Tax card 2020/21
Tax card 2020/21
Income tax allowances
2020/21 | 2019/20 | |
Personal allowance* | £12,500 | £12,500 |
Personal savings allowance
· Basic-rate taxpayer · Higher-rate taxpayer · Additional-rate taxpayer |
£1,000
£500 £0 |
£1,000
£500 £0 |
Dividend allowance at 0% | £2,000 | £2,000 |
Marriage/civil partner transferable allowance** | £1,250 | £1,250 |
Trading/property allowance*** | £1,000 | £1,000 |
Rent-a-room allowance | £7,500 | £7,500 |
Blind person’s allowance | £2,500 | £2,450 |
* The personal allowance is reduced by £1 for each £2 of income from £100,000 to £125,000 (2019/20, £125,000).
** Any unused personal allowance may be transferred to a spouse or civil partner, where the recipient is not liable to higher or additional-rate tax.
*** Note that landlords and traders with gross income from each of these sources in excess of £1,000 can deduct the allowance from their gross income as an alternative to claiming expenses.
Income tax bands and rates
2020/21 | 2019/20 | |
Starting rate of savings up to* | £5,000 | £5,000 |
Basic-rate band | £37,500 | £37,500 |
Higher-rate band | £37,501 to £150,000 | £37,501 to £150,000 |
Additional-rate band | Above £150,000 | Above £150,000 |
Basic-rate | 20% | 20% |
Higher-rate | 40% | 40% |
Additional-rate | 45% | 45% |
Dividend basic-rate | 7.5% | 7.5% |
Dividend higher-rate | 32.5% | 32.5% |
Dividend additional-rate | 38.1% | 38.1% |
* The starting rate does not apply if taxable income exceeds the starting rate limit.
Income tax in Scotland
2020/21 | 2019/20 | |||
Band | Taxable income | Rate | Taxable income | Rate |
Starter | £12,501 – £14,585 | 19% | £12,501 – £14,549 | 19% |
Basic | £14,586 – £25,158 | 20% | £14,550 – £24,944 | 20% |
Intermediate | £25,159 – £43,430 | 21% | £24,945 – £43,430 | 21% |
Higher | £43,431 – £150,000 | 41% | £43,431 – £150,000 | 41% |
Top | Above £150,000 | 46% | Above £150,000 | 46% |
Vehicle and fuel benefits-in-kind
The taxable benefit-in-kind is calculated as a percentage of the car’s UK list price. The percentage depends on the car’s CO2 emissions in grams per kilometre (g/km).
CO2 emissions (g/km) | Electric range (miles) | Cars registered before 6 April* | Cars registered on or after 6 April* |
0 | n/a | 0% | 0% |
1 – 50 | 130 and over | 2% | 0% |
1 – 50 | 70 – 129 | 5% | 3% |
1 – 50 | 40 – 69 | 8% | 6% |
1 – 50 | 30 – 39 | 12% | 10% |
1 – 50 | Under 30 | 14% | 12% |
51 – 54 | n/a | 15% | 13% |
Over 54 | n/a | Add 1% for every 5g/km up to a maximum of 37% | Add 1% for every 5g/km up to a maximum of 37% |
* Diesel vehicles not meeting the RDE2 standard will be liable to a 4% surcharge.
The list price is on the day before first registration, including most accessories and is reduced by any employee’s capital contribution (max £5,000) when the car is first made available. Where the cost of all fuel for private use is borne by the employee, the fuel benefit is nil. Otherwise, the fuel benefit is calculated by applying the car benefit percentage to the car fuel benefit multiplier (below).
Company car fuel | 2020/21 | 2019/20 |
Car fuel benefit multiplier | £24,500 | £24,100 |
Company vans* | ||
Van benefit charge | £3,490 | £3,430 |
Van fuel benefit multiplier | £666 | £655 |
*Applies where private use is more than home-to-work travel. Payments by employees for private use may reduce these benefits-in-kind. Zero-emission vans have a benefit value of £2,792 (2019/20, £2,058).
Tax-free mileage allowances
Cars and vans, including electric vehicles | First 10,000 business miles | 45p |
Thereafter | 25p | |
Motorcycles | 24p | |
Bicycles | 20p | |
Business passenger | 5p |
The tax-free business mileage allowance rates apply for qualifying business journeys incurred by employees using their own vehicles over the course of the tax year.
For national insurance purposes, a 45p rate may apply for all business miles incurred by cars and vans.
