Tax Breaks for Directors

Part 1 - Avoiding tax on rental income

1. Rental income - the tax basics

1.1. Income tax rates

1.2. How do I work out rental profits (or losses)?

1.3. Which tax returns must I complete if I have rental income?

1.4. Rent-a-room relief

2. Reduce your rental income by maximising expenses

2.1. What costs can I deduct from my rental income?

2.2. Interest charges from 6 April 2017

2.3. Structural repairs and maintenance costs

2.4. Renewing fixtures and fittings

2.5. Renewing furnishings and equipment

2.6. Capital allowances

2.7. Travelling costs

2.8. Pre-letting expenses

2.9. Legal and professional costs

2.10. Costs of services provided, including wages

2.11. Other expenses

3. Making the most of your rental losses

3.1. What is a rental loss?

3.2. Furnished holiday lettings

Part 2 - Saving tax on property disposals

4. Capital gains - the tax basics

4.1. What is capital gains tax?

4.2. Reduce the gain by claiming all allowable costs

4.3. CGT-avoidance strategy - don’t sell, just re-mortgage

4.4. Allowable losses

4.5. CGT-avoidance strategy - offset stock market losses against the property gain

5. Avoid CGT by using private residence relief

5.1. Private residence relief (PRR)

5.2. Private letting relief

5.3. CGT-avoidance strategy: live and let not buy to let

5.4. CGT-avoidance strategy: let and live

5.5. CGT-avoidance strategy: nominate/flip a residence

5.6. Selling land that is part of my main residence

5.7. Making use of children’s tax allowances

6. The tax implications of gifting properties

6.1. Avoiding CGT when transferring property to someone other than my spouse

6.2. How to avoid CGT on gifts of holiday homes

6.3. Using trusts to avoid CGT

6.4. Tax-avoidance strategy - using trusts to defer CGT on residential property gifts

6.5. Inheritance tax on lifetime gifts

6.6. IHT (and CGT) avoidance strategy: equity release

6.7. Tax-avoidance strategy: transfers to spouse

6.8. The main residence nil rate band

Part 3 - Buying strategies to avoid tax

7. Buying a property in joint names

7.1. Joint ownership with a spouse

7.2. How do I transfer part of a property to my spouse?

7.3. Joint ownership with someone other than my spouse

8. Owning properties through a limited company

8.1. What is a limited company?

8.2. How is rental income taxed in a limited company?

8.3. How are capital gains taxed in a limited company?

8.4. How do I take money out of a limited company?

8.5. Advantages of using a limited company

8.6. Disadvantages of using a limited company

8.7. So should I buy a residential property through a limited company?

8.8. Using a property management company

9. Investing in commercial property

9.1. Why should I invest in commercial property?

9.2. Can I take advantage of business asset disposal relief?

9.3. Should my company’s premises be owned by me or the company?

9.4. Tax-avoidance strategy: use a pension scheme to buy a commercial property

9.5. Capital allowances

10. Other tax considerations when buying an investment property

10.1. Should I take out an interest-only or a repayment mortgage?

10.2. Stamp duty land tax (SDLT)

10.3. SDLT on leases

Part 4 - Overseas property tax issues

11. Moving overseas

11.1. Can I avoid tax by moving overseas?

11.2. Can I also avoid income tax if I’m non-resident?

12. Investing in overseas property

12.1. Why invest in overseas property?

12.2. How is overseas rental income taxed?

12.3. How are capital gains on overseas properties taxed?

12.4. What are the inheritance tax implications of owning overseas property?

12.5. Should I set up a limited company to invest in overseas property?

12.6. Are there any other taxes that I need to consider?