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Companies House Fees Increasing – What to be Aware of

As of 1st May 2024, Companies House have implemented significant price increases for there services. These changes will impact anyone who submits information to Companies House, so it’s important to assess how the increases will affect your business.

Why have Companies House Fees Increased?

The changes to Companies House fees have been introduced to reduce fraud. The UK’s company registration structure is often linked to fraud and money laundering.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCT Act) puts forward a long-term plan to reduce fraud. The most recently implemented part of this plan is increasing the price of Companies House services. The changes aim to deter criminals from forming and registering multiple companies to commit fraud offences.

How Will These Changes Affect Me?

For these changes to reduce fraud, the costs of Companies House services must be increased significantly. Unfortunately, this means those lawfully trading will also be greatly affected.

Some of the higher costs relate to overseas entities. This is because they are commonly used to commit fraud. However, the fees with the highest percentage increases tend to be the more commonly incurred costs, such as incorporating new companies which is now more than 300% more.

As the cost of these services increase, costs for agents (such as accountants) to submit information on your behalf will also be increasing. If you are unsure whether this will impact your business, contact your agent to discuss the changes.

The most common fee changes are as follows:

Companies House Fees for Limited Companies

Service Old Cost Cost from 1st May 2024 Percentage Increase
Incorporating a New Company £12 £50 317%
Incorporating a New Company – Same Day £30 £78 160%
Submitting a Confirmation Statement – Digital £13 £34 162%
Changing a Company’s Name £8 £33 313%
Striking Off a Company £8 £33 313%

Companies House Fees for Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)

Service Old Cost Cost from 1st May 2024 Percentage Increase
Registering an LLP £40 £50 25%
Filing a Confirmation Statement £13 £34 162%
Administrative Restoration £100 £468 368%

Companies House Fees for Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)

Service Old Cost Cost from 1st May 2024 Percentage Increase
Register an Overseas Entity £100 £234 134%
Updating an Overseas Entity £120 £234 95%
Removing an Overseas Entity £400 £706 77%

Other Changes from the ECCT Act

Companies House will be seeing further changes as part of the ECCT act to make their services stricter and more difficult to abuse. Some changes were implemented on 4th March, which included:

  • Companies House being granted greater powers to query info and request evidence, as well as being able to remove factually incorrect info.
  • Companies must have a registered address – PO boxes no longer allowed.
  • Companies must provide a registered email address on Confirmation Statement submissions.
  • Must confirm company is formed for a “Lawful Purpose” & “intended future activities will be lawful” on Confirmation Statement – This will usually appear as a tick box on digital and software submissions.
  • Companies House can now share data with other government departments and law enforcement.

Further changes are also expected such as additional identity verification for company owners and improving ownership transparency by providing additional shareholder information.

The timeline for additional changes is currently unclear. For example, it is expected that limited partnerships will need to provide more information to Companies House in the future. These changes cannot be implemented without secondary legislation.

Companies House will also be following HMRC’s shift to digital submissions. Software is already available to submit confirmation statements, but no date has yet been provided to swap from paper to online.

 

If you have any further questions about these changes, or you need help submitting information to Companies House, please do not hesitate to contact us.

coins stacked up in a pile

Tax on CryptoCurrency in the UK: Capital Gains Tax & More

What is a cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a digital asset that can be used to pay for things. Its value is determined by the supply and demand of its users. It is not based on any intrinsic value and can be transferred, stored, and traded electronically.

Do you pay tax on cryptocurrency in the UK?

The answer depends on if you own the cryptocurrency or if you own them via a business. If you own them personally you may have to pay capital gains tax. If you trade crypto as a business, you will be subject to income tax rules. Generally, if a transaction involves the disposal of crypto assets, it triggers taxes.

Capital Gains Tax on Cryptocurrency

If you own your cryptocurrency personally, you may have to pay capital gains tax. Capital gains are computed as the difference between the price of your cryptocurrency and the amount you sold it for. They are also known as CGT.

There is an exception to paying CGT, you only have to pay CGT if you go over your annual allowance which currently stands at £12,300 for the 2021-2022 tax year.

For UK residents, the capital gains tax on cryptocurrency transactions is taxed at 10% for the basic rate (up to £37500), up to a maximum of 20%.

Income Tax on Cryptocurrency

If you trade crypto as a business, you will be subject to income tax rules, especially if a transaction involves the disposal of crypto assets. A disposal is a process involving the removal of crypto assets.

It can be done in various ways such as selling the crypto assets for money, exchanging crypto assets for a different type, using them to pay for good or services or gifting them to another person

Ways to minimise the tax you pay on cryptocurrency

If you exceed your tax-free limit, there are several things you could consider helping minimise the tax due on your cryptocurrency gains such as utilising losses or transferring ownership to a spouse.

