Not an eventful Budget for employment taxes…

Not an eventful Budget for employment taxes…

Wed 08 Mar 2017

The Spring Budget did not provide for any surprises in the area of employment taxes.  So, what are the highlights?

Consultations documents are expected on the following to address the inconsistencies in the tax system regarding benefits in kind and employee expenses:

  • Benefits in kind – A ‘call for evidence’ on exemptions and valuation methodology for the income tax and employer NICs treatment of benefits in kind, in order to better understand whether their use in the tax system can be made fairer and more consistent.
  • Accommodation benefits – A consultation with proposals to bring the tax treatment of employer-provided accommodation and board and lodgings up to date. This will include proposals for when accommodation should be exempt from tax and to support taxpayers during any transition.
  • Employee expenses – A ‘call for evidence’ to better understand the use of the income tax relief for employees’ expenses, including those that are not reimbursed by their employer.

When these are available, we will be making representations to HMRC and would like to hear from you in due course.

Employment Allowance – HMRC is actively monitoring Employment Allowance compliance following reports of some businesses using avoidance schemes to avoid paying the correct amount of NICs.

More HMRC activity for large employers in the form of large business risk review – HMRC will work constructively with businesses and interested parties to consult over the summer on its process for risk profiling large businesses and promoting stronger compliance.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call your local Mazars employment tax contact.

By Vaneeta Khurana

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