases from £11,700 to £12,000.

• The Inheritance Tax Allowance nil-rate band remains the same at £325,000. For those married or in a civil-partnership each can claim this allowance, so effectively, their joint estate would have to be worth more than £650,000 before Inheritance Tax would have to be paid. However, for those with residential property that they are leaving to direct descendants there is also the additional “Residence Nil-Rate Band” which increases in the new Tax Year from £125,000 to £150,000. This is a rather complicated calculation and you should take tax advice regarding it. The Inheritance Tax rate remains at 40%.

• The Pension Lifetime Allowance will increase from £1,030,000 to £1,055,000.

• We understand that the Rent-A-Room relief will continue at the level of £7,500 per annum so those
renting up to two rooms in their own home can earn up to this amount without a tax liability.

NEW TAX ALLOWANCES

Here are the new tax allowances effective from 6 April 2018:

• Personal Tax Allowance (the amount you can earn before paying any tax at all) goes up to £11,850 per year;

• Basic Rate Tax Band goes up to £34,500 per year (so a person would have to earn in excess of £11,850 plus £34,500, i.e. £46,350, before they would start having to pay 40% tax);

• Capital Gains Tax (the amount of profit you can make on a transaction such as sale of shares before you have to pay tax) goes up to £11,700;

• Inheritance Tax nil-rate band (the amount that an estate has to be valued at before an Inheritance Tax/Death Duty has to be paid) stays at £325,000 but the extra allowance, which can be achieved by leaving the main residence to direct descendants, goes up to £125,000;

• The ISA (Individual Savings Account) limit remains at £20,000;

• Rent-a-Room Scheme tax allowance remains at £7,500 per annum (this is from the letting out of furnished accommodation in your home).

AUTUMN BUDGET

There was not much excitement in the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget but the removal of Stamp Duty for First Time Buyers on purchases of up to £300,000 (£500,000 in the London area) should help boost the property market. Many tax matters were not changed.

For example, the total that can be put in ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts) each year was not changed. There were some other tweaks in the Budget and here is a brief summary:

The Personal Tax Allowance is increasing from the 6th of April 2018 from £11,500 to £11,850. This

is the amount you can earn before you have to pay any tax. You will pay tax at 20% on earnings

you make above this £11,850 up to a further £34,500. This means that in the tax year 6 April

2018 to 5 April 2019 you would not start paying higher rate tax (40%) until your total earnings

exceeded £46,350 (£11,850 plus £33,500). Those with earnings in excess of £100,000 still face the

progressive loss of their Personal Tax Allowance and those earning over £150,000 will pay the

Additional Rate (45%) on any income they have in excess of £150,000.

Some additional changes were:

• Pension Lifetime Allowance increasing from £1,000,000 to £1,030,000;

• Capital Gains Tax Annual exemption increasing from £11,300 to £11,700;

• The Inheritance Tax nil-rate band will stay at £325,000 but the Residence Nil-Rate Band (the rather complicated allowance for those who, when they die, pass their private residence on to family members) was increased to £125,000. So a couple who die and pass the property they have lived in to their family would not have to pay any Inheritance Tax unless the value of their joint estate exceeded £900,000;

• Those receiving the State Pension will be pleased at the 3% increase in their pension payments. If they also have savings, the Bank Base Rate increase could mean that they also might receive a bit more income from their savings;

One useful allowance that has been continued is the Rent-A-Room scheme whereby you can rent out furnished rooms in the home you live in and make up to £7,500 free of tax. You can let as much of the house as you wish as long as you live there as your residence.

OPTIONS AND SOLUTIONS!

While there is much uncertainty politically in our and other countries, we can maintain our own personal financial stability by following sensible and proven rules. One of the first is to ensure that you have more money coming in than you spend! This certainly will keep you in the “Happiness” zone described by Charles Dickens, in one of his books.

This principle applies to individuals as well as groups and businesses and even countries.

To achieve this you do need to have a bit of organization in place so you can see all that comes in

and all that goes out. Much more could be done to help educate those growing up so that they do

grasp such basics and also learn the patience of setting money aside for a special purchase rather

than having to buy things immediately on impulse.

TAX-FREE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

The ISA (Individual Savings Account) is the most commonly used tax-free savings plan. From the

6th of April 2017 the limit that one can put into ISAs in this tax year is £20,000. There are various ISA choices which one can use but the total in the year cannot exceed the £20,000.

