Employment Allowance is claimed as part of a
businesses’ HMRC payroll submissions. Since 2014, all eligible employers within
the UK have been able to reduce Class 1 NIC’s by claiming employment allowance
for their company. If claimed, employers are not required to pay the first
£4,000 of employer’s national insurance – a huge saving opportunity for any
small business!

Can I claim employment allowance for my business?

If you have never claimed Employment Allowance before,
the good news is you can apply retrospectively for the past 4 tax years, dating
back to the 2016/2017 tax year. Employment Allowance for these prior years was
£3,000 per year, although your small business might actually be entitled to as
much as £12,000 refund from HMRC, coupled with this year’s relief.

Most small businesses are eligible for Employment
Allowance, although there are some exemptions which business owners should be
aware of before applying:

Which small business types are exempt from Employment Allowance?

Class 1 liability over £100,000

• Any small businesses owners with a secondary
  employer’s Class 1 NIC liability of £100,000 or more in the prior tax year are
  not eligible for claiming Employment Allowance. It is advised that liability
  should be calculated by considering connected employers. Should all connected
  parties add up to £100,000 or more, no employers within this category would be
  eligible.

State aid

• As of 6^th April 2020, Employment
  Allowance is operated as “de minimis State aid”. This means that employers who
  already claim de minimis state aid are required to check that they have
  sufficient balance available to make an Employment Allowance claim. If you have
  received de minimis state aid, this is something which you should have been
  notified about. Should you believe that you have received de minimis state aid
  but were not notified, clarify this with your scheme’s administrator.
• Any small business which receives more than
  their sectors ceiling or if it would breach their ceiling should Employment
  Allowance be granted, then they would not be granted eligibility for Employment
  Allowance. The applicable ceiling for most small businesses is EUR 200,000. It
  is recommended that small businesses owners verify this over on the HMRC
  website.

Single company directors

• If a small business contains only one employee
  who is paid over the Secondary Threshold for Class 1 National Insurance
  contributions and if they happen to also be the company director, this business
  will not be eligible for Employment Allowance.
• Additionally, small businesses with just one
  employee will also not be eligible for Employment Allowance.

How to claim Employment Allowance for my small business?

The best way to apply employment allowance for your business
is to entrust this task to a professional accountancy firm. Based in Central
London, Venn Accounts are chartered accountants who specialise in providing
personalised accountancy services for small businesses and startups
respectively.

With an emphasis on going the extra mile for clients, Venn
Accounts provide an all-encompassing service that is tailor-made for the needs
of small businesses owners. Visit Venn
Accounts website to arrange a consultation for your business.

Most food businesses, from smaller enterprises such as café’s and bakeries to big chain restaurants and supermarkets, all require commercial fridges. Commercial refrigeration units are essential for storing everything from ingredients to prepared food. Unlike fridges at home, commercial units such as walk in fridges and meat chillers feature a heavier compressor to withstand rough usage. As such, they have better cooling capacities for effective preservation and storing. Ensure optimal performance and longevity for your refrigeration system with high-quality and reliable refrigeration parts.

Put simply, investing in good commercial fridge units from a refrigeration equipment supplier such as Enviro Chill, is necessary for the success of your business. However, there are important factors which businesses need to consider when purchasing a commercial refrigeration unit:

1. How energy efficient is my commercial fridge?

• Because commercial refrigeration units feature high running costs, it’s important to pay close attention to how energy efficient your commercial fridge is. Look out for those with the best energy star rating to get the best deal for your business.

2. What style best suits my business?

• Buyers will come across a wide variety of styles when shopping around for a new commercial fridge. As such, it is important that you look for a unit which best meets your precise storage requirements. For example, a supermarket would need a larger commercial refrigeration unit that features a glass display to both store products and put them out on display.

• Different commercial fridges also feature varying levels of cooling insulation. Solid door commercial fridges offer better insulation levels due to limited heat transfers from outside to the inside. This makes them ideal for perishable goods as temperatures remain balanced. While glass door commercial fridges are great for displaying food items, they are not ideal for either cooling or insulation as there is a thin barrier between inner and outer parts that lead to easier heat transfers.

3. What brand is my commercial fridge unit?

• It is imperative that your business invests wisely when purchasing commercial fridges and chooses a reliable brand. The quality of services which you provide to customers often relies on how reliable the tools and es which you use are. Always look for a reliable manufacturer of commercial fridges to reduce risks of equipment failure.

4. How much space does my business have for a refrigeration unit?

• Businesses should take some time to carry out careful space planning before choosing your commercial fridge unit. First, measure the available area at your premises. Do you have the capacity for swinging doors? If not, perhaps consider sliding doors for your commercial fridge instead.

• Additionally, consider measuring the entrance which leads to wherever you plan on keeping your walk-in freezer whilst performing your space planning.

5. How much does my commercial fridge cost?

• Finally, make sure your business establishes a clear budget when selecting a commercial refrigeration unit. Should you have a limited budget, weigh up the pros and cons of a lesser-known brand. Although they may cost less than a household brand, the maintenance expenses which they may incur in the future might outweigh any initial costs.

• While refrigeration units from reputable brands might be more expensive, investing in the services of reliable commercial refrigeration equipment supplier would help prevent unnecessary expenses for your business.