On a sale of shares, proceeds of the sale may be paid in full on completion. Alternatively, part of the proceeds may be paid on completion, with the balance becoming payable at one or more future dates. In the latter case, there may be certain performance conditions attached to the future proceeds (typically related to the financial performance of the company) that must be met in order for the vendor to receive further payment. The latter case is commonly called an “earn out”, and there are several tax points to consider when negotiating a sale of shares to ensure that the earn out is practical and tax effective for the parties involved. Why Consider an Earn Out? There are numerous reasons to have an earn out as part of a share...

Domestic Reverse Charge Implementation Delayed In a move described as a ‘victory for common sense’ by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) chief executive, the implementation of the domestic reverse charge which was due to take effect on the 1st October 2019 will now come into effect on the 1st October 2020. The domestic reverse charge means that customers receiving a service in the constructing and building sector may have to pay the VAT to HMRC instead of paying the supplier. Some 150,000 businesses will be affected by the change. Reasons for the delay HMRC announced the delay on the 6th September 2019 citing concerns from industry representatives and the desire to avoid the changes coinciding with Brexit as the reasons...

When businesses/companies employ capital assets (e.g. machinery, motor vehicles) for use in their business, such costs are not deductible from trading profits because the expenditure will have an enduring benefit for the trade. Instead, relief is available through capital allowances which essentially allows relief for the fall in value of capital assets, providing a deduction when arriving at taxable profit. Furthermore, the annual investment allowance (AIA) is available to businesses to encourage greater levels of investment. The AIA reduces the costs of capital by providing 100% capital allowances for the first £1,000,000 (between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020) of plant an machinery (excluding cars) acquired by the business for...

Research & Development ("R&D") relief is available to companies that engage in projects that seek an advance in science or technology. Where available, the relief provides assistance in the form of a reduced tax bill or a repayable tax credit, calculated by reference to the level of expenditure incurred by the company on research and development activities. Carry on reading for some of the latest developments in the world of R&D relief. Not sure what R&D Relief is? You can read more about R&D relief and when it applies by visiting the Research & Development page of our website. PAYE & NICs Cap As announced in the 2018 Budget, for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 April 2020 the R&D...

In this two part series, we’ll be looking at the tax advantages of company share schemes for directors looking to reward, retain, and incentivise their staff. In Part 1 we looked at Company Share Option Plans (“CSOPs”) and Enterprise Management Incentive schemes (“EMIs”) which are more common with SMEs. In this part, we’ll be looking at Share Incentive Plans (“SIPs”) and Save As You Earn schemes (“SAYEs”) which can often be more appropriate for larger companies. As we discussed in Part 1, providing employees with shares directly can come with significant tax and National Insurance Contribution ("NIC") costs as well as cash flow problems for the employees receiving shares. Tax Advantaged Share Schemes for Empl...

In welcome news for those setting up EMI schemes, HMRC has announced that the window for agreeing EMI share valuations has been extended from 60 to 90 days. The Announcement HMRC made the announcement through the Employment Related Securities Bulletin 32 (June 2019). You can find the full bulletin here. What are EMIs? As covered in our previous blog, EMIs are a type of tax advantaged share scheme that allows companies to reward, retain, and incentivise select staff. EMI schemes operate by allowing companies to give select staff the opportunity to buy shares in the company at a price set when the share option is agreed. The Importance of Correct Valuations If EMI share options are priced at the market price when the o...

Certain taxpayer expenditure can qualify for tax relief, and these amounts are known as deductible payments. The payments are deducted from income when calculating taxable income, effectively saving tax at a taxpayer’s marginal rate. For example, if a taxpayer pays tax at a marginal rate of 40%, they will  have saved 40p for every £1 of the payment they pay in the tax year. Interest paid on qualifying loans is a deductible payment, however there is a cap on the amount that may be relieved each tax year.  The total amount which can be deducted is the greater of £50,000 or 25% of adjusted total income (being total income less payroll giving and gross pension contributions paid). Qualifying Interest Where a loan is a qualify...

Capital Allowances are a form of tax relief that can be claimed by traders when they incur expenditure on “plant and machinery”. They can be deducted from the tax adjusted profit for the accounting period, thereby reducing the taxable trading profit. However, the definition of what constitutes “plant and machinery” is a contentious issue and one that is discussed in a significant amount of case law. The case law, along with the Capital Allowances Act 2001 and HMRC practice, suggests that an asset qualifies as “plant” if it has an expected life of two years or more and has a clear function in enabling the activities of the business to take place. Buildings and a number of other structures are specifically excluded from t...

Changes introduced by the Finance Act 2019 (FA-2019) address inconsistencies between the tax treatment of tangible fixed assets (e.g. cars, vans, machinery, buildings) and intangible fixed assets (e.g. goodwill, intellectual property). The new provisions bring the intangible fixed assets rules more in line with those applying to tangible fixed assets. Degrouping Charge A degrouping charge may apply where a company (Co A) acquires assets from another group company (Co B) on a no gain/no loss basis, and Co A leaves the group within 6 years of acquiring the asset. The effect of a degrouping change is that Co A is deemed to have disposed of and reacquired the asset at market value immediately after the asset was acquired, thereby crea...

The provision of company shares can be a valuable tool in incentivising key members of staff to remain with the company long term and actively grow the company’s business and increase profits. HMRC has several approved employee share schemes, each with their own tax advantages for the employee and employer/shareholders. However, certain conditions must be met by the employer/employee in order for these schemes to qualify and therefore they are not always commercially viable. Growth shares are a practical option, especially where the company shares already have significant intrinsic value. What are Growth Shares? Suppose that a company wishes to incentivise one of its managers to stay with the business and continue to contribut...