RELEVANT TO ACCA QUALIFICATION PAPER F6 (UK)
2013 ACCA
Benefits
This article is relevant to those of you taking Paper F6 (UK) in either the June or
December 2013 sittings, and is based on tax legislation as it applies to the tax year
2012?3 (Finance Act 2012)。
Benefits feature regularly in the Paper F6 (UK) exam, although such questions are
generally not answered as well as would be expected. The article is not intended to
cover every aspect of benefits, but instead mainly covers those areas that are more
commonly examined. Motor cars are not covered as they are dealt with in a separate
article.
LIVING ACCOMMODATION
There are four aspects to consider:
?The basic benefit is the annual value of the property. If the property is rented
then the basic benefit is the higher of the annual value and the amount of rent
paid.
?There is an additional benefit if the property costs more than ?5,000. This is
calculated as:
(Cost ??5,000) x 4% (the official rate of interest)
Cost is the cost of the property plus any subsequent improvements. However,
where the property was purchased more than six years before first being
provided to the employee, then the cost figure is replaced by the market value
when first provided (again plus any subsequent improvements)。
?If the employer pays for the running costs relating to the property then the
amount paid will also be a benefit.
?If the employer has furnished the property, then the benefit for the use of the
furniture is based on 20% of its cost.
EXAMPLE 1
During the tax year 2012?3 Prop plc provided three of its employees with living
accommodation.
Alex has been provided with living accommodation since 1 January 2010. Prop plc
had purchased the property in 2009 for ?60,000, and it was valued at ?85,000 on
1 January 2010. Improvements costing ?3,000 were made to the property during
June 2011. The annual value of the property is ?,100.
Bess was provided with living accommodation from 1 January to 5 April 2013. The
property is rented by Prop plc at a cost of ?,250 per month, and it has an annual
value of ?0,400. On 1 January 2013 Prop plc purchased furniture for the property at
a cost of ?6,200. The company pays for the running costs relating to the property,
and for the period 1 January to 5 April 2013 these amounted to ?,900.
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BENEFITS
JANUARY 2013
?2013 ACCA
Chloe was provided with living accommodation on 6 April 2012, and she lived in the
property throughout the tax year 2012?3. The company had purchased the property
in 2003 for ?9,000, and it was valued at ?44,000 on 6 April 2012. The annual value
of the property is ?,600.
Alex
?The basic benefit is the annual value of ?,100.
?The living accommodation cost in excess of ?5,000 so there is an additional
benefit. Since the property was not purchased more than six years before first
being provided to Alex, the benefit is based on the cost of the property plus
subsequent improvements. The additional benefit is therefore ?,920 (98,000
?。?60,000 + 13,000 ?75,000) at 4%)。
Bess
?The benefit is the rent paid of ?,750 (2,250 x 3) since this is higher than the
annual value of ?,600 (10,400 x 3/12)。
?The benefit in respect of the furniture is ?10 (16,200 x 20% x 3/12)。
?The running costs of ?,900 are also taxed as a benefit.
Chloe
?The basic benefit is the annual value of ?,600.
?The living accommodation cost in excess of ?5,000, so there is an additional
benefit. Since the property was purchased more than six years before first
being provided, the benefit is based on the market value when first provided.
The additional benefit is therefore ?,760 (69,000 (144,000 ?75,000) at 4%)。
BENEFICIAL LOANS
There is a taxable benefit where an employee is provided with an interest free loan or
where the interest rate payable is below the official rate of interest of 4%. There are
two alternative methods of calculating the benefit:
The average method: The average is taken of the amount outstanding at the start of
the tax year (or when the loan was made if later) and at the end of the tax year (or
when the loan was repaid if earlier)。 The official rate of interest is then applied to this
average.
The strict method: The official rate of interest is applied to the amount outstanding on
a monthly basis.
If no repayments have been made during the tax year then both methods will produce
the same result.
The average method applies unless either the employee or HM Revenue and Customs
?。℉MRC) elects for the strict method. In an exam context, both methods should be
calculated, even if one party will opt for the strict method. However, a question might
instruct you to just use the average method, since in reality HMRC only elect for the
strict method when it will make a significant difference.
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BENEFITS
JANUARY 2013
?2013 ACCA
EXAMPLE 2
During the tax year 2012?3 Rest Ltd provided three of its employees with loans.
Kim was provided with an interest free loan of ?2,000 on 1 June 2012 so that she
could purchase a new motor car.
Ming was provided with an interest free loan of ?20,000 on 1 May 2012 so that she
could purchase a holiday cottage. Ming repaid ?0,000 of the loan on 31 July 2012,
and repaid the balance of the loan of ?0,000 on 31 December 2012.
Newt was provided with a loan during 2010 so that she could purchase a yacht. The
amount of loan outstanding at 6 April 2012 was ?0,000, and Newt repaid ?,000 of
the loan on 31 August 2012, and then repaid a further ?,000 on 28 February 2013.
Newt paid loan interest of ?70 to Rest Ltd during the tax year 2012?3. The taxable
benefit in respect of this loan is calculated using the average method.
Kim
?The benefit is ?00 (12,000 at 4% x 10/12)。
?Since no repayments have been made during the 2012?3 tax year both
methods will produce the same result.
Ming
?The benefit calculated using the average method is ?,533 as follows:
?
120,000 + 70,000 x 4% x 8/12 2,533
2 ______
?The benefit using the strict method is ?,367 as follows:
?
120,000 at 4% x 3/12 1,200
70,000 at 4% x 5/12 1,167
______
2,367
______
?Ming will therefore elect to have the taxable benefit calculated according to the
strict method.
Newt
Newt repaid ?0,000 (5,000 + 5,000) of the loan during 2012?3, so the
outstanding balance at 5 April 2013 is ?0,000 (60,000 ?10,000)。
The benefit calculated using the average method is ?,230 as follows:
60,000 + 50,000 x 4% 2,200
2
Interest paid (970)
______
1,230
______
4
通過(guò)ACCA考試實(shí)屬不易,首先要有執(zhí)著的精神,其次是不斷勤奮的學(xué)習(xí),高頓網(wǎng)校為大家提供ACCA題庫(kù)免費(fèi)做題,希望助大家一臂之力,查看詳情》
通過(guò)ACCA考試實(shí)屬不易,首先要有執(zhí)著的精神,其次是不斷勤奮的學(xué)習(xí),高頓網(wǎng)校為大家提供ACCA題庫(kù)免費(fèi)做題,希望助大家一臂之力,
查看詳情》