Iain Wallis

Proven Tax Strategies for High Net Worth Individuals

0191 603 0270

What’s the new rent a room relief legislation?

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From 6th April 2019, new legislation, and not necessarily for the better, will come into effect.

It will mean that you won’t be entitled to rent a room relief  unless you are living in your home for some or all of the time that you let your rooms to lodgers.

Current Situation

The current situation is that any property owner who lets all or part of their homes to lodgers receives rent a room relief. This is in the form of tax free income, the lesser of £7,500 or £3,750 per year. So, for a property owned jointly, each owner would be allowed to earn £3,750 tax free.

However, this current legislation is going to change. To help with domestic finances, there has been an increase in people letting out rooms. This is either from people working away from home and supplementing their income or short term cash benefits from sporting events. In July 2018, HMRC proposed new legislation with the aim of preventing this from happening in the future.

Changes to Rent a Room Relief

From 6 April 2019, as a property owner, in order to claim rent a room relief, you will have to live in your home for at least one day during the period when you have tenants. If you rent out your rooms or home on an Airbnb basis, rent a room relief is still available as long as you live in your home for at least one day during every period of letting. The legislation is slightly woolly. It refers to wholly or partly so that would suggest a minimum of one day.

Whilst not as generous, there is some good news. When rent a room relief doesn’t apply, you will be able to claim £1,000 tax free property allowance.

It is worth considering how these new rules may affect you. If there are any significant changes to the final proposed version of the legislation when the Finance Bill 2019 is published in December 2018, we will update you with a new blog.

Action

If you are interested in receiving further information or booking a strategic consultation with Iain to see where he can help you legally avoid tax, please contact Jacqueline on telephone 0191 603 0270 or email admin@iainwallis.com

It’s not always a bunch of Roses

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valentinesCongratulations to anyone who may be intending to ‘pop the question’ over a romantic candle lit meal this evening.

To those of you who consider yourself ‘unromantic’ or think it all to be ‘a bit of stuff and nonsense’ or ‘created by florists to make more money’, and yes I have some sympathy for that view, bear in mind there could be costly implications – and that’s not just the ring!!

Unmarried couples are not recognised as a legal entity and this becomes even more of an issue where children are involved. Legally, you become stuck in no-man’s land somewhere between land and complex trust law and in the event the relationship breaks down, you could find yourself in all sorts of problems and not just of the emotional type. Who gets the CD collection will be the least of your worries!

It’s far better to try and get things in order at the outset, to provide both of you with some degree of reassurance before it gets to the stage of arguing over what’s what:

• The first, a Cohabitation Agreement deals with the ownership of assets and the distribution of these.

• Second, a Declaration of Trust reflects the contribution of each individual to any assets such as property.

• For those in business together, a Partnership Deed, which deals with each party’s interest in the business.

• Finally a Will. Cohabitees are not entitled to automatically inherit from their partner’s estate. If you wish your partner to inherit, particularly any assets jointly owned, you need to have a Will in place.

For further information or to book a strategic session with Iain, please contact Jacqueline on 0191 6030 270 or email admin@iainwallis.com.

Landlord & Letting Show Coventry 26-27 November

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Finalist Logo GeneralWe will be exhibiting at the Landlord & Letting Show taking place at Hall 2, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, on Wednesday 26th & Thursday 27th November 2014, and we hope you can join us! Maybe on day two help us celebrate as we are finalists in the prestigious Landlord & Letting Show Awards with the winners to be announced during the show.
It’s free to attend and the event aims to educate and inform property professionals by offering access to:
• A comprehensive product and services exhibition

• Free seminars covering a wide range of topics delivered by leading industry experts.

• There are two presentations from me entitled “5 Top Tax Tips to Legally Avoid Property Taxes” one on Wednesday at 11.30 and one on Thursday at 14.00. These are always full so be sure to be there in plenty of time

• Associations and Government Bodies
• Fantastic networking opportunities
• Information on the latest legislation
Visit the website at http:www.warwickshire.landlordshow.info to find out more and book free show tickets, then come along and visit us on stand 38.

