From April 2023, the Corporation Tax rate will rise for companies with profits of more than £50,000, following the Chancellor’s announcement at his Spring 2021 Budget.
However, the new higher rate of Corporation Tax will not be the same for all companies and will instead be tied to their profits.
Companies generating profits of £250,000 or more will see their Corporation Tax rates rise from the current 19 per cent to 25 per cent.
Meanwhile, those with profits between the £50,000 and £250,000 thresholds will receive marginal relief, which means that their effective rate of Corporation Tax will increase with their profits to a maximum of 25 per cent.
The marginal relief fraction is set at 3/200. The amount of marginal relief is found by multiplying the fraction by the difference between the company’s profits and the upper profits limit of £250,000.
For example, if a company has taxable profits of £100,000, they would be entitled to marginal relief of £2,250 (3/200 x (£250,000 – £100,000)). This means that in this example, marginal relief gives an effective rate of Corporation Tax of 22.75 per cent.
The new Corporation Tax thresholds are adjusted for companies with accounting periods that are shorter than 12 months and where a company has associated companies.
Companies with profits of less than £50,000 will continue to pay Corporation Tax at 19 per cent under the new small profits rate (SPR).
The reforms are complex and require careful calculations based on various criteria.
Given that the rate of tax a business pays will be based on their profits, there may be new opportunities to minimise liabilities through careful tax planning, but it is important that strategies are put in place well in advance of the new rates being launched.
