Budget
2003
Introduction
Personal Income Tax
National Insurance 2003/04
Pensioners
Employees
Savings
Capitals Gains Tax
Stamp Duty
Inheritance Tax
Corporation Tax
Business Tax
Value Added Tax
Other Measures
Tax Tables
National Insurance
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National
Insurance 2003/04
The
Chancellor announced in April 2002 the increases which took effect
on 6 April 2003, so he did not have to repeat the bad news this year.
At least, no further increases were announced, as some people had
predicted.
Employees and employers will each pay an extra 1% of salary over
£4,615 in 2003/04, and the self-employed will pay an extra 1%
on profits over the same level. Employees will see the increase on
their April 2003 payslip, while the self-employed will only suffer
it when paying the 2003/04 tax on 31 January 2005.

Because of the long delay between the announcement of the increase
and its arrival, a number of ways of mitigating the impact have been
raised in the last year, including the incorporation of self-employed
businesses and the payment of dividends (which are not subject to
NIC). There are no measures in this Budget to counter such plans,
which may mean that the Government is not worried about them, or may
mean that the Inland Revenue believe that existing rules can prevent
avoidance unless taxpayers are
very careful.
| Tax Tip |
| If the new NIC rates hurt, it's worth
looking at ways to mitigate them - take advice. |
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