COVID tax concessions ending on 5 April
The government introduced several easements in response to the coronavirus pandemic. These were temporary measures that are set to end on 5 April. What do employers need to know?
Working from home. As many employees were required to work from home during the pandemic, employers were able to reimburse expenses for coronavirus-related home office expenses, such as monitors and keyboards, free from tax and NI. This measure is no longer available from 6 April 2022, so employers should ensure that such expense claims are submitted and processed before the end of the tax year.
Cycle-to-work scheme. Again, as many employees were required to work from home it would have been difficult for those using a cycle-to-work scheme to meet the conditions for the benefit to be exempt from income tax. Therefore, those who joined an employer-provided cycle scheme and received a bike or cycling safety equipment on or before 20 December 2020 were not required to use the equipment mainly for qualifying journeys (i.e. to and from their workplace) and maintained the income tax exemption. From 6 April, employees who use the scheme will need to use the equipment mainly for commuting to work again, or the income tax exemption won’t apply.
Related Topics
-
Is getting your business to pay tax efficient?
You were recently involved in an online discussion about the tax consequences of putting the cost of a celebratory meal for the business owners and staff through the firm’s books. Will doing so save or increase tax overall?
-
VAT-saving opportunity with changes to the CGS?
The government has announced that it will increase the capital goods scheme (CGS) threshold for capital expenditure on land and buildings from its current level of £250,000. What will the new threshold be, and how can you take advantage?
-
Delay salary to save tax
As a company owner manager, you decide when to take income from your business. If that’s your only source of income, tax planning is relatively simple but it’s trickier if you have other sources. What’s the best strategy to improve tax efficiency?