Self Employment : Balancing charges?
Self Employment : Balancing charges?
Author
Discussion

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,536 posts

274 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
Just a quick one as the Tax Return notes don't explain this very well -

If I sell a car used partially (say 30%) for work during the tax year, then is the balancing charge 30% of the value that I sell it for?

Seems a bit much that's all - the writing down allowance for when you buy a car is 25% of the car's value IIRC, so in this case it would be 30% of 25% of the value of the car.

Does the 25% thing apply when selling too?

Smartie

2,623 posts

296 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
Its the full amount of the loss (WDV less proceeds) and then restricted by your personal/business ratio. You can't claim the WDV and the BA in the same year though.

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,536 posts

274 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
OK, so the writing down allowance / value(?) for the car this year was 790.91 (25% of 3163.64)

I sold it for 2500 - so my balancing charge is (3163.64 - 2500) * 30% (if 30% is my amount of business use).

Or am I getting confused

Sorry, the examples they give are really unclear as to how this works...

>> Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Monday 30th January 01:29

>> Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Monday 30th January 01:29

Smartie

2,623 posts

296 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
So your WDV brought forward at the beginning of the year is 3163 and you sold the car for 2500?

You ballancing allowance is therefore, 3163 - 2500 = 663 then restricted to 30% so, £221.

You would be charged a ballancing charge if you made a profit on the car, say you had sold it for £4000!

Hope that helps!

In addition, you can then claim a WDV on anything bought to replace it.

>> Edited by Smartie on Monday 30th January 01:34

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

278 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
That's right.

The opening value of £3k should be the written down value, after deducting writing down allowances from previous years, not the original cost.

And thank you for reminding me I'm going to be hit with a penalty for not getting mine done by the 31st.....

swine.....

edited to say I was not responding to Smartie, who pushed in while I was chewing a doughnut....

some buggers have no manners.....

>> Edited by mybrainhurts on Monday 30th January 01:38

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,536 posts

274 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
Guys, that's much clearer and you've saved me a lot of money (was just about to claim 30% of 2500 as my balancing charge )

So, to recap:

Work out WDA of new car as per usual (25% of price) *30%

Balancing charge = 663 *30%

Correct?

(no WDA on old car as selling it?)

Smartie, what's the disctinction between the Balancing Charge and the Balancing allowance?

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

278 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
Balancing charge if you made a profit on sale.

Balancing allowance if you made a loss on sale.

Profit/loss refers to sale proceeds V (tax) written down value.

Smartie

2,623 posts

296 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
A Bal Allowance is an allowance against profit exactly the same at the WDA you claim every year.

A Bal charge is effectivly a negative allowance (ie increases you profit) and is applicable if you make a profit on a disposal.

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,536 posts

274 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
So in effect, as I made a loss on the car (because I sold it for less than the 3100 supposed value at the start of the year) I add the amount I made a loss by (600 odd quid) to the WDA of the other car? So it's all good!?

(This is always the bit of the tax return I have had problems with )

Smartie

2,623 posts

296 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
NiceCupOfTea said:
So in effect, as I made a loss on the car (because I sold it for less than the 3100 supposed value at the start of the year) I add the amount I made a loss by (600 odd quid) to the WDA of the other car? So it's all good!?





good 'innit!

>> Edited by Smartie on Monday 30th January 01:54

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,536 posts

274 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
Phew - my eyes were out on stalks when I saw the bill, this should sort it out nicely

S'funny, couldn't find any decent explanation on it on the web - trust PH to come up with the goods!

I owe you guys a beer if we ever meet IRL! Thanks!

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

278 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
That's hokay....it'll be easier when I take over...

I'll only be taxing the green movement, animal rights nutters and people called Prescott, Blair, Brown and a few others, whose names escape me at the moment....but I have a list, ha haarrr...I have a list.

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,536 posts

274 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
Well you have my vote

Eric Mc

124,768 posts

288 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
I presume you are aware pf the Expensive Car Restrictions plus the various permuatations on the tax treatment of assets purchased outright, financed by loans or HP or financed by the various types of leasing arrangements?

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,536 posts

274 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
Nope, I can't hear you, la la la

Both cars were cheap, both paid for/sold in cash (no HP involved).

Just to confirm : I can't claim a capital allowance for the car I am selling this year; only for the other one?

Eric Mc

124,768 posts

288 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
No you can't claim the annual Writing Down Allowance on the car you have sold - just account for the final Balancing Allowance or Balancing Charge arising on disposal(as explained above). Obviously, you can now start claiming the annual Writing Down Allowance on the new car - suitably restricted by the private useage persentage.

Make sure you have some back up of your workings as to how you have arrived at your private use versus business use split and also ensure that you use the same ratio when restricting your vehicle running costs figure in your profit and loss accounts/tax computation.

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,536 posts

274 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
Thanks Eric.

Yep, that percentage is one of the most accurate bits that I've done - I'm anal about producing a mileage log over the year so I can tell you down to a 10th of a percent what my SE business usage is

MikeyT

17,778 posts

294 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
I presume you are aware pf the Expensive Car Restrictions plus the various permuatations on the tax treatment of assets purchased outright, financed by loans or HP or financed by the various types of leasing arrangements?


Trust Eric to be up and about an gawd knows what o'clock and to put a spanner in the works by mentioning paragragh 8, subsection C, line F or whatever