Capital gains tax
2020/21 | 2019/20 | ||
Main rates | Individual basic-rate | 10% | 10% |
Individual over basic-rate | 20% | 20% | |
Trusts and estates | 20% | 20% | |
Surcharge – for gains on chargeable residential property | 8% | 8% | |
Annual exemption | Individuals | £12,300 | £12,000 |
Trusts | £6,150 | £6,000 | |
Entrepreneurs’ relief | Applicable rate | 10% | 10% |
Lifetime limit (from 11 March 2020) | £1m | £10m | |
Investors’ relief | Applicable rate | 10% | 10% |
Lifetime limit | £10m | £10m |
Inheritance tax
2020/21 | 2019/20 | |
Nil-rate band threshold* | £325,000 | £325,000 |
Main residence nil-rate band** | £175,000 | £150,000 |
Combined threshold limit for married couples and civil partners, including main residence nil-rate band | £1m | £950,000 |
Business property relief and agricultural property relief | 50% or 100% | 50% or 100% |
* Up to 100% of any unused part of a deceased person’s nil-rate band can be claimed by the surviving spouse/civil partner on their death. This also applies to the main residence nil-rate band, albeit the main residence nil-rate is subject to the taper withdrawal below.
** For estates in excess of £2m, a 50% taper withdrawal applies to the excess.
Tax rates
2020/21 | 2019/20 | |
Main rate | 40% | 40% |
Chargeable on lifetime transfers | 20% | 20% |
Transfers on or within seven years of death* | 40% | 40% |
Reduced rate** | 36% | 36% |
* All lifetime transfers not covered by exemptions and made within seven years of death will be added back into the estate for the purposes of calculating the tax payable. This may then be reduced as shown in the table below.
** Applies if 10% or more of net chargeable estate is left to certain registered charities.
Years before death | 0 – 3 | 3 – 4 | 4 – 5 | 5 – 6 | 6 – 7 |
Tax reduced by | 0% | 20% | 40% | 60% | 80% |
UK company taxation
Financial year from 1 April | 2020 | 2019 |
Corporation tax main rate | 19% | 19% |
Loans to participators | 32.5% | 32.5% |
Diverted profits tax | 25% | 25% |
Main capital allowances
Initial allowances
Annual investment allowance: on first £1m (excludes cars)* |
100% |
First-year allowance: including new and unused low CO2 emission cars (up to 50g/km) and zero-emission vehicles |
100% |
* Applies from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020, reverting to £200,000 from 1 January 2021. Transitional rules may apply for chargeable periods spanning these dates.
Writing-down allowances
Plant and machinery main-rate expenditure | 18% | |
Plant and machinery special-rate expenditure | 6% | |
Cars | 51g/km – 110g/km | 18% |
Over 110g/km | 6% | |
Structures and buildings allowance – straight-line relief | 3% |
VAT
From 1 April | 2020 | 2019 |
Standard rate | 20% | 20% |
VAT fraction | 1/6 | 1/6 |
Reduced rate | 5% | 5% |
VAT fraction | 1/21 | 1/21 |
Zero-rate | 0% | 0% |
Exempt | N/A | N/A |
Taxable turnover limits
From 1 April | 2020 | 2019 |
Registration (last 12 months or next 30 days) over | £85,000 | £85,000 |
Deregistration (next year) under | £83,000 | £83,000 |
Annual and cash accounting schemes turnover limit | £1.35m | £1.35m |
Flat-rate scheme turnover limit | £150,000 | £150,000 |
Research and development (R&D)
Revenue expenditure – SMEs | 230% |
Capital expenditure – all companies | 100% |
SME company R&D payable credit | 14.5% |
Large company R&D expenditure credit (RDEC) | 13% |
Tax-efficient investments
Annual investment limit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 |
ISA | £20,000 | £20,000 |
Lifetime ISA* | £4,000 | £4,000 |
Help-to-buy ISA (existing savers only) | Up to £200 a month | |
Junior ISA and child trust fund | £9,000 | £4,368 |
Venture capital trust at 30% | £200,000 | £200,000 |
Enterprise investment scheme at 30%** | £1m | £1m |
Seed EIS (SEIS) at 50% | £100,000 | £100,000 |
SEIS capital gains tax reinvestment relief | 50% | 50% |
Social investment tax relief at 30% | £1m | £1m |
* Reduces ISA limit by amount invested in Lifetime ISA.