Utilise losses – If the overall gain exceeds the annual allowance, then it might be wise to sell some of your crypto assets to reduce the tax bill. Generally, if the total gain exceeds the annual allowance, then it should be sold at a loss.

Transfer to Spouse or Civil Partner– Currently, assets can be transferred between spouses without triggering CGT. This means if you transfer to your wife, husband, or civil partner both of your CGT allowances are used.

Reporting Cryptocurrency Gains to HMRC

You should report to HMRC after the end of the tax year. You may need to register for self-assessment with HMRC if you do not currently have a UTR number. This can be done through the HMRC website. The UK tax year runs from 6th April to 5th April the following year. Electronic returns need to be filed on 31 January by midnight and paper returns are due by 31 October at midnight.

If you need any help or advice with cryptocurrency tax, please get in contact with us and we will be happy to help.

Fifth Self Employed Income Support Scheme Grant: Everything you need to know

The fifth grant for the self-employed income support scheme will be available to claim as of late July 2021.  This grant will cover the period between May and September 2021.

 

Who can claim?

As per the previous grants, you will only be able to claim the grant if you are self-employed or a member of a partnership. Your trading profits must be no more than £50,000 and at least equal to your non-trading income.  HMRC will look at your 2019-2020 tax return to see if you are eligible.

 

Changes to the grant

For the fifth SEISS grant, there will be a significant change. The value of the grant will now be determined by how much your turnover has been reduced in the year April 2020-April 2021.

  • If your turnover had reduced by 30% or more then you will be entitled to 80% of three months trading profits up to a maximum cap of £7,500
  • If your turnover had reduced by less than 30% then you will be entitled to 30% of three months trading profits up to a maximum cap of £2,850

Where to claim the grant?

The online claim services for the fifth grant should be available from late July. HMRC should be in contact if you are eligible based on your tax returns

HMRC is set to give more guidance for the fifth grant in early July. Check back on our blog for further updates regarding the SEISS grant.

 

If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

A Guide to the P11D Tax Form

In this guide, we will look at what a P11D is and tell you everything you need to know, from who needs to file one to what information needs to be included.

What is a P11D?

A P11D is a tax form used to report items or services that you or your employees receive from your company.  These are known as benefits in kind. Some examples of benefits in kind include:

  • Private Healthcare
  • Company cars
  • Non-Business travel/entertainment expenses
  • Interest-free loans
  • Gym Memberships

When should you file your P11D?

P11Ds are filed by the employer not the employee and should be filed by 6TH July following the tax year in question. For example, for the tax year 6th April 2020 – 5th April 2021, your P11D would need to be filed by 6th July 2021.

What happens if you do not file a P11D?

HMRC will give you a fine if you file late or file incorrectly. If you miss the deadline, you will not incur a fine straightway, but you should aim to file this as soon as possible. HMRC will fine your company £100 per month per 50 employees.

 What should be included on your P11D?

Information that should be included on your P11D for each employee includes:

  • The name of the employee
  • Date of birth & gender
  • National insurance number
  • Payroll reference number
  • Prices for products/services provided
  • The total cash equivalent to the value of the goods provided

 How to file a P11D

P11Ds can be filed electronically to HMRC and can be done through most payroll software’s. You can find out more about filing P11D on gov.uk.

How does a P11D affect your tax code?

A P11D can alter your tax code due to you needing to pay additional tax on the benefit. Altering your tax code will reduce your tax-free allowance to compensate for any tax owed.

What is a P11D(b)?

A P11D(b) is a form employer must submit summarising the individual P11D forms they have completed for their employees.

Help with your P11D

If you need help with your P11D we would be happy to help. Please get in contact with us for more information.

Different coloured document folders on a bookshelf

How Long Should You Keep Financial Records For?

The purpose of a document retention policy is to establish how a company should keep and maintain its documents such as financial records and insurance documents.

In this guide, we will advise you on how long you should be keeping personal and business financial records. It will also explain the process of drafting a document retention policy for your business.

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How To Avoid Cash Flow Problems

It’s common that most small businesses will have a cash flow problem at some point; luckily these can largely be prevented with planning and preparation. In this article we’ll run through some of the most common causes of cash flow problems, as well as offering practical advice on how to improve your cash flow.

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The Impact of Brexit on Small Businesses

With the UK set to leave the EU on 31st October, it is important to have a plan in place to prepare your business for Brexit and put it in the best position possible in time for the changes. We have listed some of the key things you need to consider before the UK leaves the EU.