20 Jun Eight Things To Know About Paying Taxes In The UK
Tax obligations are something that every citizen knows about. These are monies that are collected from wage-earning individuals each year to help cover the costs of government business, infrastructure, public schools, universal healthcare and more. To understand just how these funds work and why they are so essential, here are eight fundamental things that you should know about paying taxes in the UK, along with a few surprising details.
UK residents face one of the highest income tax rates in all the world. Of the top eight countries, the United Kingdom ranks seventh, just ahead of the United States. It is important to note, however, that people who live within the United Kingdom also tend to be highly satisfied with how these funds are being spent. Some countries do not charge their citizens any money in this respect, but they typically have substandard municipal functions and features.
Surprisingly, all of the revenue collected by the government comes from just half of the working and work-capable population. This is due to the rate being based upon income. Those with less money earned will be responsible for less. When incomes are extremely low, no debt or obligation is accumulated in this area.
A lot of people are able to claim the standard personal allowance. This is the amount of cash that a person can earn or acquire for his or her living costs, before taxation becomes an issue. This has recently been increased to 11,000 pounds. Income that is considered for taxation includes monies generated from small, privately owned businesses, wages from a job, and interest earned on certain assets such as savings bonds and savings accounts.
Nearly 23 percent of all revenue collected by the UK government is derived from taxation. As such, there is a delicate balance between creating far laws and allowances for citizens, and making sure that needs are met. This is especially true given that such a small percent of the population is relied upon for the necessary 23 percent.
Income from savings is taxed in much the same way as all other income. As such, it is important for people to have solid plans for meeting this obligation at the end of the reporting year. People who generate large sums of money from savings and other investments may want to file and make payments quarterly. This way, the debt or obligation will be far more manageable than if simply reporting once annually.
People are often advised to seek the services of reputable accountants, especially when in possession of assets that qualify for taxation. The more that a person owns and the more diverse his or her overall portfolio is, the more complicated the filing process will invariably become. Professional accountants can make sure that all exceptions and allowances have been claimed so that people are never over or underpaying this important bill.
One important allowance is the capital gains allowance. This is granted to people who have sold homes in the current year and have generated profits from these transactions. In these instances, a small portion of the gains can be enjoyed tax-free. Talking with an accountant will help you calculate your obligations resulting from any major real estate transactions that you have recently made.