Tax tips for Family Businesses
Family Businesses
Find out how family businesses can reduce their tax burden with some practical forward thinking
Owners and managers of family-owned businesses rightfully spend the vast majority of their time ensuring that the business runs well and generates profits. In the midst of such a demanding task, it can be easy to overlook some tax considerations that can potentially be significant.
The topic of tax in the context of family-owned businesses is a large one – however, there are a few key considerations to bear in mind:
Sections
- How is your business set up?
- How are you extracting funds?
- What’s New?
- How are you incentivising your staff?
- Are you thinking of an exit?
- Planning with pensions
- What about the next generation?
How is your business set up?
Most family-owned businesses are set up as companies, but some do run as partnerships. These two structures differ in terms of tax, and it is worthwhile for business owners to consider which structure could be most beneficial for their business.
Companies may pay lower rates of tax initially, but further tax (including National Insurance Contributions in the case of salary/bonuses) is often due when higher profits are extracted. Partnerships however are tax transparent, so profits are taxed as they arise, even if they are not extracted (but are taxed only once). It is generally easier to convert a partnership into a company than the other way around.
How are you extracting funds?
The business has a choice, broadly speaking, of paying dividends or paying salary/ bonuses. However, recent legislation has attempted to narrow the tax difference between companies and sole trader/partnerships.
Dividends
The Finance Bill 2016, published on 24 March 2016, contains the new rules for dividends.
Summary:
- From 6 April 2016, the notional 10% tax credit on dividends will be abolished
- A £5,000 tax free dividend allowance will be introduced
- Dividends above this level will be taxed at 7.5% (basic rate), 32.5% (higher rate), and 38.1% (additional rate)
- Dividends received by pensions and ISAs will be unaffected
- Dividend income will be treated as the top band of income
- Individuals who are basic rate payers who receive dividends of more than £5,001 will need to complete self assessment returns from 6 April 2016
- The change is expected to have little impact upon non-UK residents
Impact
The proposed changes raise revenue despite the so-called “triple lock” on income tax. Perhaps aimed to tax small companies who pay a small salary designed to preserve entitlement to the State Pension, followed by a much larger dividend payment in order to reduce National Insurance costs. It appears that the government is anti-small companies, preferring workers to be self-employed.
These changes will affect anyone in receipt of dividends: most taxpayers will be paying tax at an extra 7.5% p.a. Although the first £5,000 of any dividend is tax free, in 2016/17:
- Upper rate taxpayers will pay tax at 38.1% instead of an effective rate of 30.55% in 2015/16
- Higher rate taxpayers will pay tax at 32.5% instead of an effective rate of 25% in 2015/16
- Basic rate taxpayers will pay tax at 7.5% instead of 0% in 2015/16
This measure will have a very harsh effect on those who work with spouses in very small family companies. For example, a couple splitting income of £100,000 p.a. could be over £5,000 p.a. worse off.
Businesses should therefore consider these tax issues when using either of these methods to extract funds.
There can be benefits in various family members being involved in the business, particularly if they, for example, perform smaller roles and are not paying taxes at the higher rates. Care is always required here to ensure that any salaries are commensurate with the job performed.
There can also be complexities in giving away shares to spouses to enable them to capture dividends at the lower rates.
How are you incentivising your staff?
Clearly, the retention of key staff is of critical consideration for businesses of any size. With cash flows being restricted in these difficult times, consideration can usually be given to granting share options to employees. Certain tax-approved options schemes (such as Enterprise Management Incentives) are potentially very tax-efficient and a good incentive for key workers.
Are you thinking of an exit?
It is never too early to contemplate what would happen if the business were sold. The headline rate of capital gains tax is not good as it once was but there are potentially reliefs available which may minimise the tax burden on exit. With the right structuring, valuable relief can potentially be opened up to various family members through tax planning.
Tax Planning with pensions
Pensions are all the rage now, given the recent changes.
In certain instances, an appropriate pension plan for a family-owned business can lead to substantial tax efficiencies. Also the use of SIPPs and SASSs can be used a valuable tax planning tool to extract funds from otherwise taxable business profits.
