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Medical and dental care for employees

There is no requirement for employers to pay tax and National Insurance on certain health benefits covered by tax concessions or exemptions. For example, there is no requirement to report employees’ medical or dental treatment or insurance if they are a part of a salary sacrifice arrangement.

In addition, the following health benefits can be provided tax free:

  • A maximum of one health-screening assessment and one medical check-up in any year.
  • Eye tests required by health and safety legislation for employees who use a computer monitor or other type of screen.
  • Glasses or contact lenses required by employees for working on computer monitors or other types of screen.
  • Medical treatment for employees working overseas. The employer must have committed in advance to pay for this treatment or must pay the provider directly for the employee’s treatment or insurance.
  • Medical treatment or insurance related to injuries or diseases that result from your employee’s work.
  • Medical treatment to help an employee return to work. This allows the employer to pay up to £500 in costs for an employee to return to work.
  • Any medical or dental treatment or insurance provided that is not exempt must be reported to HMRC. Employers may be required to deduct and pay tax and National Insurance on these amounts.

CGT Gift Hold-Over Relief

Gift Hold-Over Relief is a tax relief that defers the payment of Capital Gains Tax (CGT). It can be claimed when assets, including certain shares, are gifted or sold below their market value to benefit the buyer. This relief allows any gain on the asset to be "held over" until the recipient sells or disposes of it, by reducing the recipient's acquisition cost by the amount of the deferred gain.

The person giving a qualifying asset is not liable for CGT on the gift itself. However, CGT may be due if the asset is sold for less than its market value. Gifts between spouses and civil partners do not usually incur a CGT charge. A claim for the relief must be made jointly with the person to whom the gift was made.

If you are giving away business assets you must:

  • be a sole trader or business partner, or have at least 5% of voting rights in a company (known as your 'personal company'); and
  • use the assets in your business or personal company.

You can usually get partial relief if you used the assets only partly for your business.

If you are giving away shares, then the shares must be in a company that's either:

  • not listed on any recognised stock exchange; or
  • your personal company.

The company's main activities must be in trading, for example providing goods or services, rather than non-trading, investment activities.

Advising HMRC about additional income

There is an online tool available on GOV.UK that allows taxpayers to check if they need to advise HMRC about additional income they receive. The online tool can be found at https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/guidance/check-non-paye-income/start/how-did-you-receive-additional-income

Additional income could be generated by:

  • selling things, for example at car boot sales or auctions, or online;
  • doing casual jobs such as gardening, food delivery or babysitting;
  • charging other people for using your equipment or tools;
  • renting out property or part of your home, including for holidays (for example, through an agency or online); or
  • creating content online, for example on social media.

In most cases, these types of income are taxable. However, there are two separate annual £1,000 tax allowances available for property and trading income. If you receive either type of income listed (property or trading income), you can claim a £1,000 allowance for each. The online tool will help determine if this applies to you.

Where each respective allowance covers all the individual’s relevant income (before expenses) the income is tax-free and does not have to be declared. Taxpayers with higher amounts of income will have the choice, when calculating their taxable profits, of deducting the allowance from their receipts, instead of deducting the actual allowable expenses.

Business sectors subject to AML regulation

In the UK, certain business sectors are required to register with a regulatory body, such as HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) purposes. These sectors include:

  1. Money Service Businesses (MSBs): This includes currency exchange offices, money transmission services, and cheque cashing businesses. MSBs are required to register with HMRC for AML supervision.
  2. Estate Agents and Letting Agents: Estate agents involved in buying, selling, or letting property, especially transactions over a certain value, must register with HMRC. Letting agents also need to register if they facilitate transactions with monthly rents of €10,000 or more.
  3. High-Value Dealers: Businesses that accept or make cash payments of €10,000 or more (or the equivalent in any currency) in a single transaction must register with HMRC. This category includes dealers in luxury goods, precious metals, and other high-value items.
  4. Accountancy Service Providers (ASPs): This includes accountants, tax advisers, external auditors, and bookkeepers who offer accountancy services. These businesses must register with a relevant supervisory authority, such as HMRC, or a professional body like the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
  5. Trust or Company Service Providers (TCSPs): Businesses that provide services related to the formation of companies, acting as company directors or secretaries, providing registered office addresses, or acting as trustees must register with HMRC.
  6. Cryptoasset Exchange Providers and Custodian Wallet Providers: Businesses involved in exchanging cryptoassets or providing services for managing and storing cryptoassets (custodian wallets) must register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for AML purposes.
  7. Art Market Participants: Businesses or individuals involved in the buying and selling of works of art, where the value of transactions (individually or cumulatively) amounts to €10,000 or more, must register with HMRC.
  8. Bill Payment Service Providers and Telecommunications, Digital, and IT Payment Providers: Businesses that provide bill payment services or enable payments through digital or IT services must also register with HMRC for AML compliance.
  9. Auctioneers and Dealers of Art or Antiques: Similar to high-value dealers, businesses in this sector must register if they manage transactions exceeding the €10,000 threshold.

These sectors are considered high-risk for money laundering and terrorist financing, and therefore, are required to register with an appropriate supervisory body to ensure compliance with the UK's AML regulations. Failure to register can lead to significant penalties, including fines and criminal prosecution.

Do you have a personal tax account?

HMRC’s Personal Tax Accounts (PTAs) serve as an online tool that enables taxpayers to view and update their information in real time. The PTA can be used for many routine requests and services and help you bypass the need to call or write to HMRC.

Every individual in the UK that pays tax has a PTA, but taxpayers must sign up in order to access and use the service. This can be achieved by using the Government Gateway. You may need to verify your identify when using the service.

The following services are currently available on your PTA:

  • check your Income Tax estimate and tax code
  • fill in, send and view a personal tax return
  • claim a tax refund
  • check your Child Benefit
  • check your income from work in the previous 5 years
  • check how much Income Tax you paid in the previous 5 years
  • check and manage your tax credits
  • check your State Pension
  • check if you’ll benefit from paying voluntary National Insurance contributions and if you can pay online
  • track tax forms that you’ve submitted online
  • check or update your Marriage Allowance
  • tell HMRC about a change of name or address
  • check or update benefits you get from work, for example company car details and medical insurance
  • find your National Insurance number
  • find your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number
  • check your Simple Assessment tax bill

The PTA is a key component of HMRC’s broader strategy to transition to a fully digital tax service.