PDA

View Full Version : Capital allowance tax windfall?



Lila21
15-02-2011, 15:59 PM
Hi there, I'm new to this site. I've just seen an article about capital allowances that can be re-claimed against a range of commercial property business costs.

I was trying to find out if this is something anyone else had experience of claiming?

Below is the article that I found on this is money. Thoughts anyone? :confused:

Business owners are being urged to check whether they are eligible to claim tens of thousands of pounds in capital allowances against commercial property they own.

Reap the returns: Offsetting commercial property expenditure against profits can help beat the taxman

Portal Tax Claim says commercial property owners could be owed billions in capital allowances without realising it.

Under Revenue & Customs rules, when owners spend money buying or improving a property they can offset some of the expenditure against profits or general income.

While most firms are aware they can offset the cost of plants and machinery bought for work, few realise they may be able to claim capital allowances on commercial premises they own, says Shaun Murphy, managing director of Portal Tax Claim, part of claims specialist Portal Group.

For example, firms may be able to claim back tax on items such as air conditioners, lifts and suspended ceilings.

According to Murphy, 96% of firms that own their own properties could be owed a refund at an average of £105,000 a business.

The group operates by sending in an independent chartered surveyor to assess what has been done to a building to turn it from a shell to a workable business premises.

It claims that it typically finds capital allowances worth about 25% of the purchase price of the building.

Portal charges 6% of the sum reclaimed, but only if a successful claim is made. It will also waive its fee if the sum is less than £25,000.

However, a claim such as this can be made on a property only once in its lifetime. This means that if a previous owner has made a claim of this sort then no more claims can be made.

Gary Woodley runs the New Inn, a pub and hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. Last year he contacted Portal to see if his family could claim on the property, which they have owned for 20 years.

The inn was bought for £152,000 and the Woodleys successfully claimed capital allowances of 26% of that.

Gary, 48, says: 'We have been hit hard by rising costs, including VAT. This has enabled us to halve our tax bill in January.'

jeffrey
16-02-2011, 13:50 PM
Why is this new, though? Capital allowances have been around for many decades.

Telometer
16-02-2011, 14:37 PM
Owing to the recent introduction of allowances on "integral fixtures" such as cold water systems.

Only applies to commercial property, not BTLs.

Lila21
21-02-2011, 12:17 PM
Ah - thanks Telometer. From what I understand there's a certan level of ignorance / lack of knowledge about what exactly can be claimed. And yes - this is only in relation to commercial properties.

Lilax

Lila21
23-02-2011, 13:31 PM
Incase you're interested I've also discovered that accountants aren't alwyas across commerical property capital allowances, and so companies like portal tax claims will work with your acountant to make these claims.

I'm seriously looking into this now, though it would be good to hear from anyone who has experience of making these claims.

Thanks all

Lila

Telometer
23-02-2011, 13:35 PM
I've never heard of them, but yes it is perfectly normal to outsource capital allowances claims. Usually to firms of surveyors, or firms with surveyors.

Always Problems
28-02-2011, 02:21 AM
May I ask when the Inn you mention was bought for £152,000 this presumably was the "Ingoing" or "Goodwill" or what the previous tenant sold the business for.
The reason I ask this is that as a "Commercial Landlord" one of my properties recently underwent a "lease assignment" and in my opinion my new tenant was ripped off as the figure which was charged for the sale of the business was ridiculous and in order to help my new tenant it would be nice to be able to advise that she is able to claim a percentage of the purchase cost as it will help her cash flow.