What about the next generation?
Succession planning is a key strategic matter for any family-owned business. Where the business is a trading concern, it is often possible (depending on the particular circumstances) to give away shares without adverse tax consequences.
But care is required here to avoid certain pitfalls that can exist if even a few investment assets are located somewhere within the business.
It may also be the case that a trading business qualifies for inheritance tax relief (under the business property relief regime); therefore, founders may not be worried about inheritance tax now. If the business is sold however, this relief will be lost, potentially generating a significant inheritance tax bill in the future. Fortunately, planning options do exist here, such as transferring the business into a trust before an exit.
Needless to say, the above gives only a taste of some of the relevant tax considerations where family-owned businesses are concerned. The important point is to remember the significant impact that tax can make, and to take advice early and regularly.
Latest news & blogs…
RESTART – New grants for small businesses
IN THE BUDGET 2021 the Chancellor will unveil £5bn support package to help small businesses stay afloat until restrictions are lifted.
Under the scheme it is thought that non-essential retail businesses will be able to apply for grants of up to £6,000; while pubs, restaurants, hotels and leisure businesses will be able to apply for grants up to the full amount of £18,000.
Where can you get your Restart Grant?
The Restart Grant scheme, administered by local councils, will help most small business owners including those running shops, pubs, clubs, hotels restaurants, gyms and hair salons.
Non-essential retail businesses will get up to £6,000 per premises through the Restart Grant scheme to help them reopen. Shops will reopen no earlier than April 12, according to the Government’s Covid-19 roadmap.
More Restart Grant money will be available for any small business in hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gyms, which will reopen later and will be more affected by restrictions. They can receive up to £18,000, depending on their rateable value.
The Restart Grant scheme will replace the monthly Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) and Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open), which will both close at the end of March.
If you are affected by any of the issues above and would like more information, please call 0114 272 4984 or email info@shipleystax.com.
Please note that Shipleys Tax do not give free advice by email or telephone.
Electric cars – still tax efficient from April 2021?
For 2020/21, it was possible to enjoy an electric company car as a tax-free benefit. While this will no longer be the case for 2021/22, electric and low emission cars can remain a tax-efficient benefit.
In today’s Shipleys Tax note we get up to speed on the changes afoot and whether this can affect your buying choices.
How are electric cars taxed?
Under the company car tax rules, a taxable benefit arises in respect of the private use of that car. The taxable amount (the cash equivalent value) is the ‘appropriate percentage’ of the list price of the car and optional accessories, after deducting any capital contribution made by the employee up to a maximum of £5,000. The amount is proportionately reduced where the car is not available throughout the tax year, and is further reduced to reflect any contributions required for private use.
The appropriate percentage
The appropriate percentage depends on the level of the car’s CO2 emissions. For zero emission cars, regardless of whether the car was first registered on or after 6 April 2020 or before that date, the appropriate percentage for electric cars is 1% for 2021/22. For 2020/21 it was set at 0%.
This means that the tax cost of an electric company car, as illustrated by the following example, remains low in 2021/22.
Example
Jaz has an electric company car with a list price of £30,000. The car was first registered on 1 April 2020.
For 2020/21, the appropriate percentage for an electric car was 0%, meaning that Jaz was able to enjoy the benefit of the private use of the car tax-free.
For 2021/22, the appropriate percentage is 1%. Consequently, the taxable amount is £300 (1% of £30,000).
If Jaz is a higher rate taxpayer, he will only pay tax of £120 on the benefit of his company car. If he is a basic rate taxpayer, he will pay £60 in tax. This is a very good deal.
His employer will also pay Class 1A National Insurance of £41.40 (£300 @ 13.8%).
For 2022/23 the appropriate percentage will increase to 2%.
Low emission cars
If an electric car is not for you, it is still possible to have a tax efficient company car by choosing a low emission model.
The way in which CO2 emissions are measured changed from 6 April 2020. For 2020/21 and 2021/22, the appropriate percentage also depends on the date on which the car was first registered as well as its CO2 emissions. For low emission cars within the 1—50g/km band, there is a further factor to take into account – the car’s electric range (or zero emission mileage). This is the distance that the car can travel on a single charge.