Always happy to chat legal tax avoidance and share the love.

RIP Mrs Thatcher

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Margaret ThatcherWhatever your political views on Mrs Thatcher please try and remember that at the heart of this a son and daughter have lost their Mum, grandchildren their granny and countless other family members are dealing with the passing of a loved one.

Much of the ill informed vituperate bile has been spat out by those who weren’t even alive when she was in power and those who were would do well to remember that at some stage they will shuffle off their mortal coil and you won’t find me chanting “ding dong the ……….’s  dead when Bob Crowe Arthur Scargill and others leave this world.

Mrs Scargill may well be “really really happy” at the death of Mrs Thatcher but has presumably chosen to ignore that Kinnock, the Labour party leader called her husband’s actions “suicidal vanity” and that over 200 pits were closed in this country under the Labour stewardship of the late Harold Wilson. Did she & the miners rejoice at his death?

So yes I was in the minority when, while studying at university, that political hotbed of debate, where universities were regularly occupied over tuition fees, Mrs Thatcher came to power with a sweeping majority. Naïve as I was of the business world then  I believed that we had turned a corner and it would be good for UK Plc. Why?

We had just gone through the winter of discontent, rubbish was piled up because the bin men were on strike and yes even the dead went unburried. “Crisis what crisis“ reflected Jim Callaghan. We had inefficient state owned industries and an altogether complete lack of understanding as a country about profitability. Yes we were very much the sick man of Europe with massive inflation and regularly seeking hand outs from the IMF. The government owned Gleneagles hotel, an airline, a car manufacturer and even a removal company!

During this “winter of discontent” my late father bless him struggled through a three day week to get his fledgling manufacturing company off the ground.

Did he go to the government and ask to be nationalised as he was inefficient? No he worked through it, and ultimately created more employment in Dorset and yes saw the company grow.

That was very powerful to see and his entrepreneurial spirit lives on in both my brother and I. Has it been tough? You bet but did I go running for benefits and hand outs, no way.

So the message that I take form the Thatcher years and what I reflect upon on her death is that if you have the will and desire to succeed then you will. If you aspire to own your own house then you can and for the investors amongst you, if you aspire to own your own property portfolio, then you can.

Funny isn’t it that the harder you work the luckier you become.

So RIP Mrs T

Iain Wallis signature

 

 

Iain Wallis – Proven Tax Strategies For High Net Worth Individuals

So what about the 2013 Budget?

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 Headline grabbing announcements in the Budget do little to hide the three brutal truths and the billion bombshell that will mean excruciating pain for many in the UK

 
The anorak wearers amongst you in reading about the budget have spotted in Table B.5 on page 104 of the Treasury’s full “Budget 2013” document (which you can download here http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget2013_documents.htm) National Debt is going to rise in the next 5 years from £1,189bn to £1,637bn

That’s a staggering increase of £448bn. Given that there are 63.2 million people in the UK, that equates to £7,088 per person. try obtaining that on an interest free credit card!

So today I’ve  launched a free “2013 Tax Minimisation Review” initiative to help local taxpayers and businesses get to grips with the pain behind the Budget.

There are some very welcome headline grabbing announcements in this Budget. But we shouldn’t get carried away, since the underlying message is one of three brutal truths.

The first brutal truth is that public finances are still in a terrible mess.

In fact, the bombshell is that the people and businesses in the UK  will be forced find an extra £448 Billion just to pay back our share of the extra money the government is now going to borrow over the next 5 years. So for some local people the pain is going to be excruciating as the country balances the books with even higher tax bills, even lower wage increases and even fewer public services and benefits.

And even if they work hard and manage to avoid all of that, high earners could find the government taking up to 60p from every extra pound they earn: 60% – is the effective tax rate on income just above £100,000 due to the withdrawal of the personal allowance.

