You can usually claim tax relief on private pension contributions worth up to 100% of your annual earnings, subject to the overriding limits. Tax relief is paid on pension contributions at the highest rate of income tax paid.

This means that if you are:

• A basic rate taxpayer, you get 20% pension tax relief.
• A higher rate taxpayer, you can claim 40% pension tax relief.
• An additional rate taxpayer, you can claim 45% pension tax relief.

The first 20% of tax relief is usually automatically applied by your employer with no further action required if you are a basic-rate taxpayer. If you are a higher rate or additional rate taxpayer, you can claim back any further reliefs on your self-assessment tax return.

The above applies for claiming tax relief in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. There are some regional differences if you are based in Scotland.

There is an annual allowance for tax relief on pensions of £60,000. This limit remains unchanged in the new 2024-25 tax year. There is also a rule that allows you to carry forward any unused amount of your annual allowance for three tax years.

The lifetime limit for tax relief on pension contributions was removed with effect from 6 April 2023 and has now been abolished.

HMRC’s free tax app is available to download from the App Store for iOS and from the Google Play Store for Android. The latest version of the app includes updated functionality.

The app can be used to see:

• your tax code and National Insurance number;
• your income and benefits;
• your income from work in the previous 5 years;
• how much you will receive in tax credits and when they will be paid;
• your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) self-assessment;
• how much self-assessment tax you owe;
• your Child Benefit; and
• your State Pension.

The app can also be used to complete a number of tasks that usually require the user to be logged on to a computer. This includes:

• get an estimate of the tax you need to pay;
• make a self-assessment payment;
• set a reminder to make a self-assessment payment;
• report tax credits changes and complete your renewal;
• access your Help to Save account;
• using HMRC’s tax calculator to work out your take home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance deductions;
• track forms and letters you have sent to HMRC;
• claim a refund if you have paid too much tax;
• ask HMRC’s digital assistant for help and information;
• update your name and / or postal address;
• save your National Insurance number to your digital wallet; and
• choose to be contacted by HMRC electronically, instead of by letter.

Employers can register on a voluntary basis (before the start of the tax year) to report and account for tax on certain benefits and expenses via the RTI system. This is known as payrolling and removes the requirement to complete a P11D for the selected benefits at the tax year end.

Registration is now open to payroll your benefits from 6 April 2024. Effective 6 April 2023, HMRC ceased accepting new informal arrangements. If you have had one of these informal arrangements in place, you must register to payroll your expenses and benefits for 2024-25.

The deadline for submitting the 2023-24 forms P11D, P11D(b) and P9D is 6 July 2024. These forms can be submitted using commercial software or via HMRC’s PAYE online service. HMRC no longer accepts paper P11D and P11D(b) forms. Employees must also be provided with a copy of the information relating to them on these forms by the same date. P11D forms are used to provide information to HMRC on all Benefits in Kind (BiKs), including those under the Optional Remuneration Arrangements (OpRAs) unless the employer has registered to payroll benefits.

It should be noted that a P11D(b) is still required for Class 1A National Insurance payments regardless of whether the benefits are being reported via P11D or payrolled. The deadline for paying Class 1A NICs is 22 July 2024 (or 19 July if paying by cheque).

Where no benefits were provided from 6 April 2023 to 5 April 2024 and a form P11D(b) or P11D(b) reminder is received, employers can either submit a 'nil' return or notify HMRC online that no return is required. Employers should ensure that they complete their P11D's accurately, including all the details of cars and loans provided. There are penalties of £100 per 50 employees for each month or part month a P11D(b) is late. There are also penalties and interest if late payments are made.

HMRC’s Childcare Account can be used to claim free childcare (if eligible) or pay for Tax-Free Childcare. HMRC’s sign in page for the account states that in order ‘…to keep getting free childcare or Tax-Free Childcare, you must sign in every 3 months and confirm your details are up to date’.

There are various eligibility rules that must be met to claim free childcare via the Childcare Account. As a starting point you must be the parents of a child two, three or four years old and living in England. From September 2024, the scheme will be extended for children of working parents from the age of 9 months. You can apply from 12 May 2024. There are different schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The Childcare Account can also be used to claim under the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. The TFC scheme can help parents of children aged up to 11 years old (17 for those with certain disabilities). The TFC scheme helps support working families with their childcare costs. There are many registered childcare providers including childminders, breakfast and after school clubs and approved play schemes signed up across the UK. Parents can pay into their account regularly and save up their TFC allowance to use during school holidays.

The TFC scheme provides for a government top-up on parental contributions. For every £8 contributed by parents an additional £2 top up payment will be funded by Government up to a maximum total of £10,000 per child per year. This will give parents an annual childcare savings of up to £2,000 per child (and up to £4,000 for disabled children until the age of 17).

The TFC scheme is open to all qualifying parents including the self-employed and those on a minimum wage. The scheme is also available to parents on paid sick leave as well as those on paid and unpaid statutory maternity, paternity and adoption leave. In order to be eligible to use the scheme, parents will have to be in work at least 16 hours per week and earn at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage. If either parent earns more than £100,000, both parents are unable to use the scheme.

The Treasury have issued details of a new VAT relief that is aimed at boosting the value of items donated to charities.

It will consult on introducing a UK-wide VAT relief for a range of low value household goods which businesses donate to charities to give away free of charge to people in need. The conclusion to the consultation will be announced at a future fiscal event.

“The Treasury press release says:

“A new VAT relief to encourage businesses to donate everyday items to charity will be consulted on, the Treasury’s tax minister Nigel Huddleston has announced today (18 April 2024).

“Currently firms do not pay VAT on any goods they donate which are then sold on, such as clothes, hygiene supplies and cleaning products. However, if these goods are not sold but are instead distributed free of charge to those in need VAT must be paid for.

“The Treasury has today announced it will consult on a new VAT relief for donations of low value household goods to help encourage donations.”

The new VAT relief will not include goods which are donated to charities for them to use, such as new IT equipment. This is to prevent VAT avoidance. For example, the commercial arm of an organisation buying equipment then donating them to a charitable wing to avoid VAT. The consultation will seek views on this.

It will be interesting to see how HMRC will accommodate these welcome changes without adding even more complexity to the UK’s groaning tax rules.