The following table shows the appropriate percentages applying for low emission cars for 2021/22.
| Appropriate percentage for 2021/22 for cars with CO2 emissions of 1—50g/km | ||
| Electric range | Cars first registered before 6 April 2020 | Cars first registered on or after 6 April 2020 |
| More than 130 miles | 2% | 1% |
| 70—129 miles | 5% | 4% |
| 40—69 miles | 8% | 7% |
| 30 – 39 miles | 12% | 11% |
| Less than 30 miles | 14% | 13% |
As seen from the table, choosing a car with a good electric range can dramatically reduce the tax charge. Assuming a list price of £30,000, the taxable amount for a car first registered on or after 6 April 2020 with an electric range of at least 130 miles is £300 (£30,000 @ 1%); by contrast, the taxable amount for a car with the same list price first registered before 6 April 2020 with an electric range of less than 30 miles is £4,200 (£30,000 @ 14%).
The moral here is to choose a new greener model and you will be rewarded with a lower tax bill.
If you are affected by any of the issues above and would like more information, please call 0114 272 4984 or email info@shipleystax.com.
Please note that Shipleys Tax do not give free advice by email or telephone.
Gifting interest in property – tax free, right?
IN DIFFICULT FINANCIAL times, many naturally look to put their affairs in order in case the worst happens. In such testing times many fall into tax traps without realising. One of most common misconceptions we come across here at Shipleys Tax is individuals transferring interest in properties to a spouse, child or relative in the belief that so long as no money has changed hands it must be tax free, right?
Wrong. As with most things in life, it’s not that simple, unfortunately. Although it is possible in certain circumstances to transfer assets between spouses tax free, giving a property to children or other family members may trigger an unwelcome tax bill, even if nothing was received it return.
In today’s Shipleys Tax note we briefly look at what tax traps could lay in wait for the unsuspecting person looking to organise their property affairs.
Family connections and market value
The problem is that the legislation does not respect family connections. So, where an asset is transferred (or disposed) to a “connected person”, the transfer is deemed to take place at market value, regardless of whether any consideration is actually received and the amount of that consideration.
Although it is possible to transfer assets between spouses tax free, giving a property to children or other family members may trigger an unwelcome tax bill, even if nothing was received it return.
So, who are connected people? The list of connected persons includes:
- spouses and civil partners;
- relatives (siblings, ancestors or lineal descendants);
- spouse or civil partners of relatives;
- relatives or spouses or of civil partners; and
- spouses or civil partners of those relatives.
However, as noted above, the tax-free transfer rule applies to transfer between spouses and civil partner rather than the market value rules.
The following case study illustrates the potential cost of being caught out by the market value rule.
Case study
Adam has a buy to let property. To help his daughter to get on the property ladder, he decides to make a gift of the property to her. He receives nothing in exchange for the property.
At the time that he gifted the property to his daughter, the house was valued at £300,000.
Adam purchased the property ten years earlier for £200,000. Costs of acquisition and disposal are £5,000.
However the tax-free transfer rule applies to transfer between spouses and civil partner rather than the market value rules.
As his daughter is a connected person, Adam is deemed to have disposed of the property for £300,000, giving rise to a chargeable gain of £95,000 (£300,000 – (£200,000 + £5,000)).
Assuming Adam is a higher rate taxpayer and has used his annual exempt amount already, this will give rise to a capital gains tax bill of £26,600 (£95,000 @ 28%). This must be reported to HMRC within 30 days and capital gains tax paid within the same time frame.
Despite not receiving a penny for the property, Adam must find £26,600 to pay in capital gains tax!
Family Tax Planning?
However, with careful planning Adam may have been able to transfer the property to his daughter potentially tax free. There are planning options available in the right circumstances using a trust arrangement or an LLP/company structure to mitigate or at the very least defer some of the tax payable.
If you are affected by any of the issues above and would like more information, please call 0114 272 4984 or email info@shipleystax.com.
Please note that Shipleys Tax do not give free advice by email or telephone.
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