Business
Highlighting Corporation Tax, Capital Allowances and Business Rates.
Corporation Tax rates
The government has confirmed that the rates of Corporation Tax will remain unchanged, which means that, from April 2025, the rate will stay at 25% for companies with profits over £250,000. The 19% small profits rate will be payable by companies with profits of £50,000 or less. Companies with profits between £50,001 and £250,000 will pay tax at the main rate reduced by a marginal relief, providing a gradual increase in the effective Corporation Tax rate.
Comment
The government has committed to capping the main rate of Corporation Tax at 25% for the duration of the Parliament. This is currently the lowest in the G7.
Capital allowances
The Full Expensing rules for companies allow a 100% write-off on qualifying expenditure on most plant and machinery (excluding cars) as long as it is new and unused. Similar rules apply to integral features and long life assets at a rate of 50%. The government will explore extending Full Expensing to assets bought for leasing or hiring, when fiscal conditions allow.
The Annual Investment Allowance is available to both incorporated and unincorporated businesses. It gives a 100% write-off on certain types of plant and machinery up to certain financial limits per 12-month period. The limit remains at £1 million.
The 100% First Year Allowances (FYA) for qualifying expenditure on zero-emission cars and the 100% FYA for qualifying expenditure on plant or machinery for electric vehicle chargepoints have been extended to 31 March 2026 for corporation tax purposes and 5 April 2026 for income tax purposes.
Furnished Holiday Lettings
The Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHL) tax regime will be abolished from April 2025. The effect of abolishing the rules will be that FHL properties will form part of the person's UK or overseas property business and be subject to the same rules as non-furnished holiday let property businesses. This will apply to individuals, corporates and trusts who operate or sell FHL accommodation.
There are a number of implications from 2025/26 which are detailed below.
Pensions - individuals will no longer be able to include this income within relevant UK earnings when calculating maximum pension relief.
Dwelling-related loans - the amount of income tax relief landlords can receive on residential property finance costs is restricted to the basic rate of income tax of 20%.
Replacement of domestic items - capital allowances will no longer be available for expenditure on new plant and machinery (subject to transitional rules) but instead businesses may claim relief on the replacement of certain items.
Capital gains - the rules which allowed FHL to be treated as a trade for various capital gains tax reliefs are withdrawn in relation to disposals made on or after 6 April 2025 (1 April 2025 for Corporation Tax). Roll-over relief on the replacement of business assets will no longer apply to acquisitions which take place on or after those dates. However, there are a number of detailed transitional rules to preserve certain reliefs such as Business Asset Disposal Relief in specific situations.
Losses - broadly, any unused losses can be carried forward to set against future years' profits of either the UK or overseas property business as appropriate.
Multinational
The government will introduce the Undertaxed Profits Rule, being the final part of the G20-OECD Global Minimum Tax agreed by over 135 countries and jurisdictions. It will take effect for accounting periods beginning on or after 31 December 2024. The government confirmed that the Offshore Receipts in Respect of Intangible Property rules will be abolished in respect of income arising from 31 December 2024.
Additional amendments will also be made to the Multinational Top-up Tax and Domestic Top-up Tax legislation.
Energy Profits Levy
The Energy Profits Levy (EPL) (the temporary levy on profits arising from the upstream production of oil and gas) will increase from 35% to 38% and the end date of the levy will be extended to 31 March 2030. The EPL's Investment Allowance will be removed and the Decarbonisation Investment Allowance reduced to 66%. These measures will take effect from 1 November 2024. The government will publish a consultation in early 2025 on how it will respond to price shocks once the EPL ends.
Comment
The purpose of the EPL is to ensure that oil and gas companies contribute more to the energy transition; one of the government's key missions is to make the UK a clean energy superpower.
Business rates
For 2025/26, eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties in England will receive 40% relief on their business rates liability. RHL properties will be eligible to receive support up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business.
For 2025/26, the small business multiplier in England will be frozen at 49.9p. The standard multiplier will be increased to 55.5p.
Creative industries
From 1 April 2025, film and high-end TV productions will be able to claim an enhanced 39% rate of Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) on their UK visual effects (VFX) costs. UK VFX costs will be exempt from the AVEC's 80% cap on qualifying expenditure. Costs incurred from 1 January 2025 will be eligible.
UK films with budgets under £15 million and a UK lead writer or director will be able to claim an enhanced 53% rate of AVEC from 1 April 2025. This is known as the Independent Film Tax Credit.
From 1 April 2025, the rates of Theatre Tax Relief, Orchestra Tax Relief and Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief will be set at 40% for non-touring productions and 45% for touring productions and all orchestra productions, applying UK-wide.
Other
The government will ensure shareholders cannot extract funds untaxed from close companies by legislating to remove opportunities to side-step the anti-avoidance rules attached to the loans to participators regime. This change will apply from 30 October 2024.
The government will support charitable giving by legislating to prevent abuse of the charity tax rules, ensuring that only the intended tax relief is given to charities. These changes will take effect from April 2026 to give charities time to adjust to the new rules.
From 30 October 2024, alternative finance tax rules will be amended to put certain tax consequences of alternative and conventional financing arrangements on a level playing field.
