Call 020 7794 5757 - Email info@numerallp.com

The Employment Allowance

A guide to the Employment Allowance.

At Numera we offer professional advice to a range of businesses in the London area. Here we provide information on the new Employment Allowance.

Employers are able to claim the Employment Allowance which reduces their employer Class 1 National Insurance contributions (NICs) by up to £4,000 per year. Prior to 2020/21 the Employment Allowance was £3,000.

The Employment Allowance is available to businesses and charities (including Community Amateur Sports Clubs) that pay employer NICs on earnings of employees or directors.

The allowance can be claimed against only one PAYE scheme, even if the business runs multiple schemes. Connected businesses such as companies under the control of the same person or persons are only entitled to one Employment Allowance between them. However, if a business controls a charity, they are not considered to be connected and the Employment Allowance can be claimed for both the business and the charity.

How to claim

Claims will normally be made using payroll software, either commercial or HM Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC’s) Basic PAYE Tools. The employer Class 1 NIC liability is reduced to nil until such time as the cumulative reduction reaches £4,000 in the tax year. For example if the employer’s NICs are £900 each month, the Employment Allowance used will be £900 in April, £900 in May, £900 in June, £900 in July and £400 in August.

Once an initial claim has been made, HMRC will automatically carry it forward to the next tax year, regardless of any changes in payroll software. Therefore it is important to check at the beginning of each year that there have been no other changes in relevant circumstances.

Employers who are exempt from filing, or unable to file online, can make a claim at the beginning of the tax year using the paper Employer Payments Summary (EPS).

Excluded Employers

Not all employers can claim the Employment Allowance. Such employments include:

  • Personal, household or domestic work
  • Public authorities
  • Functions either wholly or mainly (over 50%) of a public nature (unless charities)
  • Deemed payments of employment income for personal and managed service companies.

Since April 2016, limited companies with a single director, and no other employees, have not been able to benefit from the allowance.

From 6 April 2020, employers with an employers’ NIC liability above £100,000 in their previous tax year have not been able to claim the Employment Allowance. Where employers are connected under the Employment Allowance rules the threshold will apply to their aggregated liability.

The information on the Numera website is for general guidance only. For more information about the Employment Allowance or any other aspects of running a business in the London area, please contact us.

Newsletter sign-up

Why not register to receive our Monthly Newswire?

Once a month we'll send you an email packed full of essential business news and handy tax tips to help save you money.

Sign-up today

Try a site search Tax return, dividends, pension, autumn statement...

Company details

020 7794 5757

Numera, 4th Floor Charles House, 108-110 Finchley Road, London NW3 5JJ

Numera is a trading name of Numera Partners LLP | Company Registration No. OC365787 | Place of Registration: England & Wales | Registered to carry on audit work in the UK by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

About us

Numera is a newly established forward-thinking firm of chartered accountants, with over 25 years in experience of audit, accountancy, taxation and business advisory services.

We work with clients in a large variety of industries and sectors; from sole traders to multi-million pound turnover organisations. We aim to create and maintain a close relationship with our clients. By being so involved, we are able to identify opportunities for our clients as well as possible risks that our clients may be faced with.

© 2023 Numera. All rights reserved. We use cookies on this website, you can find more information about cookies here.