Middle earners could have as much as 65p taken from them  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/middle-classes-face-65-tax-rate-after-child-benefit-squeeze-8439162.html

While low earners can lose a staggering 73p once the claw-back of benefits is also taken into account http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2242158/The-families-hammered-73-tax–income-tax-National-Insurance-combine-loss-benefits.html

The second brutal truth is that it is businesses and not Budgets that offer us the best hope of putting things right by replacing the jobs and wealth lost, and generating the extra taxes needed to pay for everything.  So the region’s job and wealth creating businesses need to stand up and be counted by taking urgent action to make it happen.

The third brutal truth is that the 2013 tax regime is hideously complicated and contains a huge number of pitfalls for the unwary.

The good news, though, is that it now also allows the really well advised to make some very big tax savings. And that’s why we’ve launched our free 2013 Tax Minimisation Review service for businesses and individuals – to make sure that no-one suffers by paying a single penny more than their fair share of tax.” 

 Readers who do not want to pay a single penny more tax than they need to can claim a free 2013 Tax Minimisation Review by calling Iain] on 0191 206 4080.

Further information on this topic can be obtained from Iain@iainwallis.com

Some timely tax planning tips with 5 April coming fast

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Here’s a few tax tips to ponder and take action upon before the end of the tax year:

Income Tax

Those property investors who do not trade through a limited company have no choice as to when to make up your accounts.

Letting income will always be that arising in each tax year to the 5th April.

In looking to save tax in any business approaching a year end, you would look to defer income and maybe bring forward expenditure.

Now with rental income it’s pretty hard to defer income as I would expect you receive your rental each month so not much planning opportunity there then so what about expendtiture. Well now we’re talking.

If you’ve some major repairs on the horizon, maybe a complete repaint and remember we are talking repairs here not capital expenditure, get in place a contract for the work to be undertaken. If you’ve contracted to have the work done then these costs can be brought into your letting accounts which a) may reduce the level of profit and save tax or b) turn a profit into a loss and again save tax.

Remember that loses can only be offset against other property income or carried forward in perpetuity to offset against profits. 

As an aside tax losses are personal and so a) can not be transferred to anyone and b) go with you to the grave.

Capital Gains Tax

You may have in your portfolio a property that is sitting on a nice capital gain. Now may be a chance to offload that at a slightly below market price for a quick sale and a tax free gain. Each individual can currently make capital gains tax free of £10,600. So a property held jointly could show a gain in excess of £21,200 and if sold before 5th April 2012 not create a tax liability.  I say in excess because you pay capital taxes on the net sale proceeds less the cost of acquisition.

Inheritance Tax

As with income tax and capital gains tax there is an exemption for inheritance tax. The annual exemption is currently £3,000 and thus the first £3,000 of any transfer of value will be exempt from Inheritance Tax. If the exemption is not used then this can be carried forward. So assuming no gifts were made last year, Mum and Dad could gift £6,000 to their children completely tax free. As an impoverished trainee accountant it was a relief I often brought to my parents attention, though this simple tax planning strategy always fell on deaf ears!

Further information on this topic can be obtained from Iain@iainwallis.com

Walk Trot & Canter Your Way to Property Investment

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In the summer of 1977 I had just completed my first year at university and found myself living in a bedsit round the back of the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, London in some Marxist safe house. The doors were never locked and my landlady’s three sons and assorted guests would come and go at various times of the day.

Possibly not the ideal spot for this trainee Chartered Accountant but they seemed happy enough to accept the rent in cash and my Morris Minor was no real indication of rampant capitalism.  Throw in the heady mix of the Sex Pistols “Anarchy in the UK” and it’s fair to say that this was not the best place to want to celebrate the Queens Silver Jubilee.

So I took refuge in leafy Dorset with my parents and younger brother where in true cucumber sand-witch and cream tea style we and the local villagers celebrated The Silver Jubilee. I had to return to London to work the day after the Bank Holiday so missed the fun of the pub that night and endless singing of Jerusalem and Rule Brittania but I was able to play an active part in the festivities and it was there that I picked up the Silver Jubilee Walk Trot and Canter prize for the over 16’s while my brother was equally successful in his event.

So what’s that to do with property?

