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If you use your own car for business, you may be able to claim a proportion of the actual total cost of buying and running your vehicle, including such things as insurance, repairs, servicing, fuel, etc. However, keeping track of every cost and working out the exact proportion of business use for your vehicle takes time and effort.

Instead, many self-employed people claim mileage allowance, a flat-rate scheme that provides a much simpler way to claim back the cost of using your own vehicle for business. Mileage allowance is part of a range of “simplified expenses” options that HMRC offers to self-employed people. They’re designed to make tax admin easier and quicker.

How much mileage allowance can you claim?

If you’re self-employed, you can claim a mileage allowance of:

• 45p per business mile travelled in a car or van for the first 10,000 miles and
• 25p per business mile thereafter
• 24p a mile if you use your motorbike for business journeys.

If you travel with someone else who also works for your business, as the driver, you can claim an additional 5p per mile for each extra passenger. So, if three of you travel together, you can claim 45p + 10p per mile (two x 5p per mile for the two additional passengers) for the first 10,000 miles, then 25p + 10p per mile thereafter.

Need to know! Claiming mileage allowance doesn’t stop you claiming for other business travel expenses, such as train tickets and taxi rides. Parking tickets and toll fees while on business can also be claimed as a legitimate business expense.

When can’t mileage allowance be claimed?

You can’t claim mileage allowance for personal journeys, they must be made “wholly and exclusively for business purposes”. And neither can you claim mileage allowance for journeys to and from your usual place of work (ie your commercial business premises). You can claim for travel to a temporary workplace, for example, if you’re a plasterer who needs to travel to different sites and jobs.

Need to know! You cannot claim simplified expenses for a vehicle you’ve already claimed capital allowances for or one you’ve included as an expense when you worked out your business profits. Where necessary, seek guidance from an accountant.

Working out your business mileage

Logging your business mileage is a good idea, as it can make it far easier to later work out and claim your mileage allowance. And your claim is more likely to be accurate and credible if HMRC can see precise details of dates, miles travelled, journeys and reasons. HMRC can request proof during an investigation.

Manually recording your business mileage takes more time and effort, while scraps of paper and notebooks can go missing, so it’s better to record and store your mileage details in a spreadsheet/software, with data stored safely online. Many apps have been created to help business owners track and record their business travel mileage (some even use GPS to automatically measure business mileage).

Some self-employed business owners simply estimate their business mileage, by claiming for a percentage of their vehicle’s total annual mileage. So, if your car does 1,000 miles a month and you can show that half of that is for business use, you can claim mileage allowance of 6,000 miles a year (ie £2,700).

How to claim mileage allowance

Good accounting software will do all of the hard work for you, saving you lots of time and hassle. You enter your business mileage and it calculates your mileage allowance, which you enter into your Self-Assessment tax return. The amount is taken into account and your tax liability is reduced as a result.

If you use simplified expenses to claim mileage allowance, you cannot claim for motoring costs such as insurance, road tax or fuel, because these are accounted for within the mileage allowance.

Need to know! Deliberately inflating your mileage allowance claim can lead to penalties. HMRC takes a very dim view of anyone who deliberately enters false information into tax returns.

Further reading

Visit government website Gov.uk to read Travel – mileage and fuel rates and allowances. There is also an online tool that enables you to Check if simplified expenses could save your business money.

About GoSimpleTax

Income, Expenses and tax submission all in one. GoSimpleTax will provide you with tips that could save you money on allowances and expenses you might have missed.

The software submits directly to HMRC and is the solution for the self-employed, sole traders and anyone with income outside of PAYE to file their self-assessment giving hints and tips on savings along the way. GoSimpleTax does all the calculations for you so there is no need for an accountant. Available on desktop or mobile application.

When it comes to the world of credit cards, there are lots of benefits. A credit card helps boost your credit rating, offers you protection and freebies, and gives you some financial wriggle room.

That said, it can be hard to know where to start, and often people have lots of burning questions that need answering. It’s also important to stay informed about charges and fees.

At The Salary Calculator, we’ll make sure that you’re up-to-date with all the latest credit card deals out there in 2021. Keep reading to find out more.

Reasons you could benefit from a credit card

To some, credit cards can seem intimidating, and many believe it only leads to debt, but they can be helpful in some circumstances. Credit cards can help you with your finances and assist you with building a good credit report. If your credit is in the red, and you’re looking to make a big investment like a house or car, a credit card can push it into the green.

Some credit cards also enable free borrowing and purchase protection, as well as offering reward deals so that you can earn free money too.