** Up to £2m in a knowledge-intensive company.
Registered pensions
2020/21 | 2019/20 | |
Lifetime allowance limit | £1,073,100 | £1,055,000 |
Money purchase annual allowance | £4,000 | £4,000 |
Annual allowance limit* | £40,000 | £40,000 |
Minimum age for accessing benefits | 55 | 55 |
Maximum tax-free pension lump sum | 25% of pension fund value |
* Tapered at a rate of 50% of income down to £4,000 (2019/20, £10,000) if threshold income over £200,000 (2019/20, £110,000) and adjusted income over £240,000 (2019/20, £150,000). Restrictions can apply based on net-relevant earnings.
Subject to certain conditions, the unused amount of the annual allowance can be carried forward up to three years and used once the current year annual allowance has been fully utilised.
Stamp Duty
Consideration on shares over £1,000 | 0.5% |
Property taxes
The incremental rate of tax is only payable on the part of the property price within each band. An additional 3% rate (4% in Scotland) applies to the purchase of an additional residential property above £40,000 and all corporate residential properties.
England and Northern Ireland: Stamp duty land tax
On the transfer of residential property* | On the transfer of non-residential property | ||
£0 – £125,000 | 0% | £0 – £150,000 | 0% |
Over £125,000 – £250,000 | 2% | Over £150,000 – £250,000 | 2% |
Over £250,000 – £925,000 | 5% | Above £250,000 | 5% |
Over £925,000 – £1.5m | 10% | ||
Above £1.5m | 12% |
* First-time buyers pay nothing on the first £300,000 for properties up to £500,000. A rate of 5% applies between £300,000 and £500,000.
For residential purchases by ‘non-natural persons’ over £500,000 a rate of 15% applies, subject to certain exclusions.
Scotland: Land and buildings transaction tax
On the transfer of residential property* | On the transfer of non-residential property | ||
£0 – £145,000 | 0% | £0 – £150,000 | 0% |
Over £145,000 – £250,000 | 2% | Over £150,000 – £250,000 | 1% |
Over £250,000 – £325,000 | 5% | Above £250,000 | 5% |
Over £325,000 – £750,000 | 10% | ||
Above £750,000 | 12% |
* First-time buyers pay nothing on the first £175,000.
Wales: Land transaction tax
On the transfer of residential property | On the transfer of non-residential property | ||
£0 – £180,000 | 0% | £0 – £150,000 | 0% |
Over £180,000 – £250,000 | 3.5% | Over £150,000 – £250,000 | 1% |
Over £250,000 – £400,000 | 5% | Over £250,000 – £1m | 5% |
Over £400,000 – £750,000 | 7.5% | Above £1m | 6% |
Over £750,000 – £1.5m | 10% | ||
Above £1.5m | 12% |
National insurance
Class 1 | |||
Weekly earnings | Employee rate | Weekly earnings | Employer rate |
Up to £183 | Nil* | Up to £169 | Nil |
Over £183 – £962 | 12% | Over £169 – £962 | 13.8%** |
Over £962 | 2% | Over £962 | 13.8% |
Over state pension age | 0% | Over state pension age | 13.8% |
* Entitlement to contribution-based benefits are retained for earnings between £120 and £183 a week.
** 0% for staff under 21 and apprentices under 25 on earnings up to £962 a week.
Class 1A | |
On relevant benefits, including car and fuel benefits | 13.8% |
Class 2 | |
Self-employed above small profits threshold | £3.05 a week |
Small profits threshold | £6,475 a year |
Class 3 | |
Voluntary | £15.30 a week |
Class 4* | |
Self-employed on profits above £9,500 – £50,000 | 9% |
Over £50,000 | 2% |
* Exemption applies if the state retirement age is reached by 6 April 2020.
Employment allowance
Per employer, per year (excludes one-person companies)* | £4,000 |
* One claim only for companies in a group or under common control. Not available where the director is the only employee paid earnings above the secondary threshold for class 1 NICs. From April 2020, this will be limited to employers with an employer NICs bill below £100,000 in the previous tax year.
Apprenticeship levy
A levy of 0.5% applies where the pay bill exceeds £3m. There is an allowance of £15,000. Further conditions apply, so please consult with us.
Important notice
These rates and allowances are based on Spring Budget 2020 announcements made by the UK and Northern Ireland, Scottish and Welsh Governments and are for information only.
All information is subject to change before 6 April 2020 and confirmation by the respective governments. The above must not be considered advice and no warranty is given for the accuracy or completeness of the details. Professional advice should be sought before making any decisions.
Rates apply to the UK and Northern Ireland unless stated otherwise.