House prices have been on a walk trot and a canter too with the odd gallop and occasional fall as the graph below shows from The Nationwide.

 

 

In 1952 the average price for a “new modern house” was £2,020 and by 1962 this had risen to £2,726 so a fairly gentle walk through the 50’s. A continued walk though they picked up some speed and by 1977 had cantered up to £12,236 and continued up to 1989 with a bit of a tumble.

 Back in the saddle our “new modern house” walks then trots and gallops away up to 2007 when it’s true to say it hits a fence hard and suffers a massive fall. Even now as it starts the walk again it is still at a staggering £150,532. Yes that’s an increase of 7,352%!

 So even though our “new modern house” is gently walking and could easily be spooked, there has never been a better time to buy property. In the right area and at the right price you should be able to build a portfolio delivering more than 10% yield with capital growth an added bonus.

 So have a great weekend and ask yourself what achievements in property will you be looking back on in 10 years time and if you’re young enough in 60.

 If you would like to invest with me or through me please email Iain@iainwallis.com .

 

5 Common Mistakes when Property Investing

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Speaking to you as a property investor who bought his first investment property in 2006 and who has continued to vigorously acquire in the last two years it’s sometimes good to reflect on lessons learned and how I’m now qualified to say that I genuinely believe property is a sound investment while others just don’t get it.

Have I made mistakes? Sure!

Have I learnt from them? Oh yes!

So can you imagine how easy property investing will be if you avoid these mistakes?

 1. This is a serious business

Absolutely! This is property not monopoly. Treat it like a game and hope that someone will land on your property and yes you will fail. Cashflow is the lifeblood of any business and property trust me is no different and without good cashflow then your business will fail. Yes the acquisition process is fundamental and where you make your profit but any property must demonstrate a good return and cashflow well, So aim for a minimum of 8% yield (gross rental/ cost of property and refurbishment) and you can’t go wrong, though typically I aim and get much more from single lets in my goldmine area.

 Are you focused on the cashflow?

 

 2. All the gear and no idea

If you are a skier you will know what I mean or even a golfer. Indeed any recreation you undertake you will see those who’ve the state of the art kit but can’t use it. Property knowledge is no different. Seminar junkies trek from location to location investing more and more cash with different people to find the missing piece of the property puzzle. Believe me there is no missing piece and the property market is always evolving. So, yes I learnt from two of the leaders in the property game and yes I continue to train with and for them but here’s the thing I’ve taken action and built a portfolio of property. So you’ve the skills to invest so go practice them. Invest your cash in a property not another training programme unless it’s furthering your knowledge alongside your core activity.

 Are you the course junkie?

 

 3. No clear vision

When I ask people why they want to invest in property a typical response would be “I want to get rich or maybe I want to quit my job”. Now this might sound perverse but that’s not a good enough reason. It’s not clear enough, it’s not specific enough and has no clear vision as to what the world will look like when you get there. I want to pay for my kids education! Great but how much do you need for that and how many properties will do that, or how many deals do I have to package and what will tell you that that goal or vision has been achieved. Unfocussed you will sleepwalk along the property road and be prepared to wave as those with a clear vision motor past at speed.

 Like me you’re focused on clearly defined goals aren’t you?

 

 4. There’s no F in planning

Any property purchase must be preceded by full due diligence and research so that you are able to invest with all the facts. Will there be a high level of demand for your rented property at the right amount of rent to provide the cashflow you need? What are house prices doing in that particular area, what comparables of sold houses do you have? Don’t make the mistake of buying because it’s cheap: it’s probably cheap for a reason. If you’ve done the research and are happy with the risk then yes buy cheap but ONLY after you’ve checked everything. I buy stuff now that I wouldn’t have touched two years ago but only because I’m thorough in my research.

 Be sure to buy after all thorough due diligence.

 

5. Patience is a virtue

Property investing is no race and no competition. Just because someone is buying a load does not mean that you should be. Their circumstances may be different. They may have more time, money whatever but it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that you go at your pace to learn, research etc and then take action armed with all the facts but please take action. There are thousands of houses out there for sale and the right deals for you will come along and you will know when they are the right deals, believe me.

