News & Events

Tax

Personal Tax Year End Planning 2021/22

4th March 2022

Personal Tax Year End Planning – Take action before 5 April 2022

 There are a wide range of allowances and reliefs that can be used before the 2021/2022 tax year comes to an end, covering topics such as:

Income Tax	Investment Reliefs
Capital Gains Tax
Pensions	Inheritance Tax

Protect your £12,570 tax free personal allowance and child benefits.

Utilise the 0% dividend tax band

Make the most of charitable donations.

Arrange residential rental properties in the most tax efficient manner possible

Utilise savings allowances and maximise tax free investments

Capital Gains Tax: Make the most of the allowance and spousal exemptions

Maximise pension savings

Consider and review your Inheritance Tax exposure

 

Please do contact us if you would like to consider any of the points below in further detail. 

1. Income Tax

• Fully utilise the personal allowance of £12,570 and basic rate band of £37,700; income of £50,270 in total.
• Consider deferring taxable income to ensure this does not exceed £100,000, where you start to lose your personal allowance.
• The Scottish higher rate of tax of 41% will apply between £43,662 to £150,000 (non-savings and non-dividend income). There are also starter and intermediate bands of 19% and 21% respectively for Scottish taxpayers.
• A step further may be ensuring your income (and/or your partners income) does not exceed £50,000 as child benefits start to be withdrawn at this level, and are fully withdrawn where income exceeds £60,000.
• Ensure you have received dividends of at least £2,000, fully utilising the 0% dividend tax band.
• Consider making charitable donations, and claiming gift aid.
• Consider restructuring any residential rental properties that are highly geared as tax relief on mortgage interest is restricted causing additional tax liabilities.
• If you are not domiciled in the UK, review your remittances for the 2021/2022 tax year well before the year-end. If you have been resident in the UK for many years, you may have become UK Deemed domicile for income and capital gains tax.
• If you or your spouse does not fully utilise the personal allowance of £12,570, you could transfer £1,260 of this using the Marriage Allowance (where certain conditions are met), providing tax savings of £252.

2. Investments

• Utilise the annual tax free savings allowances of £1,000 and £500 for basic and higher rate tax payers respectively. There is no savings allowance for additional rate taxpayers.
• Maximise any investments in tax free wrappers, such as ISAs.
• Consider tax efficient investments such as SEIS, EIS and VCTs.
• Maximise pension contributions by utilising your annual pension allowance of £40,000 (broadly where your annual income remains below £200,000).

3. Capital Gains Tax

• Utilise the annual tax free CGT allowance of £12,300
• Pass assets to your spouse CGT free (care required for property).
• Use past capital losses.
• Don’t lose important reliefs such as principle private residence relief on your main home and Business Asset Disposal Relief on businesses and business assets.

4. Pensions

• Where your income exceeds £200,000 ensure you re-calculate your pension annual allowance (starting at £40,000) as this will possibly be tapered.
• Protect a large pension pot for funds that are close to the lifetime allowance of £1,073,100.
• For stakeholder pensions, consider making contributions up to £3,600 (gross) each year for your family members.

5. Inheritance Tax (“IHT”)

• Total gifts up to £3,000 per annum.
• Gifts of £250 to as many individuals as you like free of any IHT consequences.
• Gifts out of regular income can also be made free of IHT.
• Consider switching current assets for those qualifying for business and agricultural reliefs as these can provide IHT relief up to 100%.
• Ensure you have an up-to-date Will.
• Leave your ISA to your spouse or civil partner.
• Consider the use of Trusts for younger generations for further IHT protection.
• Consider increasing bequests to charities to 10% of your net estate in order to reduce the IHT rate from 40% to 36%.
• Pass on your pension.

 

Detailed advice should be sought before some of the suggestions below are implemented.  Please note that several of the suggestions above relate to investments or pensions and so please ensure to seek advice from an Independent Financial Adviser before committing to any investment or pension decisions.