Summary of a post.
Quick guide to the Personal Savings Allowance
At the Summer Budget in 2015, George Osborne had multiple nuggets of good news for investors in peer-to-peer lending (P2P), most notably the announcement of the new Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA). But one which may have snuck under the radar was the announcement that a new Personal Savings Allowance (PSA) – like the IFISA – will be introduced from 6 April 2016. It represents one of the biggest savings changes in a generation, as it means that around 95% of people will no longer be paying tax on savings as a result.
Indeed, this hugely significant tax efficiency on savings income means that basic-rate taxpayers will be able to earn £1,000 in interest on savings without having to cough up a penny to HMRC (ie: a maximum saving of £200 each year). Their higher-rate taxpaying counterparts will enjoy a corresponding threshold of £500, which in turn also equates to a maximum annual saving of £200.
However, it must be noted that additional-rate taxpayers will not be eligible for the PSA.
What is classified as ‘savings income’?
Many people might not be aware of the fact that the scope of the Personal Savings Allowance extends well beyond current or savings accounts. Interest earned on credit union accounts, building societies, corporate bonds, government bonds, gilts and other currencies are all covered within the umbrella of the PSA, along with most types of life annuity payments too.
Significantly, interest on peer-to-peer lending loans is also included, offering an important boost for consumers who choose to lend through a platform like ours. Given that returns on most stocks and shares won’t be afforded this same protection from tax, it represents a major coup for the P2P sector and its lenders.
How do I claim my Personal Savings Allowance?
Quite simply, ‘claiming’ your PSA won’t require you to lift a finger, as the process will be an automated one set up by HMRC. So that means if you are a basic-rate or higher-rate taxpayer, you will receive gross interest on your savings without owing any tax, provided the total remains within your respective annual threshold.
In the event that your savings income exceeds this threshold you may be able to pay any tax owed through your PAYE tax code, depending on the amount owed. The account provider – be that the bank, building society, P2P lending platform etc – will provide HMRC with the information they need to do this, and in order to cover any tax due on savings interest, your personal allowance will automatically be reduced.
For those who usually fill in a Self Assessment tax return each year, you should continue doing so as normal, albeit that a new digital system will soon be replacing the annual tax return.
Using your PSA and your (IF)ISA in tandem
Some may be wondering if it is still worthwhile making use of an ISA (or IFISA in the case of peer-to-peer lending). Though we are not in a position to offer tax advice and you should always seek advice from a tax or financial advisor, there is no reason why the two can’t be used together in order to maximise your tax savings. In the case of peer-to-peer lending you can subscribe as much of your annual ISA allowance to an IFISA with a platform like ours as you wish, and then invest another significant sum of money into a non-IFISA P2P account, and still end up not having to pay any tax (provided your interest earned in the non-IFISA P2P account does not exceed £500 or £1,000, and you have no other savings that earn interest).
For example, at an annualised rate of return of 5%, you could invest £20,000 of lending capital as a basic-rate taxpayer (assuming you do not have any other savings income) into a non-IFISA P2P account, and not owe a penny to HMRC – thus equalling a maximum total tax-free investment in P2P loans of up to £35,240 a year (if you invest in an IFISA as well). For a higher-rate taxpayer, the maximum covered by the PSA in this case would be £10,000, and the maximum total tax-free investment in P2P would fall to £25,240. Still, it’s a handsome amount of money to shield from tax.
Bear in mind too that, unlike the PSA, there is no limit on the amount of interest you can receive tax free under an ISA.
Anything else I need to know?
The PSA is largely as simple and automated as it sounds. All those over the age of 18 are eligible, and the rules are unchanged for pensioners. Couples may also be interested to note that if they have a joint bank account while paying different rates of income tax, any interest earned in this account is assumed to be split down the middle, and the PSA shared equally.
Other than that, there really isn’t much more to it, although we would strongly advocate speaking to an authorised tax advisor if you wish to find out the best way of incorporating the PSA into your portfolio. But, suffice it to say, the Personal Savings Allowance has rightly been hailed as a positive change by UK savers. It will reduce both complexities in the system and the number of tax returns needed at the end of each year, while increasing the amount of pennies ending up in our pockets. For consumers, this can only be a good thing.
Related articles:
Our website offers information about saving, investing, tax and other financial matters, but not personal advice. If you're not sure whether peer-to-peer lending is right for you, please seek independent financial advice, and if you decide to invest with Lending Works, please read our Key Lender Information PDF first.
As with all investments, your capital is at risk.
- Summary of a post.
- Summary of a post.
- Summary of a post.
In line with our risk management framework, today we published our Q4 2019 performance update.
As a platform, we take great pride in all that we've achieved since opening our doors for business nearly six years ago. We’ve
Featured
Wednesday’s Budget speech, coupled with the cut to Bank of England rates, represented a decisive response to the coronavirus. Here we analyse the impact it will have on mitigating disruption from Covid-19, along with the long-term implications of this significant fiscal stimulus.
Rumblings from the Treasury ahead of next week's Budget suggest tax grabs will be needed to fund increased spending, and it appears UK enterprise could be in the firing line. Here we articulate why targeting entrepreneurs and small business is ill advised.
In a difficult climate, customer acquisition and lead generation present stern challenges for UK retailers, and a great deal of marketing spend invariably gets directed towards getting feet through the door.
There is a variety of literature and research illustrating the importance of building brand loyalty, albeit with some degree of variance.
Over the last decade, there can be little dispute that the reputation of mainstream banks – and particularly the so-called ‘Big Four’ (HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds and RBS) – is at its lowest ebb.
The idea of peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is a simple one; you lend money to those who wish to borrow, with a view to receiving a great return for doing so.
Most popular
- Summary of a post.
The 2019-20 ISA season has been a damp squib, with banks disinterested in attracting savers’ cash, rates cut, and the stock market in freefall. However, the emergence of the IFISA means alternatives beckon for those seeking a stable middle ground in terms of risk and reward.
In a decade of slow recovery, the rapid rise in asset prices has been the standout. But how sustainable has price growth been, and could we be in the midst of a bubble?
- Summary of a post.
Most people consider income tax to be a given, but in the UK it is barely two centuries old. In this article, we look at how this tax has developed over the years, and also why it is set to remain at the core of our tax system for many decades to come.
Open banking celebrated its second birthday last month, but has the ‘revolution for financial services’ that was promised actually come to pass? In this article, we look at the progress the initiative has made so far, and what the future holds in the face of high levels of scepticism.
Recent
The Lending Works Shield does not give you a right to a payment so you may not receive a pay-out even if you suffer loss. The Lending Works Trustee has absolute discretion as to the amount that may be paid, including making no payment at all. Therefore, investors should not rely on possible pay-outs from the Lending Works Shield when considering whether or how much to invest. For more information click here.