YOUR ISA MENU

A. The “old fashioned” simple ISA – can be invested in cash or stocks and shares. Good for anyone.

B. Junior ISA – only for those under 18. Anyone can pay into it for the person concerned,  e.g. grandparents. The maximum annual contribution is £4,080.

C. Help to Buy ISA – Only of real use for someone looking to save specifically to buy their first property. Anyone over 16 can start one, but the bonus from the Government is only added when the person actually buys their first property. If monies are taken from the Help to Buy ISA for other than purchasing the person’s own first home, no Government bonus is added to the monies withdrawn. The maximum that can be saved in the Help to Buy ISA is £1200 initially and £200 per month thereafter up to a maximum of £12,000. The Government bonus added is 25% up to a maximum of £3000.

D. Innovative Finance ISA – High risk. You lend your money through websites regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). These are known as peer-to-peer lending platforms or “crowd-lending”. The expected return is approximately double the rates offered by Cash ISA providers. For more information go to MoneySavingExpert.com – “Peer to Peer Lending”

E. The new Lifetime ISA (Lisa) launched 6 April 2017. This is only available for those aged 18 to 40. It is complicated but generally it would suit someone saving for buying their first property or as an alternative to a pension – particularly for someone who is self-employed. The maximum you can put in is £4,000 per annum. The Government will add a 25% bonus each year. The Lisa can be invested in cash, or stocks and shares. Note: The 25% Government bonus is added annually to what you put in, but monies cannot be withdrawn before age 60 unless it is being used for buying a first home. After age 60 it can be used for any purpose. Withdrawals for any purpose other than the home purchase before age 60 are subject to a 25% penalty. The Government will only add its annual 25% bonus for monies put into the Lisa up to age 50.

Note:

Lisa's are not yet broadly available as many providers consider them too complicated. Search the Internet if you want to know what choices there are.

LIFETIME ISA (LISA)! YET ANOTHER ISA, BUT PRETTY ATTRACTIVE

From 6 April 2016 there will now be the new Lifetime ISA (Individual Savings Account)available to anyone aged between 18 and 40.

You can put up to £4,000 into it each year. Up to age 50 any amount you put in will have a further 25% bonus added by the Government. For example, if you put in the full £4,000, the Government will add £1,000 at the end of the tax year, so you would have £5,000 in your Lifetime ISA. You can invest the money in cash or in stocks and shares.

This Lifetime ISA is meant to be a tool either for buying a first home or for use to help fund retirement from age 60. You can withdraw money at any time, but if it is withdrawn before age 60 and is not used to buy a first property, it will suffer a 25% penalty – in effect it is the Government taking back its bonus. From age 60 onwards you can take money out as you wish and it is not subject to tax. You can have a Lifetime ISA for up to £4000 per year if you qualify age-wise (18 to 40). It will count towards your total annual ISA allowance from next April of £20,000.

There is an ISA Helpline – 0300 2003312 – for those with questions about the Lifetime ISA or the other ISAs available. It is becoming rather complicated and it is good to have a point of contact to get questions answered.

TAX NOTES for 2016/17

Personal Allowance      £11,000 (reduced for those with incomes over £100,000)

20% Rate Tax Band     £32,000 (adding in the personal allowance of £11,000 means

                                            that your income would need to be in excess of £43,000

                                            before the 40% rate starts to be charged)
Dividend Income Nil

Rate Band                   £5,000

Personal Savings

Allowance                   £1,000 (basic rate taxpayer), £500 (higher rate taxpayer)

ISA Allowance             £15,240 (same as last year)

Lifetime Pension

Allowance                   £1 million

Inheritance Tax Nil

Rate Band                   £325,000 (same as last year)

Annual Pension

Allowance                   £40,000 (reduced for those with income in excess of £150,000)

Rent-A-Room

Allowance                   £7,000 per annum - tax free (up from £4,250 last year)

State Pension              New Single Tier State Pension comes into effect

THE BUDGET AND THE NEW TAX YEAR

The March Budget did not bring in any additional immediate changes to personal finances. Once

again the Chancellor has made promises for the future, but we will focus on what the tax position

is as from 6 April 2016. We will introduce the new LISA (Lifetime Individual Savings Accounts)

closer to her arrival time in 2017!

TAX MATTERS – AFTER APRIL 2016!

