Tax Year Ending



1995: Nick of Time - John Badham

Financial Planning has a long-range perspective, financial advice is often highly focused on specific tax years. As a financial planner that implements financial plans using financial products, it is important to remind everyone that we now have only a month until the 2011/12 tax year ends. This means that anyone that has not used ISA allowances and wants to do so does not have much time left. The personal Capital Gains Tax Allowance is a "use it or lose it" allowance, so it may be worth considering realising some gains from investments so that the gain is tax free (up tot the CGT allowance). Pension contributions - a "little" more complex, but in essence the annual allowance of £50,000 runs out and to make matters a little more problematic, the Lifetime Allowance is reducing from £1.8m to £1.5m - it is possible for some people to protect the higher amount by applying for HMRC Fixed Protection.

These are just a few of the main allowances, others might include Junior ISAs, personal charitable giving, Potentially Exempt Transfers, Enterprise Investment Schemes and Venture Capital Trusts. The UK has the most complex and most detailed set of tax rules on earth. These are often viewed as a hindrance, but rules are helpful to anyone planning.