Insights
Seminars & Events
News

Latest Insights

Case Law – Mersey Docks & Harbour Company v HMRC

HMRC continue to raise enquiries and to disallow items of plant that could be used for a claimant’s trade. This case relates to the quay wall at the Port of Liverpool

14 Jan 2025

Written by: Clive Curd

Case Law – Changi Airport Loses $273m Tax Break

Changi Airport Group (CAG) made Capital Allowances claims over three years totalling $272,575,162 on assets including the runways and taxiways but lost with the Court of Appeal determining that the assets were structures and not tools of trade.

20 Dec 2024

Written by: Tom Lo

Furnished Holiday Lets – HMRC Clarify Legislation

The window to claim Capital Allowances tax relief on furnished holiday lettings (FHLs) is fast decreasing before repeal of the legislation in April 2025 and HMRC have now clarified the transitional rules about who can or can't claim.

07 Nov 2024

Written by: David Gibson

Archive

 

Latest News

Case Law – Mersey Docks & Harbour Company v HMRC

14 Jan 2025

HMRC continue to raise enquiries and to disallow items of plant that could be used for a claimant’s trade. This case relates to the quay wall at the Port of Liverpool

Case Law – Changi Airport Loses $273m Tax Break

20 Dec 2024

Changi Airport Group (CAG) made Capital Allowances claims over three years totalling $272,575,162 on assets including the runways and taxiways but lost with the Court of Appeal determining that the assets were structures and not tools of trade.

Furnished Holiday Lets – HMRC Clarify Legislation

07 Nov 2024

The window to claim Capital Allowances tax relief on furnished holiday lettings (FHLs) is fast decreasing before repeal of the legislation in April 2025 and HMRC have now clarified the transitional rules about who can or can't claim.

New Case Law – Capital v Revenue

04 Oct 2024

A recent important Supreme Court decision in Centrica Overseas Holdings Limited v HMRC addresses the deductibility of expenses incurred by a company. The bar to deduct costs has been raised considerably

HMRC To Increase Scrutiny on Capital Allowances Claims

04 Oct 2024

Not only are Allowances more advantageous than ever before, but HMRC are strategically targeting tax leakage – including through Capital Allowances. Getting the correct advice is essential

100% Full Expensing – What is it and why it’s important

09 Sep 2024

Hailed as the “Greatest Tax Break in History” when it was introduced in 2021, the 130% Super Deduction aimed to take some of the sting away from the hike in Corporation Tax rate that was announced in the same speech. Its replacement, Full Expensing (FE), took over in April 2023 as a slightly less headline-grabby 100% First Year Allowance. But what is it?

Some Good News for Furnished Holiday Let Owners

05 Aug 2024

Positive transitional rules have now been published allowing Furnished Holiday Let owners the ability to use Capital Allowances beyond April 2025

Case Ruling – HMRC v Altrad Services Limited

10 Jul 2024

The decision by the Court of Appeal will have far reaching implications in that it clearly resets the boundaries of what is a capital allowances avoidance scheme designed to increase the quantum of capital allowances claimed

Spring Budget Update

06 Mar 2024

Chancellor Jeremey Hunt announces changes to the capital allowances legislation affecting furnished holiday let owners

Legislative requirements and market demand are driving the need for buildings to become more sustainable in terms of construction and operationally.  Here we explain how capital allowances can help to offset the cost of refurbishing existing buildings to achieve higher green building standards.

Building design is increasingly looking at innovative ways to deliver greener buildings and the different building design options which provide the most cost effective outcome in hitting the desired rating.

The tax relief provided by claiming capital allowances by the entity that incurs the expenditure is often overlooked.  By factoring in the capital allowances to help ‘pay back’ some of the cost, is increasingly important to assist in the feasibility of these projects.

Capital allowances provide some form of tax relief against most types of building works, here we consider a selection:

Thermal insulation to existing buildings

This can take many different forms from replacing single glazing to double or triple glazed units to over roofing or cladding.  All these measures attract thermal insulation allowances providing it can be shown to improve the building’s u-value.

Electricity consumption

With the cost of utilities going up, building owners and occupiers are looking at cost effective ways to reduce energy consumption and to future proof their buildings. This could be through replacing lighting to LEDs, adding intelligent controls and adding photo voltaic panels.  All these building measures qualify for integral features where they form part of the ‘trades’ electrical system.

Heating & Cooling

The way buildings are heated and cooled are too many to list for this article, but increasingly building owners and occupiers are considering non fossil fuel solutions which for existing properties can be challenging to incorporate.  Building efficiencies into existing systems is often a first consideration.  Adapting more efficient boilers or moving to electric heating, ground source heat pumps and CHP, are all options that can deliver greener accreditation.

Solar shading can be installed to reduce the solar gain to reduce the buildings demand for cooling and can come in the form of a separate fixed overhang, or part of the cladding design.

Each of these measures qualify for some form of capital allowance, typically integral features. Claims can be increased further by including the associated builders works, preliminaries and certain professional fees, which can be apportioned to the specific qualifying plant items.

In the autumn statement it was confirmed that the annual investment allowance will remain at £1m and is available for individuals, partnerships and companies which based on a corporation tax rate of 25% will provide up to £250,000 of tax cash savings, or £450,000 for partnerships and individuals.

To understand more about how capital allowances can help to offset the cost of office refurbishments, please contact one of the directors.