Budget 2018: Did the chancellor meet the needs of micro businesses?

Last week, we asked you how Philip Hammond could make life easier for micro businesses at the 2018 Budget. Now the chancellor has made his statement, weve held him to account by contrasting the announcements with what you demanded.

1. Fix the business rates system

an ineffectual albatross around the neck of some of Britain’s most important employers.?

What you asked for:

For the chancellor, business rates is an issue that will not go away. With a projected 2.5% rise in rates in April 2019, UK companies are expected foot a total bill of 758.55m in the next tax year a burden which has increased by a third, or 6.04bn, in the last ten years.

The system, according to Jeremy Thomson-Cook, chief economist at payment platform WorldFirst, is “simply not fit for purpose”.

a tax on a property’s rateable value? set centrally, but paid locally allows no flexibility for local authorities to levy what they think fair and equitable for their business constituents. It also happens to be one of the few direct taxes that is levied with no forethought as to the business? ability to pay.

in the current post-vote, pre-Brexit world wherein the UK is desperate to attract investment from businesses who can take advantage of our well-educated, highly-skilled workers, what could help more than cutting out some of the most onerous business taxes in the G7?”

Expected to absorb the latest rise in rates, small business owners will be wondering where the money is set to come from.

Thomson-Cook added: A centralised tax targeting businesses based on their premises is an ineffectual albatross around the neck of some of Britain’s most important employers and many will be looking to the Budget to see change in this area.

What the chancellor announced:

Hammond announced a 1.5bn cash boost into the UK business rates system, with small high street retailers the focus of relief to combat the threats posed by ecommerce and shifting shopping habits.

The Treasury claimed almost half a million high street businesses would see business rates cut by a third, through 900m of immediate business rates relief.

Rateable values are also set to change. According to the Treasury, changes would see a Sheffield pub with a rateable value of 37, 750 save 6, 178 next year, while a Midlands newsagent with a rateable value of 14, 250 would save 1, 749.

Expressing relief at the pledge, Mike Cherry, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said: For far too long (retailers) have come up against an outdated and unfair rates system and it’s clear that change is needed.

Read more about business rates:

• Business rates bill is double what the council first told me?
• Unpaid business rates: Councils send bailiffs to 222 properties every day
• The business rates loopholes your small company should know

2. Drop IR35 and the tax raid on freelancers

“The taxman is paranoid”

As part of its attack on “disguised self-employment”, the government is committed to introducing IR35 into the private sector. The reforms would see freelance and contractworkers considered regular employees by HMRC enter PAYE and the National Insurance system. Nigel Morris, tax director at MHA MacIntyre Hudson accountants, called for a delay to IR35 changes until April 2020.

hMRC has consulted on implementing similar changes to the private sector, effective April 2019, but it’s unlikely businesses will be ready, ” Morris said. “Wed like to see the chancellor use any Brexit deal dividend? to support the delay of implementation until at least April 2020.

in addition, wed urge HMRC and the Treasury to revisit the proposed arrangements and potential alternatives it ruled out in its consultation.”

Read more:?What is IR35 and does it affect you as a business owner?

While some call for a delay to IR35, many micro business champions want the policy pulled from the private sector altogether. Lee Murphy, founder ofpandle, said HMRC needed to support the self-employed rather than impose further bureaucracy.

the taxman is paranoid that lots of freelancers are really disguised employees? who work full-time for one employer on an indefinite basis. There is a bit of that, but tackling it by hitting two million innocent people with massive cost and bureaucracy, not to mention additional costs being passed onto the organisations that use them, will damage this essential part of Britain’s economic success at the worst possible time.

what’s more, the abolition of Class 2 National Insurance not going ahead is certainly a mistake not only for the relief on sole traders but also the simplification of the National Insurance system. This would have been a great move to include all NI for sole traders under Class 4 NI and simplify the system.?

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mistruths and denials?: HMRC accused of misleading chancellor on IR35 reforms

Tax experts have accused HMRC of misleading the Treasury on new IR35 reforms, the off-payroll rules currently under scrutiny, and explicitly called the tax office’s integrity into question.

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3. Reduce corporation tax

“They need to look long and hard at some sort of relief”

Gary Jenkins, director at No Brainer, wants the chancellor to acknowledge the contribution of small businesses to the economy by reducing corporation tax, currently set at 19% for smaller firms.

“Id like to see corporation tax burdens reduced. In terms of jobs growth, a large part if it is coming from the 99%+ SMEs who make up companies in UK plc young, hungry, growing businesses on the up. I think they need to look long and hard at some sort of relief be it in corporation tax or something else pinned to job creation for SMEs. Here’s hoping!

“All political parties say they are pro-business, but Im yet to see any pull out a stand-out policy or strategy that supports (and reduces burdens on) these job-creating startup businesses like ours.

Read more: How to reduce corporation tax as a small business owner

4. Protect tax-free dividend allowance

“Seeing this reduced further is only going to harm micro businesses.”