What is a tax allowance and how does it work?
Let’s face it not many people LOVE tax! Whilst an important part of society, taxes require individuals and businesses to contribute a portion of income or profits to the government, to fund government spending and various public expenditures. The money collected through taxes is used to pay for things like public services (healthcare, education, infrastructure) and social security. Taxes come in various forms, including income tax on earnings, VAT (Value-Added Tax) on purchases, corporation tax on business profits, and council tax for local services, among others.
The principle behind taxation is to distribute the cost of providing essential services and infrastructure across the population, based on their ability to pay. For example, income tax is often progressive, meaning the more someone earns, the higher the percentage of their income they pay in tax. This system aims to ensure fairness, with the burden of funding public services shared according to financial capability.
In the UK, the tax system is administered by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), which collects taxes, pays some forms of state support, and helps ensure the tax law is applied fairly. The system is quite complex, with various allowances, exemptions, and rates that can apply depending on individual circumstances.
Tax creates a feeling of financial burden but tax allowances are used to create a more equitable tax system, supposedly helping to ensure the tax burden is distributed evenly across different income levels. This means it is an important part of planning someone’s finances. Here we explore the 2024/25 tax tables so you can prepare for the new financial year, which starts on April 6th, and leverage key tax allowance changes. They have also recently been updated since the events of the Spring Budget 2024, which was held on 6th March 2024, you can read about any changes in our Guide to the Spring Budget 2024. Tax tables outline the rates for different types of taxes and are designed to make it easier for individuals and businesses to calculate their tax liabilities and helping taxpayers understand their financial obligations so they can plan accordingly. It’s important for taxpayers to refer to the most current tax tables when calculating their taxes, as rates and bands may change from year to year.