That said, it’s important to be aware that you shouldn’t rely on credit cards to borrow money, especially if you don’t have the funds for repayments. Plus, when the interest-free period ends, you can be faced with some pretty significant charges. Credit cards also have varying levels of APR, which refers to the rate at which you’ll be charged for borrowing. So, make sure you don’t get caught out by the small print!

Santander All in One Credit Card

Arguably, the biggest plus of this credit card offer is that cardholders can benefit from 26 months interest-free on balance transfers. Other benefits include a 0.5% cashback on all purchases and no foreign transaction fees.

However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and the card does have a £3 monthly charge, which works out to £36 a year. Another disadvantage of this card is that you will also be charged transaction fees if you withdraw money – interest applies here too. Moreover, it has an APR of 23.7%.

To be eligible for this card, you must have an income of at least £7,500 a year and be 18 or over.

Aqua Advance Credit Card

This card is excellent for people who are looking to build credit and requires no credit rating. It has an initial APR of 34.9%, but customers who stick with this card will be rewarded through staggered APR reduction. After 12 months, if you keep up with payments and stay within your limit, your rate could be reduced by 5% each year. This means that the APR can go as low as 19.9%.

This card also offers access to the Aqua Credit Checker, allowing you to view your credit rating and its improvement.

Other benefits include credit limits of between £250-£1,200 and no extra charges for purchasing abroad.

To be eligible for this card, you must fulfil a specific criterion. Applicants must be over 18 with a permanent address. Additionally, you must have a current UK bank or building society account and must not have been registered as bankrupt in the last 18 months. Equally, you cannot have any ongoing bankruptcy proceedings against you.

Finally, eligibility also depends on not receiving a County Court Judgement (CCJ) in the past 12 months. You also cannot already have an Aqua card or have an Aqua, marbles, opus, Fluid card taken out in the last 12 months.

American Express Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card 

This is a great card for those looking to get a little more bang for their buck with no annual fee. It offers a 5% cashback on all purchases up to £100 for the first three months. This does, however, decrease over time.

That said, it’s important to note that you need to spend £3000 or more to access cashback offers, and unfortunately, it’s not available for those with a bad credit history. It has an APR of 22.2%,

To be a successful applicant for this card, you must be aged 18 or over and have a clean slate regarding debt. Applicants must also have a permanent UK address and a current UK bank or building society account.

M&S Shopping Plus Credit Card

For those looking for a credit card to spread the cost of large purchases, this is the perfect one for you. With no annual fee, it also boasts a 20-month interest-free period of new purchases. That’s right, no interest at all for 20 months! Accompanying this, the card also offers cardholders an 18-month interest-free period for balance transfers. That said, this only applies within the first 90 days. Also, remember if you opt for this card, you must pay off your balance before the interest-free period ends.

As with everything, there are pros and cons to this card, and the reward points you earn through this card are only available in the form of M&S vouchers. So, this isn’t necessarily a great deal for everyone. It also has an APR of 21.9%.

Eligibility for this card requires that applicants are over the age of 18 and UK residents.

Barclaycard Rewards Credit Card

This is a great travel card for those who want to earn as they spend abroad. With a 0% foreign transaction fee and no annual fee, this is a pretty attractive deal. This card also offers 0.25% cashback on all spending and savings on live events with Barclaycard Entertainment.

However, compared with other credit cards, a 0.25% cashback rate isn’t the best deal and it does not offer a balance transfer option. It also has a 22.9% APR variable.

Applicants must be aged 21 or over, have a personal income of £20,000 or above, and have had a permanent UK address for at least two years. Those looking to get in on this deal must also have at least four years of managing credit, make payments on time and be able to afford repayments.

Lastly, applicants must not have had Individual Voluntary Agreements, CCJs, and must not have declared bankruptcy in the last six years.

In the UK, there are over five million self-employed people. This figure has risen dramatically since the 1970s when only a small fraction of the workforce (8%) were self-employed. 

Of course, the trend towards self-employment stems from increased flexibility, greater creative freedom and the ability to be one’s “own boss”. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t challenges that come with the decision to break away from “traditional employment”.

At The Salary Calculator, we’ll guide you through the challenges and potential pitfalls of self-employment and how to overcome them.

This article will explain:

• The additional responsibilities that come with self-employment
• The differences in maternity pay and parental rights 
• How to manage finances 
• The importance of good time management

What are the additional responsibilities of self-employment?

While self-employment can provide workers with a lot more freedom, there are additional responsibilities that individuals must fulfil when they go solo.

One particularly important responsibility is registering as self-employed with HMRC. Following this, self-employed professionals (whether sole trader, limited company or partnership) must complete a yearly Self-Assessment tax return and pay National Insurance (NI) contributions and income tax on profits earned. Additionally, self-employed individuals must still pay income tax and NI contributions even if they make a loss.  For help with calculating how much you owe HMRC, head over here.

