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Help-to-Save accounts go live
Newsletter issue - October 2018.
Many people on low incomes who wish to build up a savings pot can now register for a government-incentivised Help-to-Save account. The launch of the new account follows an eight-month trial, with over 45,000 customers who deposited over £3 million.
The new scheme is easy to use, flexible and secure, will help those on low incomes build up a 'rainy day' fund, and encourage savings behaviours and habits. How much is saved and when is up to the account holder, and they don't need to pay in every month to get a bonus.
The scheme, administered by HMRC, will be open to UK residents who are:
- entitled to Working Tax Credit and receiving Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit payments;
- claiming Universal Credit and have a household or individual income of at least £542.88 for their last monthly assessment period (though note that payments from Universal Credit are not considered to be part of household income);
- People living overseas who meet either of these eligibility conditions can apply for an account if they are:
- a Crown servant - or their spouse or civil partner;
- a member of the British armed forces - or their spouse or civil partner.
Account holders can save between £1 and £50 every calendar month and accounts last for four years from the date the account is opened. After two years, savers get a 50% tax-free bonus on savings. If saving continues there is another 50% tax-free bonus after four years.
On maximum savings of £2,400 over 4 years, the overall bonus would be £1,200. To apply, savers can visit www.gov.uk/helptosave or use the HMRC app. Opening an online account should be straight-forward and take less than five minutes.
What our clients say about us...
"Paul has provided accountancy services to my company for 2 years now. I can recommend Paul very highly; his skills as an accountant are highly detailed and professional and he is always available to provide advice. One aspect of the way Paul works that I greatly appreciate is a preference to meet face to face when there is a detailed conversation to be had. I personally find this more productive and is a benefit of working with a small accountancy firm that you wouldn't get with the large faceless providers."
ALISTAIR FAIRWEATHER - PROGRAMME & PROJECT MANAGER, DELIVERING/RESCUING I.T. 7 BUSINESS CHANGE WITH BUDGETS UPTO £50M INC SUPPIER MANAGEMENT
"I couldn't ask for more from Paul as an Accountant. Paul has been accountant to Work Relief Charity Recruitment for just over a year now and is proving an invaluable asset. Accurate, knowledgeable, flexible with an emphasis on service delivery, I would recommend Paul's services to any organisation looking for an accounts professional."
Neil Price - Managing Director at Work Relief Charity Recruitment
"Paul was a referral from a family member when I started my business 2 years ago. As this was the first time I had ever run my own company I was totally clueless over the financial side of matters and was worried that I may have made mistakes in any of my accounting. I needn't have worried as after enaging Paul for a set monthly fee he was always there on the end of the phone for all sorts of questions I had and no matter how trivial they were Paul gave me all the information I required and more and did an excellent and painless job at the end of my first year! Couldn't ask for any better to be honest. Just two words - hire him!!!"
Lee Westrap MBCS - Director - Bulldog IT Services
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