Summary of Budget Tax changes for 2013/14
*Please note the information in this article may be out of date
Here we have information on the changes to income tax brackets, personal allowances, allowable deductions, etc for the 2013/14 year to come.
Thu, 21 Mar 2013See our article on the new 2014/15 Budget Summary
Lets start with the good news!
Personal Allowances
| Allowance | 2013/14 | 2012/13 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | £9,440 | £8,105 | + £1,335 |
| Aged 65-74 | £10,500 | £10,500 | none |
| Aged 75+ | £10.660 | £10,660 | none |
| Married Couples Allowance ( if born before 6th April 1935) | £7,915 | £7,705 | + £210 |
| Blind Person's Allowance | £2,160 | £2,100 | + £60 |
The increase in the Basic Personal Allowance by £1,335 certainly is good news to those families at the bottom of the income ladder. According to The Treasury, this Personal Allowance increase will lift an additional quarter of a million people out of having to pay income tax altogether. Being able to earn up to £9,440 without paying any tax, brings the Coalition Government's goal of achieving a basic personal allowance of £10,000 for all by 2014/15, another step closer.
For the over 65's however, the news is not so good. Allowances for both the over 65's and 75's have been frozen. This is part of the Government's plans to see one Personal Allowance for all. So there will be no movement in allowances for the over 65's and 75's until the Basic Personal Allowance has caught up to them.
Since 2010, anyone (irrelevant of age) who earns over £100,000 has had their Basic Personal Allowance reduced by £1 for every £2 they earn above £100,000. There has been no change to the earning limit of £100,00 when the reductions kick in. Of course the increase to the Basic Allowance will mean that reaching earnings of £118,880 now negates your personal allowance rather than £116,210 as it was this past tax year.
The Age Related Income Limit has increased by £700. For 2012/13 tax year it was £25,400. For 2013/14 the rate is £26,100. From April if you are over 65 years and your earnings are above £26,100, your Personal Allowance will be reduced by £1 for every £2 you earn over that £26,100 limit.
Tax Brackets
| Tax Rate | 2013/14 | 2012/13 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic rate 20% | £0 -£32,010 | £0 -£34,370 | cut by £2,360 |
| Higher Rate 40% | £32,011 - £150,000 | £34,371 -£150,000 | increased by £2,360 |
| £150,001+ | Additional Rate 50% | No longer in use | |
| Additional Rate 45% | £150,001+ | not applicable | 5% rate reduction |
| NOTE: These rates are applied after your tax free allowance has been deducted from your gross wage. | |||
Here we have the not so good news! There has been no increase in the tax rates, in fact the top rate for those lucky enough to be earning over £150,000 has dropped by 5%. But the changes to the tax brackets themselves will mean that more taxpayers will be paying the higher rate of tax (40%) in 2013/14. The threshold crossing into the 40% bracket has dropped from £34,370 in 2012/13, to £32,010 for 2013/14. In fact The Treasury are expecting that the change to the tax brackets will create around 400,000 more higher rate taxpayers by the 2015/16 tax year.
The decrease in the threashold for the Higher Rate tax bracket has been slightly offset by the increase in the Basic Personal Allowance. If you take the new Basic Tax Rate threashold of £32,010 and add it it the new Basic Personal Allowance of £9,440, we see that for 2013/14 you can earn £41,450 before you cross in to 40% tax territory. Last year, 2012/13, this figure was £42,475.
Change in take home pay after tax and NI
| Gross Wage | Net 2013/14 | Net 2012/13 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| £10,000 | £9,618 | £9,332 | +£286 |
| £20,000 | £16,418 | £16,132 | +£286 |
| £30,000 | £23,218 | £22,932 | +£286 |
| £40,000 | £30,018 | £29,732 | +£286 |
| £50,000 | £35,963 | £35,777 | +£186 |
| £75,000 | £50,463 | £50,277 | +£186 |
| £100,000 | £64,963 | £64,777 | +£186 |
| £125,000 | £75,687 | £76,037 | -£350 |
| £150,000 | £90,187 | £90,537 | -£350 |
Source listentotaxman.com
National Insurance
There have been no changes to the percentage of National Insurance Class 1 contributions, they remain at 12% for employees, and 2% above the upper earnings limit. Employers Class 1 have remained the same at 13.8%. The limits and thresholds have changed, as illustrated in the table below. See HMRC for a more detailed view of NIC changes to other Classes.
| Description | 2012/13 | 2013/14 |
|---|---|---|
| Lower earnings limit, primary Class 1 | £107 per week | £109 per week |
| Upper earnings limit, primary Class 1 | £817 per week | £797 per week |
| Primary threshold | £146 per week | £149 per week |
| Secondary threshold | £144 per week | £148 per week |
| Upper accrual point | £770 per week | £770 per week |
Other Notable Changes
Student Loan Repayment Threshold
Student Loan Repayment Threshold is increasing from £15,795 in 2012/13, to £16,365 in 2013/14.
Childcare Vouchers
The only change in 2013/14 to childcare vouchers is an increase in the tax free exemption for those in the additional (45%) tax bracket. For those in the 20% tax bracket the tax free exemption limit is still £55 a week; for those paying the higher rate, 40% tax bracket, the exemption limit is £28 a week. For those in the additional 45% tax bracket there is an increase in the exemption amount from £22 to £25 a week (£97 to £110 a month).
From 2014/15 there will be radical changes to the voucher system. Those working parents with children under 5 years old will be entitled to claim £1,200 for each child. They will effectively not have to pay basic-rate tax on the first £6,000 they spend on child care. In the case of a couple, both parents must be working in order to claim vouchers to help subsidise the costs of child care. For single parent families, the single parent must be in employment.
From autumn 2015, parents already claiming vouchers can continue to receive this support or switch to the new system. New parents will not have the option of the older voucher scheme. For more on the chnges, see our article here.
Annual Pension Contribution Allowance
There will be a change in the tax-free amount you can put into your pension in 2013/14. Last year, 2012/13, it was £50,000 for the year. From April 2014 this figure will drop to £40,000.
Child Benefit
There will be no increase in 2013/14 to the rate at which Child Benefit is paid. The changes to Child Benefit have been brought about through taxing them through Self Assessment if your Net income is over £50,000. See more on these changes here. The Guardian's Allowance has increased by 35p to £15.90 a week.
Tax Free Savings Allowance
From 6 April, the overall annual limit for Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) will rise from the current level of £11,280 to £11,520. Half of this, £5,760 (2013/14) can be saved in a cash ISA. The rest, or the total amount, can go into a stocks and shares ISA. The Junior ISA limit will be increased from £3,600 to £3,720 in 2013/14. During the budget statement, 20th March 2013, the government have promised to look in to allowing the transfer of money from Child Trust Funds in to Junior Isa's, a development worth keeping an eye on.