Government extends £1 million tax break to stimulate investment in UK manufacturing

A £1 million tax break to stimulate investment in UK manufacturing, to support business confidence, is to be extended, HM Treasury has announced today (12th November 2020).

Businesses, including manufacturing firms, can continue to claim up to £1 million in same-year tax relief through the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) for capital investments in plant and machinery assets until 1 January 2022. The extension of the temporary £1 million cap was originally due to revert to £200,000 on 1 January 2021.

This move is intended to boost confidence as companies look to weather the pandemic and plan for the future.

As part of today’s announcements, the government is also delivering on its commitment to help protect UK taxpayers through clamping down on promoters of tax avoidance schemes.

In spring 2021 the government will consult on:

– making UK partners equally responsible for the anti-avoidance regime penalties incurred by offshore promoters

– giving taxpayers more information on the products sold to them by promoters

– ensuring promoters face quick and significant financial consequences for promoting tax avoidance so they do not continue to profit while HMRC investigates them

providing HMRC with additional powers to shut down promoters that continue to promote schemes and to stop them from setting up similar businesses

The government has also announced it will launch a consultation on a proposal to require advisers to hold professional indemnity insurance, giving taxpayers greater recourse against bad tax advice.

The government is also publishing draft legislation for Plastic Packaging Tax, as originally announced at Budget 2018. This tax will be £200 per tonne for plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled plastic and will come into effect from April 2022. Further publications today include a consultation response and technical guidance on the tax impacts arising from the withdrawal of the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and a consultation on the design for Making Tax Digital for Corporation Tax.