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Changes to Dividends

As the new tax year begins, many changes will be made to reflect the current economic climate of the United Kingdom. One such change that shall come into effect from the 6^thof April 2022 is a 1.25% increase in the Income Tax rates applied to dividends.

What are Dividends?

Dividends are the payments made out to the shareholders of a company, such as directors and investors. The dividends will come from the remaining value after the Corporation Tax that is due is taken from the total profit for the period. Because of this, the total dividends issued must not exceed the company’s profits from the current, or previous, periods.

Paying Dividends

The amount that each shareholder will be paid is dependent on the number of shares in the company that they hold. The dividends they receive will be proportional to their shares.

For dividends to be paid, a directors’ meeting must be held to the payment to be declared, even if the company only has one director, and a dividend voucher must be completed. The dividend voucher will include the date, the company name, the shareholder’s name, and the amount of dividend they will be paid. Dividends are usually paid quarterly but can also be paid in other installments such as annually or bi-annually.

Many companies will choose to pay their directors through a mix of both salary and dividends. This is because National Insurance contributions are not deducted from dividends; they are more tax efficient.

The New Income Tax Rates

The rise in Income Tax is being introduced as a part of a government scheme to increase funding for the health and social care sector, after it was hit hard by the pandemic over the last two years. Please view the table below to see how your tax rate will be impacted by the increase:

Tax Brackets	Thresholds (£)	Dividend Tax Rate
Tax Brackets	Thresholds (£)	2021/22	2022/23
Personal Allowance (If no other income)	0 – 12,570	0%	0%
Basic-Rate	12,571 – 50,270	7.5%	8.75%
Higher-Rate	50,271 – 150,000	32.5%	33.75%
Additional-Rate	Exceeding 150,000	38.1%	39.35%

The £2,000 dividends allowance introduced in April 2018 will still be available, meaning that any dividends within that amount will not be subjected to any tax deductions.

The government have predicted that the average loss that will be suffered because of the increase will be around £335 for those affected but has stated more than 50% of shareholders may not even need to pay any Income Tax on their dividends as they fall within the personal allowance or dividend allowance thresholds.

If you are interested in learning about the other changes brought in with the new tax year, please refer to our previous blog.

If you require assistance or any further information about how your dividends may be affected, please do not hesitate to contact us.

With the new tax year comes several changes brought forward by HMRC. Here is a short guide to help you navigate the updates that may affect you and your business from April 2022.

Reduced VAT is Ending

The reduced VAT rate of 12.5% will be increasing back to its pre-COVID rate of 20%. The reduced rate was initially introduced in July 2020 at 5%, rising to 12.5% in October 2021, to help businesses within the hospitality sector to help with their finances after the drastic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on their trade. This return follows the timeline set in the Spring 2021 budget.

VAT Surcharges

The changes to penalties and interest rules which were due to come in place from April 2022 has now been delayed to January 2023

Making Tax Digital

Making Tax Digital (MTD) will apply to all VAT-registered businesses from 1^st April 2022. This means that, for any VAT periods starting on or after this date, VAT registered businesses must keep all of their VAT records digitally and submit VAT returns using software that is MTD accordant.

Changes to National Insurance

National Insurance (NI) is going to increase by 1.25% from 1^st April 2022. Those receiving a State Pension will also receive a levy of 1.25%. This increase in tax will be in place until 31^st March 2023 and has been put in place to help contribute to increased health and social care costs incurred over the pandemic.

New PAYE Thresholds

From year 2022-2023 to tax year 2025-2026, the personal allowance will be £12,570 per year

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland the basic tax rate of 20% will be applied to annual earnings above the threshold, up to £37,700 a year. The higher tax rate will be 40% on annual earnings between £37,701and £150,000, with the additional tax rate of 45% will be applied to earnings above this.

In Scotland, their starter tax rate of 19% applies to earnings above the threshold and up to £2,162, the basic rate of 20% applies to annual earnings between £2,163 and £13,118, and the intermediate rate of 21% applies to annual earnings between £13,119 to £31,092. Scotland’s higher rate of 41% applies to annual earnings between £31,093 and £150,000, and the top rate applied to earning above this is 46%.

Increase on Statutory payments

Statutory maternity pay (SMP), Statutory paternity pay (SSP), Statutory parental pay (SPP), Statutory adoption pay (SAP) and bereavement pay will change on April 2022. All will see the weekly rate of statutory pay increase from £151.97 to £156.66 per week.

From 6^th April 2022, the rate of statutory sick pay (SSP) will also increase from £96.35 to £99.35 per week.

Any employee who earns more than (or equal to) the lower earnings limit, that will increase to £123 on the same date, is entitled to statutory pay.

Please do not hesitate to contact us regarding any of the above changes and how they may impact your business