Another responsibility for those who are self-employed is setting up a pension pot in preparation for your golden years. While employers must provide eligible employees with a workplace pension scheme and make contributions, self-employed people must choose their own pension plan. That said, only 31% of self-employed individuals are currently saving into a pension!

Most self-employed people opt for personal pensions, and there are few different types. These are:

• Ordinary personal pensions
• Stakeholder pensions
• Self-invested personal pensions 

Some self-employed people are even eligible to use NEST (National Employment Savings Trust).

Of course, if a self-employed professional makes at least 30 years of NI contributions, they are entitled to a state pension. However, this is only £179.60 per week.

Setting up business insurance is also another factor that self-employed individuals should consider. Professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance are the most common types chosen by self-employed people.

What are the differences between maternity pay and parental rights?

Maternity pay and parental rights work slightly differently for self-employed people. Unfortunately, when self-employed, you aren’t eligible for maternity leave or typical maternity pay.

That said, instead, you may be eligible for Maternity Allowance (MA). Eligibility depends on whether you can fulfil the following criteria in the 66 weeks before your baby’s due date:

• You have been self-employed for at least 26 weeks
• You have earned (at least £30 a week in at least 13 weeks – not necessarily in succession

The total amount that a self-employed mother can earn is £151.20 per week, which is reduced to £27 a week for 39 weeks if there are insufficient Class 2 NI contributions.

Unfortunately, there’s no equivalent for fathers and partners who want to take time off.

Managing finances 

Unfortunately, when it comes to self-employment, there are financial challenges that you will face that other workers do not have to worry about. When you’re self-employed, you are in charge of your finances, so this means you’re responsible for:

• Creating a business budget
• Establishing a business bank account
• Reviewing your finances
• Consulting an accountant (if you feel the need to do so)

It’s also essential to check what you can claim in allowable expenses because this can save you a lot of money. Equally, due to self-employment being a bit more financially precarious than traditional employment, it’s wise to have some contingency money saved up.

By making sure you tick all of the above boxes, you’ll have less chance of facing financial struggles and avoid a lot of potential stress! 

It’s also important to note that it’s not the end of the world if you do come into financial difficulties. For example, if a client or customer fails to pay for the services you’ve delivered, there are steps in place for you to follow.

With late payments, you should immediately send a collection request. If this goes unheard, it’s a good idea to send a “statement of account” to the accounting department. This should include:

• The invoice date and number
• The amount owed
• The work completed for which the owed

Often, late payments are just a mistake, but if no payment arrives within 30 days of the due date, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act has your back. This piece of legislation outlines that self-employed workers can claim interest and debt recovery costs set at the Bank of England base rate, plus 8%.

The importance of good time management 

In order to ensure business success, self-employed workers must ensure that they have top-notch time management skills. To achieve this, there are a few helpful hints and tips you should follow.

Schedule your time well. Whether that’s selecting a time to deal with admin, plan contingency periods, or even free time, carefully planning your time will help you avoid stress and multitasking. 

Additionally, while it’s important to have a business email and a personal email, it’s also crucial to have set times to review your emails. Time-tracking can be helpful here, and there are plenty of apps out there that can help you with this.

Another way of achieving good time management is through outsourcing. Delegating tasks that you don’t have the time to complete can boost productivity and give you time to focus on tasks you have prioritised.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is introducing new rules to tackle “price-walking,” which sees consumers pay more and more for insurance each year despite no increase in risk.

This move follows a super-complaint made by Citizens Advice to the Competition and Markets Authority back in 2018.

But, how exactly does this mean, and how will these changes affect your personal finances?

At The Salary Calculator, we’ll make sure you have all the information you need to discover how these changes will affect you!

This article will explain:

• What price-walking is
• Why the FCA stepped in
• What the changes mean
• How to launch a complaint against an insurance firm
• Responses from across the industry

What is “price-walking”?

Price-walking, otherwise known as the loyalty penalty, refers to the phenomenon where insurance companies charge long-standing customers more to renew their cover while new customers receive cheaper premiums.

According to the FCA, customers lose out on £1.2bn a year due to what Citizens Advice has called a “systematic scam”.

Why has the FCA stepped in?

Back in February 2021, the FCA released its Final Report on general insurance pricing practices. In this report, the regulatory body outlined that general insurance markets must deliver “good outcomes” for all consumers, but that it had found that this is not the case due to price-walking.

One example used to demonstrate this is that while new customers for building insurance pay just £130, customers who have been with the same provider for five or more years pay £238.

