Have you underclaimed your expenses?
In 2022/23, HMRC sent a nudge letter to taxpayers that included a statement saying that upgrading a boiler wouldn’t be a deductible expense for tax purposes, i.e. as a deduction from rental income. It is now writing to individuals admitting that this was wrong. What action do you need to take?
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Accounting for VAT if there is no cash payment
Your business has submitted repayment returns for the last two quarters and you are concerned that you might have underpaid output tax on some supplies where no money has changed hands. Are your concerns justified?
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Treatment of distributions under review
The government has launched a consultation on modernising the tax treatment of distributions and repayments of capital by companies. The proposals could affect the distinction between dividends taxed as income and capital payments subject to CGT. What changes are being considered?
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Tax relief on equipment you haven’t paid for (yet)
The timing of tax relief for purchases of equipment isn’t straightforward when payments are delayed or goods are purchased through hire purchase (HP) agreements. How can you use these rules to your advantage and get tax relief before you’ve paid the final invoice?
The initial letter was a prompt to check property letting expenses that had been claimed on the 2021/22 tax return. It contained the statement that “upgrading a central heating boiler from an older, less efficient model’ is an example of an expense you can’t claim tax relief for”. Essentially, the implication is that an improvement is not a repair, and so is a capital expense. HMRC has now owned up to the mistake, and has confirmed that such an expense would generally be accepted as a repair.
If you haven’t claimed for the cost of a replacement boiler, you could be owed a tax refund. Check your returns and if you have underclaimed your expenses, take action accordingly. If it is for 2022/23, you can simply amend the return. However, if it’s your 2021/22 return that is affected, you should contact the specialist team by email at responseteam5@hmrc.gov.uk.
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