If you’re self-employed or running a trading partnership, navigating tax regulations can be daunting. The UK’s tax reporting system has had some recent changes, which began with the 2023 to 2024 tax year, so it’s important to stay informed and be prepared. This blog will walk you through these new changes, especially if your business’s financial year doesn’t align with the usual tax year (from the 31st of March to the 5th of April).
This year is a transitional phase. You’ll report profits from just after your last financial year-end in 2022 to 2023, to 5th April 2024. This could mean considering two financial years to figure out your taxable income.
If you end up with profits for more than 12 months, that’s your ‘transition profit’. You can shrink this down with Overlap Relief, and the remaining profit gets spread out until the tax year 2027 to 2028.
Here are the steps you’ll need to take:
- Calculate your overlap relief
- Work out your transition profit
- Include these figures in your 2023 to 2024 self-assessment tax return
Specific Cases
If your financial year ends close to the tax year, between the 31st of March and the 4th of April, you can treat it as ending on the 5th of April, saving you the hassle of splitting profits for a few days.
Reporting Profits from the 5th of April 2024
From the 2024 to 2025 tax year onwards, your profit reporting will align with the tax year (the 6th of April to the 5th of April the following year). This involves combining profits from the 6th of April up to your financial year-end and the start of your new business year to the 5th of April the following year. In a leap year, count 366 days instead of 365.
Examples of Dividing Up Your Profits
You can split up your profits daily, monthly, or in any way that makes sense. Let’s look at a couple of examples:
- Daily Splitting: Say your business year is from the 1st of October 2025 to the 30th of September 2026, with a profit of £45,000, and then from the 1st of October 2026 to the 30th of September 2027, making £75,000. For the 2025 to 2026 tax year, you’ll calculate profit from the 1st of October 2025 to the 5th of April 2026, and so on.
- Monthly Splitting: If your business runs from the 1st of January 2026 to the 31st of December 2026 (making £50,000), and then from the 1st of January 2027 (earning £15,000), you’d divide the profits based on the months in each tax year.
Estimating Profits
Sometimes, you might not know your exact profit for the entire tax year when you file your return. In that case, use provisional figures and update your return when you get the exact numbers. Doing it this way keeps everything neat and accurate, ensuring your tax records truly mirror what’s happening in your business.
Keeping Up With the New Tax Year Basis
These changes are fairly big for self-employed individuals and partnerships. It’s crucial to understand them, how they’ll impact your tax returns, and what you need to do. Staying informed and maybe even getting some advice can really help. Preparing for tax changes can make your life easier and avoid unwelcome surprises later on.
If you’d like to prepare for these changes, start now to make your future tax experience smooth sailing. You can call us at 01603 630882 or fill out our online form. Taking steps today will secure your financial future and keep you up-to-date with these evolving tax rules.