 So to paraphrase Cpl Jones, “Don’t panic Capt Mainwaring!”

Know that when you are aware of the above mistakes you will take action to avoid them and your property investing journey will be a rich and fulfilling one.

To your continued success.

 

Homes Under The Hammer comes to Newcastle part 2

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A few days after I returned home the researcher from Homes Under The Hammer was on the phone, sorting out dates for filming, and wanting to know a bit about me, why I had bought the property and my property experience. I guess the best car crash telly is where someone, not necessarily but more than likely a first time auction attendee buys a lemon. This was no lemon!

 They had a date set for filming which unfortunately was some three weeks after completion. Normally we like to get in fast, do the refurb and get the tenant in as soon as possible. Our best is two weeks from completion to tenant but on this occasion I was prepared to wait for a bit of free publicity. More importantly however I booked in the second filming so that we could flip or let as soon as the work was completed.

 They wanted four hours of my valuable time. On the day I was ahead of schedule so I nipped to the beach to enjoy my lunch. I was confused to see people filming the North Sea in January. I thought they were from the local college doing media studies until the same car and crew turned up outside the property.

 A quick tour of the property, I retired to my car to do some work and then if it moved or even didn’t move they filmed it. Up the street, down the street, across the street, the mould in the bathroom, the holes in the ceiling, the appalling décor etc etc. I’d turned up in a T shirt to do a bit of self promotion though that was given short shrift “this is the BBC don’t you know!”

 After a while the presenter Martin arrived, though to be honest I was hoping it would have been Lucy Alexander. He did his various bits to camera and then it was my time. One take Wallis nailed it as I walked up to the property, walked into various rooms for a studious appraisal and then the interview. Usual stuff from Martin though much to his annoyance I kept calling him Richard: a senior moment.

 Soon after the agent turned up to look around and value the property and give her valuable opinions. The estate agent, let’s call her Gill, as that’s her real name had brought her manager for some moral support, though she like me just giggled as Gill walked up to the property, around it etc and then did her interview.

 Now this is where the fun starts as we’d been working with this firm for a long time and have a good working relationship with them, so while Gill gave her best performance and suggested values when complete and likely rental income let’s just say that they were fair but the right side of fair. Cheers Mrs Bouquet, though Gill did confess to hating doing the whole thing.

 The luvvies packed up and it was time to unleash the builder. Steve, as that’s his real name had already viewed the property and given me a quote for the work. Again I’d been working with him for a while so he knew what to do to get it habitable and ready for letting or a flip. I gave him the keys and let him get on with the work.

Fast forward four weeks and we are all finished and ready for the post refurb filming. A slightly smaller film crew and no Martin or was it Richard, so I had to pretend to be replying to his questions. Usual stuff, walk up to the property, walk around property and look suitably enthused.

 The two agents arrived, filmed and gave values and likely rental income. One agent was from out the area which was slightly left field but Gill was there having taken time off in the morning to visit the hairdressers! Again Gill was brilliant. Never again she vowed!

 Then it was more interviews as they hit me with the valuations and rental. Both said that we’d done a good job, and though there was a £10k difference in values the mid price would see a 122% uplift on the purchase price. Not a bad return over eight weeks I thought. Yes there were refurb costs but if it sold at that value, that would still be a very healthy return.

 The luvvies left and promised to let us know when the editing was done and when it would be aired. No news yet peoples.

 The view had always been to buy and flip and if it didn’t sell then refinance in six months. So we struck a deal with my fave agents, thanks Clare and all the girls @ The RMS Dream Team, and for once she was selling a property for me not getting me to buy one with one of those cheeky offers.

 Within two weeks we had a buyer keen to move into the area though they couldn’t afford the full price. Note to self: it feels very odd when your price is being dropped when you are used to encouraging the vendor to accept less than the asking price though she seemed genuine, had a Decision In Principle in place so all system go.

