Owning a business is no small feat, and it requires a huge amount of investment. Therefore, when assessing your taxes for the year, you should know if there are any tax reliefs that you can claim. This is why it is important that you understand the answer to the following query: what is Annual Investment Allowance?
What is Annual Investment Allowance in the UK?
The British government created the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), a specific type of tax relief, for encouraging the corporate sector to invest in commercial equipment to foster growth. The Annual Investment Allowance policy allows businesses to claim tax relief for the purchase of business equipment that increases economic growth.
What are the Objectives Behind the Annual Investment Allowance?
AIA’s objective is to stimulate economic growth by enabling and encouraging the business sectors to invest in primary tools, business equipment, and machinery. It is like a capital allowance that encourages the business community to move on with confidence. One of the enormous advantages of HMRC Annual Investment Allowance is that it gives faster tax relief to the business sector in the same year of purchase.
Which Equipment Qualifies for Annual Investment Allowance?
It is important to understand that all the equipment bought for business purposes does not qualify for an Annual Investment Allowance. There is certain specific equipment that is eligible for AIA.
Let’s find out the equipment that qualifies for capital expenditure:
- Purchasing office equipment that includes certain types of software, computer hardware, and office furniture.
- Certain fixtures such as bathroom fitting, air conditioning, and a fitted kitchen.
- Lorries or vans used for transportation.
- Machines used for the operational purposes of the business.
- Machinery like tractors used for agricultural purposes.
- Machines used for providing recreational purposes like arcade game machines.
Which Assets Do Not Qualify for Annual Investment Allowance?
Land structures and buildings (including doors, gates, shutters, main water and gas systems, bridges, highways, and docks) as well as leased things or equipment used just for business amusement, such as a boat and a karaoke machine, are not eligible for capital allowances.
Additionally, you cannot deduct from your capital allowances ongoing, routine business expenses, items that you purchase and sell on behalf of your firm. This applies to interest and financing charges associated with the purchase of business assets as well.
Who Can Claim an Annual Investment Allowance?
Companies as well as sole proprietors can claim allowance. The sole proprietor who has more than one business is eligible and can claim an allowance for each business provided that all the businesses don’t operate on the same premise or perform similar activities.
When and What Changes Occurred in the Annual Investment Allowance?
There have been several changes in terms of the level of expenditure, conditions, and amount from time to time since its inception.
In 2008, the expenditure was at £50,000, then in 2010, it increased to £100,000. They lowered the expenditure amount to £25,000 from April to December 2012 and then increased it again to a level of £250,000 in January 2013.
They introduced temporary changes that raised the amount to £500,000 from April 2014 to December 2015. The intention behind this was that after that time, the level would reverse back to its previous low point of £25,000. However, the UK government announced in July 2015 to increase the amount to the level of £200,000. The amount remained the same until 2018. In January 2019, they temporarily set the amount to £1,000,000 for the next two years.
Criteria for Claiming Allowance
It is essential to understand the criteria for claiming tax relief for Annual Investment Allowance UK. According to its procedure, you can claim a full Annual Investment Allowance for the expenditure. It is under the condition that the cost of the qualifying equipment is equivalent to or less than the definite period of the AIA.
On the other hand, an Annual Investment Allowance may only be claimed up to the amount restricted for that year if the cost of the qualifying equipment is greater than the allowance stated for that time.
This guide on what is Annual Investment Allowance and how to calculate it should help you get tax relief in your business.
How to Calculate the Value of an Asset
The worth or value of an asset depends on the price you paid for it. In case you already had the asset in possession before utilising it for your business, implement the current market worth. Same goes for an asset that was a gift.
When your firm is VAT-registered, you can claim the Annual Investment Allowance against the asset’s entire cost. This excludes the VAT you are eligible to recover. You can claim the Annual Investment Allowance on the asset’s entire cost even if your company isn’t VAT-registered.
Here is an Annual Investment Allowance example:
If the set amount of the Annual Investment Allowance for qualifying expenditure is \$200,000 while the accounting period of a business is less than twelve months, then the allowance will reduce in proportion to the accounting period.
Let’s suppose the accounting period of a business is 9 months, then the Annual Investment Allowance limit for that period is $150,000 (9/12 ×$200,000).
How Much Tax Relief Can You Claim?
According to the Annual Investment Allowance, you can deduct 100% of the cost of the equipment bought for business purposes. You do this before working out to assess the tax amount due on that profit. If you do not use the equipment in your business, then it is not eligible for the Annual Investment allowance.
Difference between the Writing Down Allowances and Annual Investment Allowance
Writing Down Allowances (WDAs) offer relief for capital expenditures that qualify over several tax periods. This can be either at the ‘special’ rates or ‘main’ rates. Whereas Annual Investment Allowance 2023 efficiently advances tax relief and helps companies via enhanced cash flow.
As a result, firms claim AIA for expenses that would otherwise qualify for writing off allowances.
Length of Period of Accounts
The length of the accounts’ period is required to calculate the Writing Down Allowances (WDAs) of a business.
Suppose at the commencement of trading, they set the accounts for 15 months. Then Writing Down Allowances are 15/12 of the typical amounts.
The Writing Down Allowance is 6/12 if the length of the period of accounts is six months.
Small Pool Allowance
For those who have £1,000 or less in their general pool or special rate pool, there exists a small pool allowance. It is a capital allowance on the full amount, which you cannot claim if you are already claiming a Writing Down Allowance.
Do Residential Lettings Businesses Qualify for Annual Investment Allowance?
If you own a furnished holiday lettings business or if the asset you are claiming is a common space of a residential building, you may claim capital allowance. An example of a common space is a table that is in the passageway of a flat.
Operating in a Partnership or as a Sole Trader
If you are trading as a partner or a sole trader, you can qualify for cash-basis accounting. That is, if your annual income is less than £150,000. Declaring funds is only required when you go into business and out of it through the cash-basis accounting system.
What if an Asset Requires Replacement or Repairing?
If you need to replace or repair an asset, then you can deduct it against your income. Therefore, you can instantly receive full tax relief for that expense.
There are certain conditions for this tax relief. It will be a capital expenditure if, in the past 12 months, the expenses of repair or replacement are more than half the overall cost of replacement of the asset.
Suppose you have spent £4,000 in the last 12 months on repairing parts of the ventilation system of your company’s building. Now, the total cost of replacement ends up being £6,000. Then it will fall under capital expenditure and qualify for capital allowances rather than FYAs.
Where do Green Technologies Fall Under?
Investing in specific green technologies can qualify for First Year Allowances (FYAs). FYAs are on top of the HMRC Annual Investment Allowance and are qualified for 100 per cent tax relief. This is for the first year, but remember, they are not appointed by time. Technologies that qualify for First Year Allowances include cars that emit less than 50g/km of CO2. Energy-saving machinery and plants along with expenses sustained on an electric vehicle charging point also qualify for FYAs.
