How to use FreeAgent’s capital allowances calculation

This article explains how customers with UK limited company accounts can make use of FreeAgent’s capital allowances calculation.

What the capital allowances calculation involves

UK limited company accounts

Capital assets purchased within an accounting year ending on or after 23rd July 2020

FreeAgent’s capital allowances calculation is available for assets purchased within an accounting year ending on or after 23rd July 2020. It works by inviting you to select one of the following tax treatments for the capital assets you record:

• First year allowance (FreeAgent will apply the 'super-deduction' of 130% automatically to capital assets purchased between 1st April 2021 and 31st March 2023.)
• Annual investment allowance 
• Allocation to the main rate or special rate pool for writing down allowances
• A temporary 'special rate allowance' of 50%, which is available for certain capital assets purchased between 1st April 2021 and 31st March 2023.

Based on the tax treatment you select, FreeAgent generates a sophisticated capital allowances calculation in the Corporation Tax area of your account. 

FreeAgent is also able to automatically calculate any balancing charges that are due if you dispose of an asset within an accounting year ending on or after 23rd July 2020. The balancing charge amount is calculated regardless of the purchase date of the asset.

If your company’s 2022/23 accounting year end is any date other than 31st March 2023, and you buy or sell an asset that qualifies for either the super-deduction or special rate allowance, FreeAgent will pro-rata the rates of 130% and 50% in accordance with HMRC’s guidance.

Capital assets purchased within an accounting year ending before 23rd July 2020

Assets purchased within an accounting year ending before 23rd July 2020 will be treated by FreeAgent as 100% allowable for tax. As a result, a more basic calculation for these assets will be available to view in the Corporation Tax area of your FreeAgent account. 

UK sole trader, partnership and limited liability partnership (LLP) accounts

If you are a UK sole trader or a partner in a partnership or LLP, FreeAgent treats all capital assets as 100% allowable automatically in your Self Assessment tax calculations.

Therefore, you may need to manually override this on your Self Assessment tax return if you’re using cash basis accounting. If you’re unsure whether you need to adjust your tax return, speak to your accountant.

Please note that FreeAgent's Self Assessment functionality is currently not available when preparing accounts using cash basis accounting.

How to make use of the comprehensive capital allowance calculation

Selecting a tax treatment

If you have a UK limited company account, follow the steps outlined below to apply FreeAgent’s comprehensive capital allowances calculation to any asset purchased within an accounting year ending on or after 23rd July 2020.

• Navigate to the ‘Accounting’ tab at the top of the screen and select ‘Reports’. Choose ‘Capital Assets’ from the ‘Breakdown’ area. 
• Select the asset in question and choose ‘Edit tax treatment’ from the box displayed to the right of the asset timeline.

• Select the relevant tax treatment for the asset. If you’re not sure which tax treatment to select, read HMRC’s guide on capital allowances or speak to your accountant.

Viewing the tax treatment and calculation

Once you’ve selected the appropriate tax treatment, you can view how it has been claimed in the asset’s timeline.

Annual investment allowance and first year allowances will show on the timeline against the date on which you purchased the capital asset. Writing down allowances, small pool allowance adjustments and balancing charge adjustments show on the final day of your current Corporation Tax period.

The ‘Capital Allowances’ section of your Corporation Tax forecast in FreeAgent will reflect the tax treatments that have been applied.