When your total income reaches certain levels, it tips any extra income into a higher tax band. This can also mean you lose part or all of your personal savings allowance (PSA), personal allowance (PA) or pensions annual allowance.
Although the rates of income tax on earnings and dividends are not changing on 6 April 2023 and most tax thresholds are frozen, you may be able to save tax by moving income from 2022/23 to 2023/24. You could also save by making certain payments in 2022/23 rather than in 2023/24.
Say you are a 20% taxpayer in 2022/23 but expect that a lump sum termination payment due in March 2023 will tip you into the 40% band (over £50,270). If you ask your employer to delay paying the termination payment until after 5 April 2023, you’ll pay the tax on that income later. You will also retain all of your 2022/23 £1,000 PSA and may still stay out of the 40% band for 2023/24. The main thresholds for 2022/23 are:
- PA: £12,570 – basic rate tax (20%) starts
- Higher rate threshold: £50,270 – 20% rate increases to 40% and PSA reduces from £1,000 to £500
- Married couples: transfer of £1,260 of PA is possible where the higher earner has income up to £50,270
- Child Benefit clawback: income between £50,000 and £60,000
- Withdrawal of PA: income between £100,000 and £125,140
- Additional rate threshold: £150,000 (£125,140 for 2023/24) – 40% rate increases to 45%, PSA removed
- Pension annual allowance reduced where income (including employer pension inputs) above £240,000
Income that can easily be moved from year to year includes:
- bonus from your own company
- dividends from your company
- encashments of life assurance bonds
- withdrawal of taxable income from pension schemes in ‘drawdown’.
