After the 2012 Finance Bill, Portal Tax, a specialist in the field of capital allowances, is urging fire and security system contractors to tell their customers that current and previous installations can be claimed against tax, using capital allowances, but that they should be done before April 2014.
The 2012 Finance Bill introduced a transitional period which runs until April 2014. If a commercial property is sold within this period then it can be treated in the same way it would have been previously. Before April 2012 you could choose when, and whether, you made a capital allowances claim on your commercial property. The owner does not have to make a claim for capital allowances before he/she concludes the transaction, but they will have to agree to the fixed value requirement within two years. The next time the property is sold, even if it is the very next day, then the new rules apply and capital allowances must be considered as if it were post April 2014.
If the current owner acts now they can claim the full capital allowances back for themselves. If they do nothing, the future owner of the property may benefit instead.
Portal Tax says that it has helped businesses to maximise any capital allowance claims on their commercial property – on average, £105,000 for each business in outstanding capital allowance for items ranging from fire alarm systems, to heating, to air conditioning.
The firm has suggested the top ten items by volume on which tax has been claimed back.
1Ironmongery (including closers, latches, locks, etc)
2Sanitaryware (including WCs, basins, second fix pipework etc.)
3Power, Data and Lighting Fittings (including sockets, switches etc.)
4Floor Finishes (including carpet, vinyl sheet etc.)
5Hot and Cold Water Equipment (including pipework, tanks etc.)
6Signage
7Wall Finishes (such as ceramic tile splashbacks)
8Fire, Communication and Security Systems (such as alarms, cameras, other equipment)
9Heating, Cooling and Ventilation systems (including air conditioning, radiators, boilers etc)
10Workplace Lighting (usage dependent).
Portal Tax estimates that 96pc of businesses that own their own properties, or commercial property owners, could be owed a refund. Part of the service is ensuring that a valid claim is possible and if it isn’t, or if Portal Tax don’t find allowances to the value of at least £25,000 (subject to terms and conditions), then a fee will not be charged – making it risk-free to the client.
On average Portal Tax have found claimable capital allowances ranging from 15 to 40 per cent of the purchase price of the property although it depends on the building type and usage. In one case allowances worth as much as 68pc of the purchase price were found.
Shaun Murphy, managing director, Portal Tax, says: “In the current climate owners of commercial property need to save every penny that they can and, at the moment, most are unaware that such valuable capital allowances are waiting to be claimed. Literally hundreds of billions of pounds are due to owners, but most lack the necessary expertise to make the claim, which can be a complicated process. As we only make a charge if successful, we would urge any commercial property owner to give us a call as they have nothing to lose and have potentially tens of thousands of pounds to gain.”
If you would like to find out more – call 0845 000 0450 or visit www.portaltax.com.
