Capital gain is an economic concept defined as the profit earned on the sale of an asset which has increased in value over the holding period. An asset may include tangible property , a car, a business, or intangible property such as shares .
123-461: A capital gain is only possible when the selling price of the asset is greater than the original purchase price. In the event that the purchase price exceeds the sale price, a capital loss occurs. Capital gains are often subject to taxation , of which rates and exemptions may differ between countries. The history of capital gain originates at the birth of the modern economic system and its evolution has been described as complex and multidimensional by
246-433: A pay-as-you-earn basis, with corrections made after the end of the tax year . These corrections take one of two forms: Income-tax systems often make deductions available that reduce the total tax liability by reducing total taxable income. They may allow losses from one type of income to count against another – for example, a loss on the stock market may be deducted against taxes paid on wages. Other tax systems may isolate
369-660: A taxpayer (an individual or legal entity ) by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities . Tax compliance refers to policy actions and individual behavior aimed at ensuring that taxpayers are paying the right amount of tax at the right time and securing the correct tax allowances and tax relief. The first known taxation occurred in Ancient Egypt around 3000–2800 BC. Taxes consist of direct or indirect taxes and may be paid in money or as labor equivalent. All countries have
492-420: A capital gain are sold too early, while stocks which are clear losers are held on for too long, thus creating greater capital losses than necessary. This asset pricing model details how the expectations of future capital gains in the stock market are a key driver of actual stock price movements. In general, “asset price boom and bust cycles… are fueled by the belief-updating dynamics of investors ”, and thereby
615-417: A capital gain, individuals may be able to either claim a reserve or claim a capital gains deduction. Individuals are eligible to claim a reserve when the capital gain does not occur as one lump-sum payment but rather a series of payments over time. In order to calculate the reserve, Canadian individuals must calculate their capital gain via the regular sale price minus cost price method, and subsequently subtract
738-426: A certain area ( social engineering ). For example, a high excise is used to discourage alcohol consumption, relative to other goods. This may be combined with hypothecation if the proceeds are then used to pay for the costs of treating illness caused by alcohol use disorder . Similar taxes may exist on tobacco , pornography , marijuana etc., and they may be collectively referred to as " sin taxes ". A carbon tax
861-543: A circle. The department is responsible for the administration and collection of direct taxes including Income Tax , Corporation Tax , Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and Inheritance Tax (IHT), indirect taxes including Value Added Tax (VAT), excise duties and Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), and environmental taxes such as Air Passenger Duty and the Climate Change Levy . Other aspects of the department's responsibilities include National Insurance Contributions (NIC),
984-682: A collection rate of 95.3% (up from 92.7% in 2005-6). At the end of March 2009, HMRC was managing 20 million 'open' cases (where the department's systems identify discrepancies in taxpayer records or are unable to match a return to a record) which could affect around 4.5 million individuals who may have overpaid in total some £1.6 billion of tax and a further 1.5 million individuals who may have underpaid in total some £400 million of tax. HMRC guidance notes that flexible arrangements can be made, where necessary, to assist individuals and businesses who have unpaid tax debts. Such "Time to Pay arrangements", for example an agreed monthly payment schedule, are based on
1107-446: A commodity is sold to its final consumer. Retail organizations contend that such taxes discourage retail sales. The question of whether they are generally progressive or regressive is a subject of much current debate. People with higher incomes spend a lower proportion of them, so a flat-rate sales tax will tend to be regressive. It is therefore common to exempt food, utilities, and other necessities from sales taxes, since poor people spend
1230-455: A consumption good has a strong influence on actual housing prices and demand. As stated by Dusansky & Koç, “an increase in housing prices increases the demand for owner-occupied housing services. Thus, housing’s role as investment asset with its potential for capital gains dominates its role as consumption good”. A capital gain may be earned through the sale of intangible financial assets such as bonds . The capital gain would be achieved when
1353-469: A definition and system of classification of internal taxes, generally followed below. In addition, many countries impose taxes ( tariffs ) on the import of goods. Many jurisdictions tax the income of individuals and of business entities , including corporations . Generally, the authorities impose a tax on net profits from a business , on net gains, and on other income. Computation of income subject to tax may be determined under accounting principles used in