1. The Personal Tax Allowance (what you can earn before you pay any tax) goes up from £10,600 to £11,000.

2. The Basic Rate Tax Band goes up from £31,785 to £32,000. This means that from the 6th of April, with the first £11,000 earned being subject to no tax, you will not start paying £40,000 tax on earnings until they exceed £43,000. This is marginally better than the previous year.

3. We understand that the annual ISA allowance will remain the same at £15,240. The new Help to Buy ISA will become available from the 6th of April. This is for First Time Buyers only. For full details search “Help To Buy ISA” at www.gov.uk.

4. From 6 April 2016 the Rent-A-Room relief rises from £4,250 per annum to £7,500. That is a very attractive tax-free source of income for those with spare rooms they can let.

5. If you have saved in a deposit account which is not an ISA, you will be familiar with the fact that the Bank or Building Society would automatically deduct 20% of the interest as tax (unless you were a non-taxpayer and filled out the appropriate form). This will change from next April. Deductions will no longer be made. And, in fact, there is a new Personal Savings Tax Allowance which will mean that for a basic rate taxpayer, the first £1000 he earns in savings interest will be tax-free. For higher-rate taxpayers this allowance reduces to £500 per annum.

HELP TO BUY ISA’s

The Chancellor has announced that their Help to Buy ISA will be available from the 1st of

December 2015. This can enable First Time Buyers to obtain a Government bonus of up to £3000

if they save up to £12,000 in the Help to Buy ISA. Note: the level of contribution will be limited to a £1000 one-off donation initially and then a maximum of £200 per month thereafter.

THE NISA!

From the 1st of July 2014 all Individual Savings Accounts (ISA s) will become New ISA s

(NISA s).

It applies to all existing ISAs and to new accounts opened up after the 1st of July. The NISA has three major advantages over the previous ISAs:

First, it has a higher limit of £15,000 per tax year;

Second, the £15,000 can be made up of any combination of cash and stocks and shares, including investing it all as cash;

Third, the new ISA will allow for transfers from current Stocks and Shares ISAs into cash holdings and vice versa (up to now it was only possible for a Stocks and Shares ISA to transfer to cash; now it can go either way). Any payments already made in this Tax Year, i.e. from the 6th of April 2014, into an ISA will count towards the £15,000 total. If you have made payments so far this Tax Year into both a Cash ISA and a Stocks and Shares ISA, you can add to either or both of them as long as the total contribution made in the current tax year does not exceed the £15,000 limit. You can pay into only one Cash ISA and one Stocks and Shares ISA in this tax year, but you should speak to your ISA provider to establish what options they have available for existing ISAs.

Those aged between 16 and 18 can open up a Cash NISA and pay up to £15,000 into it. For those under 16 there is the Junior ISA which, from the 1st of July, will allow up to £4,000 to be paid into it each Tax Year.

A NEW ISA

From 1 July 2014 the amount that you can put into an ISA will go up to£15,000 – about £4000 more than currently.

It will also be much more flexible than existing ISAs as it will allow both cash savings and stocks and shares in the one investment. And, boldly, it will allow cash held in existing ISAs to be transferred

to stock and shares and reversely, will allow investment holdings in ISAs to be transferred fully to cash holdings regardless of the amounts –all remaining within the ISA tax-free wrapper.

ACT TODAY - MAKE SURE YOU USE YOUR TAX ALLOWANCES

In the run up to the end of the tax year, it's important that you consider all the tax-relief/exemptions and allowances that the Government offer. Please remember, many of these will be lost if you don't act before the tax year ends, on 5th April 2014.


You can manage your finances in a more tax-efficient way through:


- Savings - using tax efficient ISAs;
- Pensions - carrying forward any unused allowances;
- Investments - using up capital gains tax (CGT) exemptions and income tax personal allowances;
- Estate planning - inheritance tax (IHT) allowances and exemptions.


Do get in touch with us.

