Hugh Simpson, agricultural director at Ensors Chartered Accountants, gives a basic overview of capital allowances and their use for farming businesses.
As spring draws nearer, many farmers will be gearing up for a busy drilling season after challenging autumn weather.
But with the end of the 2024 tax year approaching as well, now could be a key time for farming businesses to look at reducing their future tax liability.
Capital allowances (CAs) are a useful tool for reducing taxable profit and should be considered when tax planning.
The basic allowances, known as writing down allowances (WDAs), are essentially HMRC’s equivalent of depreciation. Businesses can largely choose whatever depreciation rates they feel appropriate, but to ensure all businesses are treated in the same way for tax, depreciation and profit/loss on disposal are replaced by CAs in the tax computation.
WDAs apply to assets allocated to the main pool or the special rate pool and attract relief at 18% and 6% respectively. Full relief for expenditure on qualifying plant and machinery in the year of acquisition can be achieved via first year allowances (FYAs) or annual investment allowance (AIA).
There is no maximum for FYAs (some of these only apply to companies and equipment must be brand new), but AIA has a limit of £1m per year – as per the spring 2023 budget, this limit was made ‘permanent’.
Where the AIA limit has been exceeded or the machinery does not qualify for AIA or FYAs, then the WDAs may potentially be used.
It must be noted that for allowances to apply, plant/machinery must be on site by the business’ year end, but if purchased under hire purchase arrangements, brought into use before year end as well.
Disposals should not be forgotten; the proceeds on sale of assets that have previously qualified for allowances reduce the CAs and, if the timing of acquisitions and disposals is not right, can turn the CAs negative and actually increase taxable profits – hence, as with all things tax, timing is key!
While reducing tax liability is important for many farmers to enable cash to be reinvested in the business, planning decisions should not be solely based on reducing tax, but considered in the round for the overall benefit of the business.
For more from Ensors, visit ensors.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article