BudgetFeb 13 2020

Sunak in, Javid out: What advisers want from the new chancellor

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Sunak in, Javid out: What advisers want from the new chancellor

His successor was quickly named. Rishi Sunak, MP for Richmond in Yorkshire, was chief secretary to the Treasury under Boris Johnson and will now serve as the new chancellor.

The upcoming Budget will go ahead as planned on March 11, leaving the chancellor with as little as 18 working days' time.

So what would the industry like to see from the new Chancellor, who is believed to be more willing to align with Number 10's wishes than his predecessor? 

1) Tapered annual allowance 

Not a new topic by any stretch of the imagination, the tapered annual allowance yet again featured on advisers' chopping board.

The taper, which was introduced in 2016, gradually reduces the annual allowance for those on high incomes and has been at the forefront of calls for reform in recent years.

It means high earners are more likely to suffer an annual tax charge on contributions and a lifetime allowance tax charge on their benefits, meaning for every £2 of adjusted income above £150,000 a year, £1 of annual allowance will be lost.

The BMA has been campaigning for the tapered annual allowance to be scrapped as due to this rule, many doctors have been forced to cut their hours, leave the pension scheme or retire early to avoid being caught out by significant tax bills.

In light of today's reshuffle specialist advice firm Wesleyan said now was the time to act.

Ian Macvie, pensions and retirement planning technical manager at Wesleyan, said: "In our view, the tapered annual allowance is not fit for purpose and has led to doctors receiving large and unpredictable tax bills for agreeing to work extra shifts to support patient needs.

"Abolishing it would simplify an overly-complicated system, save on administration costs and allow senior clinicians to do extra clinical work without fear of being over-taxed.

"Furthermore, and in light of recent rumours, we would not welcome any significant changes to the current system whereby higher and additional rate tax payers receive tax relief at their highest marginal rate on their own pension contributions."

The government in November committed to cover the tax bills that arise from the controversial annual allowance taper for doctors and consultants in England. But the measure will only apply to the 2019/20 tax year.

2) Pension contributions 

Another area of the pension industry which Mr Sunak is being urged to turn his attention towards is the lifetime limit for pension contributions. An issue which has also been criticised for affecting NHS doctors. 

Tim Holmes, managing director at advice firm Salisbury House Wealth, said the new chancellor needed to commit to reforming the "punitive pension charges" for people who inadvertently save too much in their pension pots. 

Mr Holmes said: "Lowering the lifetime limit for pension contributions has most notably affected NHS doctors but reforms should apply to everyone.

"It’s not the super-rich that are being hurt by this tax. A lot of middle England that do not see themselves as affluent are getting hit for accidentally breaching the limits.

"Now we know how problematic cutting the lifetime allowance has been, the time for reform has come."

3) IR35

A firm favourite candidate for abolition among tax specialists, the upcoming changes to the IR35 rules were never tackled by former chancellor Mr Javid, despite strong opposition from the industry.

Mr Javid had pledged a review of IR35 as part of the Conservative party’s manifesto in the lead up to the general election last year, stating he wanted to ensure to the anti tax avoidance rules were "right to take forward". But this review was only ever going to look at the best way to implement the changes, not the making of the changes itself.

The rules, which were introduced in 2000 and apply to all contractors and freelancers who do not fall under HM Revenue & Customs’ definition of being self-employed, have been a source of controversy in recent months.

It is no surprise therefore that IR35 is an area which Mr Sunak is already being called upon to address. 

Seb Maley, chief executive at tax consultants Qdos, called upon the new chancellor to halt the roll out of the IR35 rules to the private sector, which is scheduled for April 6. 

Mr Maley said: "With IR35 reform rapidly approaching, it’s vital that Rishi Sunak succeeds where Sajid Javid failed. We urge the new Chancellor to act immediately and halt the introduction of needless and short-sighted changes to the off-payroll working rules.

"However, contractors and private sector firms cannot hang their hopes on a last-minute rethink, even if scrapping IR35 reform is the sensible thing to do.

"Businesses must work off the basis that changes will be enforced and should continue their preparations."

The House of Lords’ finance bill sub-committee has also announced its own review of the rule changes, including the impact of the shake up and whether there is a simpler way in which to meet the government’s objectives.

rachel.mortimer@ft.com

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