THE AUTUMN STATEMENT

If we focus on the changes taking place in April 2014, we have the following tax changes: 1. Personal Tax Allowance increased from £9,440 to £10,000 2. Basic Rate Tax Band down from £32,010 to £31,865 (meaning that with the first £10,000 earned being subject to nil tax, you will not start paying 40% tax on earnings until they exceed £41,865 – marginally better than last year’s £41,450). 3. Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) go up to £11,880 (last year £11,520) with half of this(£5940) able to be put in a Cash-ISA. 4. The main rate of corporation tax will be cut from 23% to 21% from April 2014. 5. A £1000 business rates discount in 2014/15 will apply to retail properties including pubs,cafes, restaurants and charity shops; and a 50% business reoccupation relief for businesses that move into retail premises that have been empty for a year or more. There is no change in the Property Stamp Duty Tax (still nil on purchase prices up to £125,000, 1% up to £250,000, 3% up to £500,000, 4% up to £1 million, 5% up to £2 million and 7% for over £2 million). The threshold for Inheritance Tax also remains unchanged at £325,000. The Capital Gains Tax Exemption is another tax allowance that is not changed this year –remaining at £11,000. And for those with significant pension savings, there is actually a reduction in the amount of pension they are entitled to accumulate in their lifetime (Lifetime Allowance) from £1.5 million to £1.25 million. The future carrots being dangled include: 1. From April 2015 no employer’s National Insurance tax on employees under the age of 21. 2. From 2015/16 married couples who are not higher rate taxpayers being able to possibly benefit when one spouse is not earning enough to use up all of their Personal Tax Allowance. Effectively this will be worth up to about £200 a year less tax for the couple to pay. 3. The Capital Gains Tax Exemption is promised to go up to £11,100 from April 2015. And then there is the contentious issue of an 11% pay rise for Members of Parliament from April 2015!

ARE YOUR SAVINGS SAFE?

Remember that your cash savings are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Account, but only up to £85,000 for each saver for each of his accounts with different financial institutions. The thing to be aware of is that some savings institutions are part of the same banking group, and your protection is limited to £85,000 for all of your accounts with that group. It is a good idea to check and make sure. And remember that accounts held jointly with a spouse are entitled to twice the £85,000 protection, i.e. £170,000.

OTHER OPTIONS FOR INCOME IN RETIREMENT

While pensions are traditionally the way most people will provide for themselves in their later years, they are not the only option. Many people have greater faith in property and will build up a portfolio of residential investment properties producing a net rental income and the possibility of an increase in the property values. Mortgages for Buy-To-Lets have become very competitive and still can be done on an interest-only basis in order to maximise the income produced. Please contact us if you require any further information about Buy-To-Let mortgages. Other savings such as Individual Savings Accounts and stocks and shares generally can also provide an income in retirement. The return on cash investments is not very good currently but has been better in the past. The income from shares in the way of dividends can provide a very useful source of retirement income, for those who understand the risks and are willing to take them. Pretty much a last resort for income or a lump sum in retirement are Equity Release Plans. They are available from age 55 (note: for a couple the qualifying age is determined by the younger of the two). Interest rates and costs for these options have been going down, so they are worth reviewing if needed. We would be happy to provide quotes and clarify the options for you.

Capital Gains Tax

The Capital Gains Tax allowance has gone up slightly – from £10,600 to £10,900.


The Inheritance Tax Threshold remains at £325,000. The Cash ISA (Individual

Savings Account) annual maximum has increased from £5,640 to £5,760. A

Stocks and Shares ISA in 2014 can have £5,760 put in it as well, so the total

ISA allowance is £11,520. The Stamp Duty Tax on property purchase remains

the same as last year with those purchasing a property for over £2,000,000 suffering

an eye-watering 7% tax (£140,000 on a £2,000,001 purchase).

The end of the Tax Year

We are approaching the end of the Tax Year and it is a good time to ensure we are all taking advantage of all of the tax allowances available, including the Personal Tax Allowance, the ISA (Individual Savings Account) allowance, the Capital Gains Tax allowance, etc.


Use your Capital Gains Tax Allowance if you have investments that have gone up in value. You can realise tax-free profits of up to £10,600. As with your ISA allowance, you cannot carry this forward. Use it or lose it!

Maximise your pension contributions where possible. In the current Tax Year you can put a maximum of £50,000 into your pension, and even more if you have not used up your pension payment allowance in the preceding three years. In the new Tax Year this maximum reduces to £40,000. We would be pleased to assist.

Review all of your cash deposit accounts

We are approaching the end of the Tax Year and it is a good time to ensure we are all taking advantage of all of the tax allowances available, including the Personal Tax Allowance, the ISA (Individual Savings Account) allowance, the Capital Gains Tax allowance, etc.


Review all of your cash deposit accounts. Find out what interest rate you are receiving. You may be shocked to find interest rates of 0.10% for monies held in a savings account with the glorified name of “Gold” or “Platinum” savings account. Look for better rates.