HMRC’s official rate of interest has been cut from 2.25% to 2% from 6 April 2021. This will affect any directors or employees who have a beneficial loan from their employer, as well as directors who have an overdrawn current account with their company. The official rate is also used in some other tax calculations.

Beneficial loans

Assuming no change to the official rate throughout 2021/22, the cut will reduce the tax payable by a higher rate taxpayer with an employer-provided interest-free loan, of, say, £50,000 from £450 to £400. Alternatively, the director or employee will need to pay interest of £1,000 rather than £1,125 for 2021/22 to avoid the tax charge.

Where an employer-provided loan is cheap rather than interest-free, the benefit charge is based on the difference between the official rate and the amount of interest actually paid. There will be no benefit if:

• The balance of beneficial loans provided to a director or employee throughout 2021/22 does not exceed £10,000.
• The loan is for a qualifying purpose, such as buying shares in a close company.

Directors should be particularly careful to not let an overdrawn current account go just over £10,000 at any point during the tax year.

Other uses

The official rate is also used in regard to employer-provided living accommodation and pre-owned assets tax (POAT).

• Living accommodation – There is an additional benefit charge on the excess of the cost of the accommodation over £75,000. For example, if living accommodation cost £250,000, then the additional benefit charge for 2021/22 will be (£250,000 – £75,000) at 2% = £3,500.
• POAT – There is an income tax charge on certain inheritance tax planning arrangements. Where chattels and intangible assets are concerned, the amount of deemed income subject to tax is the value of the asset multiplied by the official rate.

More detail on beneficial loans from an employer’s perspective can be found here.