The Department of Business & Trade (DBT) has released the finalised draft of the Code of Practice on Fair & Transparent Distribution of Tips – the next step towards bringing the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 (the Act) into force.

The Act will require businesses, where tips and gratuities are provided by customers, to pass on 100 per cent of these payments to staff through a fair distribution method, without withholding any amount to cover costs.

The long-awaited Code of Practice offers clarification on some key points within the legislation – most significantly, that requirements within the Act will be delayed until 1 October 2024.

This offers hospitality businesses an additional three months’ grace if they are implementing tronc management systems for the first time and make any further preparations required.

How to prepare

The requirements of the Act present two major areas in which business owners need to prepare to be fully compliant with regulations:

• Implementing a tronc system
• Cash flow planning to cover costs

From now until 1 October, we urge businesses to look at the solutions they have in place and identify areas where improvements could be made.

Troncs and troncmasters

Under the new legislation, hospitality business owners will be required to store and distribute tips and gratuities paid to staff through a tronc – the system that a business uses to pool and distribute tips.

As part of your compliance efforts, you will need to decide on how you will define ‘fair distribution’, as well as appoint a troncmaster who is responsible for distributing tips through the tronc system.

Cash flow planning

The most significant element of this legislation is that employers are no longer allowed to withhold a portion of tips paid by customers to cover costs, such as card payment charges or the cost of a tronc scheme.

If you have previously done this, you will now need to plan how to cover these costs through your existing cash flow.

For further guidance on the impacts of this new legislation, please contact a member of our team.

In its latest research into the UK’s SME economy, NatWest Group has identified an encouraging trend among the country’s independent operators, as SME growth continues for the fifth consecutive month.

Two sectors led the charge, as the service industry continues to be a significant driver of growth, while the manufacturing sector enjoyed expansion after a period of stagnation.

Summarising its overview of the SME economy, the Group employs its NatWest SME PMI Business Activity Index to quantify SME growth, with a reading of 50 or above signalling a general expansion among UK SMEs.

Recorded at 52.6 in the first quarter of 2024, the Index reveals sustained growth for SMEs that prioritise long-term success over short-term figures.

However, individual sectors were not the focus of this latest research – that title goes to the potential for future sustainability and investment.

Investing in sustainability

It may come as little surprise that the latest report found investment in energy efficiency and green working practices to be a major priority for 36 per cent of SMEs in the coming year.

With 18 per cent planning to invest within the next 12 months, and a further 41 per cent set to invest within five years.

It seems that the benefits to SMEs of sustainable processes are becoming more widely acknowledged and accepted.

From a financial perspective, the long-term benefits of sustainability are considerable, including access to additional tax relief and funding.

Additionally, adopting cutting-edge working practices to support sustainability inevitably has a positive impact on overall efficiency as businesses seek a return on investment beyond ESG objectives.

Planning cash flow for growth

It is evident from the report’s findings that SMEs are going to need sufficient access to funds to facilitate growth in the coming years if this pattern is going to continue.

Central to this is going to be cash flow planning, particularly if costs continue to rise and SMEs face accompanying financial challenges.

We typically recommend that SMEs create a healthy cash flow through:

• Forecasting future cash flow to support long-term plans for investment
• Maintaining liquidity reserves to cover unexpected expenses
• Utilising financing options such as bank loans, lines of credit, or even trade credit
• Regularly reviewing and managing costs through automation or new supplier contracts, for example

For support with making sustainable investments or growing your business, contact a member of our team to discuss your needs.

With the 6 July deadline nearing, it is essential to understand the updated reporting requirements for Class 1 National Insurance Contributions (NICs) on benefits in kind (BIKs).

Employers offering benefits, such as private healthcare, living accommodation, travel expenses, and company cars must report additional NICs through the payroll process or on a P11D form.

Significant changes are coming, however, that will simplify reporting BIKs through P11D forms for each employee receiving taxable benefits.

Employers currently have the option to manage BIKs directly through their payroll, a method known as ‘payrolling’, which must be set up before the tax year begins.

Otherwise, P11D forms need to be submitted online by 6 July following the tax year end.

Employers must also report the amount of Class 1A NICs via the P11D(b) form and ensure payments are made to HMRC by the 22 July deadline.

Late submissions can result in penalties of £100 per 50 employees for each month the forms are overdue.

All taxable benefits, excluding exempt expenses like business travel, business entertainment, and uniforms under specific conditions, need to be reported.

Certain trivial benefits are not taxable and thus exempt from reporting.

Remember from April 2026, it will become mandatory to report and pay Income Tax and Class 1A NICs on BIKs through payroll software, reducing administrative burdens due to the P11D and simplifying compliance.

If you have any queries about P11D reporting or any other payroll processes, please get in touch.  

Child benefit supports parents or guardians of children under 16, or under 20 if in approved education, by contributing towards the costs of raising them.

Since January 2013, the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) affects those earning above a specific threshold but this was revised in the Spring Budget 2024.

Initially, families with one parent earning over £50,000 saw a phased reduction in Child Benefit, ceasing at £60,000.

However, from 6 April, the HICBC threshold has increased to £60,000, with a new tapered charge between £60,000 and £80,000, reducing the benefit by one per cent for every £200 earned over £60,000.

This adjustment exempts about 170,000 individuals from the full charge and could affect you if your income is within this range as you are now eligible to claim.

In essence, the Government raised the threshold to ease the financial strain on middle-income families and encourage more parents to claim Child Benefit, avoiding the previous steep penalties for higher earnings.

Moreover, the Government plans to consult on a shift to a household-based assessment system by April 2026, aiming for a fairer approach by considering total household income.

If your earnings exceed £50,000 and you now need to register or adjust your Child Benefit, you likely fall into two categories:

• New claims: You can register for a child not previously claimed for, with benefits backdated up to three months or from the child’s birthdate.
• Existing claimants: Adjust your HICBC via Self-Assessment if your income falls within the new threshold.

If you require any other guidance relating to the HICBC, contact our team of experts. 

The Government continues to freeze both the personal allowance and the higher-rate income tax thresholds – leading to an increase in the number of higher-rate taxpayers this year.

The result of ‘fiscal drag’ – a phenomenon where tax thresholds fail to keep up with inflation or wage growth – the freeze will continue to increase the number of higher-rate taxpayers until it is due to end in 2028.

This freeze not only impacts numerous taxpayers but will also have broader economic implications by increasing the tax burden on a larger segment of the population – potentially influencing consumer spending and savings habits.

By not adjusting the thresholds for inflation, the Government has effectively increased tax revenue without the need to formally raise tax rates.

Taxpayers must consider this in the context of the Government’s long-term fiscal strategies and align it with their personal tax planning.

Future policy adjustments will likely be influenced by broader economic conditions and political change, underscoring the importance of staying informed and discussing the issue with us.

We often recommend a few simple ways to reduce your tax liability and manage your marginal rate, including:

• Income splitting: This strategy involves distributing income among family members to keep individual earnings below the higher tax thresholds, thus reducing overall tax liability.
• Tax-efficient investments: Leveraging tax-free savings accounts and pensions can significantly reduce taxable income, providing long-term financial benefits.
• Year-end tax planning: Regularly review your financial situation as the tax year draws to a close, making any necessary adjustments to income and deductions to optimise tax outcomes.

Being proactive in managing your tax position is crucial, especially with the thresholds remaining static and fiscal drag likely to impact more taxpayers.

For those seeking more comprehensive guidance or specific information, reaching out to a specialist is advisable.