Ultimately, it outlined that the practice “distorts competition” while increasing costs for both customers and firms, with higher overall prices for customers. It also highlighted that many insurance firms are not transparent about their price-walking practices.

What do the changes mean?

On 28 May, the FCA published its collection of new pricing practices rules, which primarily placed a prohibition on price-walking for home and motor insurance.

Other changes include giving customers easier methods of cancelling the automatic renewal of their policy and making sure insurance firms do more to “consider how they offer fair value to their customers.

Commenting on the changes, Sheldon Mills from the FCA said: “These measures will put an end to the very high prices paid by many loyal customers. Consumers can still benefit from shopping around or negotiating with their current provider, but won’t be charged more at renewal just for being an existing customer”.

The changes will come into effect from 1 January 2022, and insurance firms will be required to report data to the FCA for improved supervision.

How to launch a complaint against an insurance provider

As a customer, if you become aware that your insurance provider is continuing with a banned practice, you must first complain to the firm directly.

Following this, the firm must respond to your complaint within eight weeks or explain why further investigation is required.

If the firm does not remedy the situation, you can then take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This must be done within six months of the final response from the firm. Citizens Advice can also provide a helping hand.

The last resort is taking the firm to court.

How has the industry responded?

The announcement of the rule changes has been welcomed across the board. A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers said that it means firms will no longer be able to offer “unsustainably low-priced deals” to their customers.

Insuretech UK, meanwhile, said that the practice of price-walking has “damaged” customer trust in insurance products and “undermined the credibility” of the industry and voiced support for the changes.

Elsewhere, Rodney Bonnard, UK head of insurance at EY, said that the ban on price-walking points to a “new era of transparency”.

Finally, Matthew Upton, director of policy at Citizens Advice, said that price-walking had been particularly harmful to individuals on low-income and noted that the organisation was “pleased” to see the FCA set the bar “so high”.

When it comes to borrowing, be it for a mortgage or a loan, an interest rate will be applied to the amount you borrow. The same goes for any savings you accumulate. That said, it can be tricky to get your head around the ins and outs of interest rates.

According to a study conducted by MoneySuperMarket, 70% of those polled didn’t know what the base rate was. That means there are lots of people out there that could do with a helping hand.

At The Salary Calculator, we’ll give you the rundown of interest rates in the UK and make sure you’re updated with the latest. This article will explain:

• What an interest rate is
• What the base rate is 
• What the current interest rates are
• The different types of interest rates
• Whether or not interest rates will rise
• The pros and cons of the current low rates

What is an interest rate?

An interest rate refers to either the percentage an individual is charged for borrowing money or earned through saving. It is typically expressed as a percentage of the amount you borrow or save over a year.

What is the base rate?

The base rate or bank rate is the most important interest rate in the UK and refers to the rate at which banks and lenders are charged for borrowing. Currently, this rate is 0.1% which influences borrowing and saving interest rates.

Current rates

Interest varies from bank to bank, but often it can cost more to borrow less. According to MoneySavingExpert, the best interest rates for loans of between £3,000 – £4,999 range from 7.3% rep APR and 8.4% rep APR.

For larger amounts, for example, between £15,001 – £20,000, the best interest rates range from between 2.8% rep APR and 2.9% rep APR.

When it comes to savings, easy access accounts with best rates range from between 0.4% AER variable and 0.5% AER variable.

The different types of interest rates

There are a few different types of interest rates, these are:

Fixed Rate of Interest – With this interest rate, the amount you are paid, or the amount you owe, is at a set rate that remains unchanged throughout the term of your account. 

Variable Rate of Interest – Also known as a “floating rate,” with this interest rate, the amount of interest you are paid or the amount of interest you owe can change depending on the base rate.

When exploring loans and savings, you will likely run into two other terms, APR and AER. But what exactly do they mean? 

APR – Annual Percentage Rate: This refers to the total cost of borrowing money in a year (loan or credit card). Included within this are interest and standard fees.

AER – Annual Equivalent Rate: This type of interest applies to saving accounts and is the amount you earn in a year.     

Will interest rates rise?

It is difficult to determine for sure whether interest rates will rise. However, considering the current state of the economy, having shrunk by 19.8% in 2020, interest rates are unlikely to rise any time soon.

The pros and cons of the current low rates

When it comes to low interest rates, there are, of course, advantages and disadvantages. These are as follows:

Pros:

• Lower interest rates make it easier for people to borrow money
• When borrowing is made more accessible, this can drive investment
• Low rates can also make housing more affordable by lowering mortgage payments

On the other hand…

Cons:

• Lower interest rates can detrimentally impact savers because they earn less through interest
• As a result, this can reduce the incentive to save
• Low interest can also lead to people taking on more debt than they can afford