Is it tax efficient to pay dividends before 6th April?

As we approach the end of the tax year, many businesses will be reviewing how much profit they have made over the year and therefore, calculating how much money they could take out of the business in dividends.

A question that I am regularly asked is whether to pay out dividends BEFORE the end of the tax year or AFTER it? Of course, there is not one clear answer, but the following information may help you decide.

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Survey results: tax planning at mid-sized businesses

A new study by IFF Research for HMRC has looked into how mid-sized businesses go about tax compliance and tax planning. Whilst the businesses interviewed described their approach to tax as somewhere on the spectrum from more reactive to more proactive, almost every business relied on an Accountant or tax specialist. The reason given was that as a mid-sized business they didn’t have the right tax expertise in-house and needed support with strategy and planning as well as one-off queries to remain tax efficient. Here we look at some of the pro-active ways these businesses manage down their tax liabilities and the tax questions that Accountants can answer to ensure compliance with the law.

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