 All was going swimmingly until the survey! It was down valued “expensive for the area” and had a very long conditions list. Suffice to say the issues were easily resolved, the buyer found some extra cash to contribute and on reflection, the surveyor had probably had a row with his wife that morning, so was looking for all the negatives. Still the quick sale became a medium term sale.

 Contracts have just been exchanged and soon the funds will be released to go shopping again.

 I’ll keep you posted as to when I make my debut on BBC1

 As a postscript, we’d just napped another at auction and just finished the paperwork and yes you guessed it I heard those words “Would you be interested in filming for Homes Under the Hammer?” To be continued…………………

 

 

Homes Under the Hammer comes to Newcastle part 1

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When I was at university, there were only three channels to watch on TV and none aired during the day. I then found myself a job and when that finished I found stuff to do so it’s fair to say that unless there’s some sport involved you won’t find me watching much television during the daytime.

 Around this time last year we attempted to buy our first house at auction. We’d done all the preparatory work, a lot of which I will share with you in a later blog but we weren’t prepared for the announcement that “Homes Under the Hammer” were in attendance. As assorted people moved to corners of the room where no camera could film, I made a mental note to enquire further about this programme and vowed if I was successful or indeed if I returned, I would tick the no publicity box!

We did not land the house that night as it went for more than we wanted to spend. Property is a business so avoid getting carried away in the chase for a bargain for if it is more than you planned to spend it no longer is a bargain. Simples! Trust me there will be plenty more along the following month.

 We did eventually land three at auction last year and at the last auction in Newcastle, spookily HUTH, as the Luvvies at the BBC call it were once again in attendance. By now I’d done a spot of research and even managed to catch a programme as I waited for the engineers to complete the routine car service. After reading The Journal from cover to cover, a local paper for Newcastle and the North East, wrestling with the sports section of The Times, studying the next auction catalogue, I found myself left watching daytime telly and caught a glimpse of Homes Under the Hammer on the BBC. Very interesting Mr Bond!

 The aforementioned auction catalogue contained what I thought was a little gem. It was on the outskirts of the area we mainly invest in, but there were good comparables, good rentals with the potential to easily surpass our target yield of 8%. A viewing was duly arranged along with several others that day.  It was the last on our schedule that day and the agent pre framed the visit with “It stinks.  I’ll just open the door and let you in!”

 She was not wrong: it did and then some! The previous owner clearly liked his pop but found it easier to pee in situ rather than move to the bathroom. It was dark, dingy and generally pretty unpleasant, with filthy carpets, a pretty foul kitchen and a bathroom that frankly was not fit for human occupancy. I surveyed the ground floor on one breath and retreated for some cold sea air (it was on the coast after all). A second gulp and I had the top floor checked out though chose to complete my viewing schedule outside.

 James Caan in his book The Real Deal, prefaces it with a comment “observe the masses and do the opposite”. It’s a path that has served him and his father before him well and a philosophy that has made Warren Buffet a vast fortune. It’s also one that I’ve carried into our investing, after some due diligence, naturally, and here was a classic case in point.

 Most could smell the appalling house but not the profit. The property had a low guide price and it was worth an educated punt. Now don’t get me wrong, two years ago I’d have joined the masses and walked away but I now had a much better idea on refurb costs, could see through the muck and how it could be restored to a perfect home.

Due diligence completed it was time to attend the auction. Usual preamble, how on the fall of the hammer it was yours, exchange within so many days blah blah blah about the TV Cameras and soon Lot 8 was ready to be auctioned..

 Initially very little interest as the auctioneer searched for a value to start the bidding. Eventually it kicked off and edged towards the guide price. Still 5K short of the guide price the auctioneer prepared to sell. At “selling it twice” I indicated an interest. Good tactic that by the way, never declare an interest too early. After a quick spat it was ours still £2.5K below the guide price. It’s a truism on property but you make your money when you buy and we had just made some money.

 Contracts exchanged and deposit paid I felt very pleased when I was asked if I fancied being on Homes Under the Hammer.

The answer had to be yes! 

 In the next part I will share with you the before filming, the joy of the refurb and the follow up filming and yes the final valuation.

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