The £2,000 Employment Allowance Continues For 2015/16

The £2,000 "employment allowance"introduced in 2014/15 continues to be available for 2015/16. Note that this allowance provides relief from paying employers NIC on the first £2,000 of inputs. The £2,000 allowance is set against employers NIC on a increasing basis during the tax year.

The allowance is available to most employers, although those under common control are restricted to just the one £2,000 allowance. Husband and wife companies with no other employees charged to national insurance may find it tax efficient to change the mix of salaries and dividends to take advantage of the £2,000 allowance. From 6 April 2015 it may be advantageous to increase directors’ salaries to the new £10,600 personal allowance instead of the NIC threshold of £8,060 (£155 a week).

The extra £2,540 will save £508 (20%) corporation tax (£1,016 for two directors) whereas the additional employees NIC would be just £305 each.

Husband and wife company - from 2015/16:

Salary £10,295 net = Gross £10,600

Dividend up to BR band £28,606 net = Gross £31,785

Top of BR band £42,385

Net cash extracted (each) £38,901

Total extracted £77,802 for couple

There would however be 20% corporation tax payable. Profits before tax £71,515 @ 20% = £14,303 corporation tax, thus profits before salaries and tax would be £92,715.

This results in an overall tax and NIC rate of just 16.1%.

A salary in excess of £10,600 would attract income tax (at 20%) and employee’s NIC at 12%.

And No Employers NIC For Those Under 21 From 6 April 2015

A Government policy to reduce the number of school leavers not in employment, education or training is to abolish employers NIC for those under the age of 21. This exemption starts 6 April 2015 and will not apply to those earning more than the Upper Earnings Limit (UEL), Employers NIC will be charged as normal beyond that limit.

Tax Diary Of Main Events

1st April - Corporation tax for year to 30/06/14.

5th April - End of 2014/15 tax year, 2015/16 Tax year begins.

19th April - PAYE and NIC deductions, and CIS.

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