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#17328519930471476-406: A higher proportion of their incomes on these commodities, so such exemptions make the tax more progressive. This is the classic "You pay for what you spend" tax, as only those who spend money on non-exempt (i.e. luxury) items pay the tax. A small number of U.S. states rely entirely on sales taxes for state revenue, as those states do not levy a state income tax. Such states tend to have a moderate to
1599-638: A higher tax rate. Historically, in many countries, a contract needs to have a stamp affixed to make it valid. The charge for the stamp is either a fixed amount or a percentage of the value of the transaction. In most countries, the stamp has been abolished but stamp duty remains. Stamp duty is levied in the UK on the purchase of shares and securities, the issue of bearer instruments, and certain partnership transactions. Its modern derivatives, stamp duty reserve tax and stamp duty land tax , are respectively charged on transactions involving securities and land. Stamp duty has
1722-695: A landmark ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). This decision reversed a previous European Commission ruling from 2019 that classified a UK tax exemption as illegal state aid, requiring HMRC to collect additional taxes. The tax exemption, applicable from 2013 to 2018, was designed to support British-based multinationals by exempting certain overseas financing activities from controlled foreign company (CFC) rules. These rules generally prevent companies from reducing tax liabilities by shifting profits to foreign subsidiaries. The exemption, initially introduced by former UK Chancellor George Osborne, aimed to make
1845-497: A large amount of tourism or inter-state travel that occurs within their borders, allowing the state to benefit from taxes from people the state would otherwise not tax. In this way, the state is able to reduce the tax burden on its citizens. The U.S. states that do not levy a state income tax are Alaska, Tennessee, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington state, and Wyoming. Additionally, New Hampshire and Tennessee levy state income taxes only on dividends and interest income. Of
1968-407: A major review of the powers required by HMRC was announced at the time of the 2004 pre-budget report on 9 December 2004, covering the suitability of existing powers, new powers that might be required, and consolidating the existing compliance regimes for surcharges, interest, penalties and appeal, which may lead to a single, consolidated enforcement regime for all UK taxes, and a consultation document
2091-740: A model for businesses looking to strengthen their own fraud prevention teams. He emphasized the growing sophistication of fraudulent activities, including the use of artificial intelligence in scams. Laffont highlighted that fraud accounts for over 40% of recorded crimes in England but receives only 2% of police resources, which disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. He further pointed out that tier 2 financial institutions are becoming prime targets for sophisticated criminal enterprises, posing risks to their customers. To combat these challenges effectively, Laffont advocates for rapid skill acquisition and holistic team development within organizations. He stresses
2214-553: A particular amount. Such upper or lower limits may apply for retirement but not for health-care components of the tax. Some have argued that such taxes on wages are a form of "forced savings" and not really a tax, while others point to redistribution through such systems between generations (from newer cohorts to older cohorts) and across income levels (from higher income levels to lower income-levels) which suggests that such programs are really taxed and spending programs. Unemployment and similar taxes are often imposed on employers based on
2337-462: A report from Citizens Advice highlighted frustration amongst callers to HMRC over long holding times. The report claimed that "thousands" of callers were waiting on average 47 minutes to have their call answered, often at considerable expense to the caller. HMRC alleged that the "unscientific and out-of-date survey of tweets" did "not represent the real picture" but said that 3000 extra staff had been taken on to respond to calls. A June 2015 report from
2460-430: A report. The report said: "We are deeply disappointed by HMRC's handling of whistleblowers. We consider that HMRC's use of powers reserved for tackling serious criminals against Mr Osita Mba was indefensible. HMRC told us that it had changed how it deals with whistleblowers and that it now provides information to its audit and risk committee who can use this to challenge how HMRC handles whistleblowers." In September 2015,
2583-625: A result of market forces . Certain countries (usually small in size or population, which results in a smaller infrastructure and social expenditure) function as tax havens by imposing minimal taxes on the personal income of individuals and corporate income. These tax havens attract capital from abroad (particularly from larger economies) while resulting in loss of tax revenues within other non-haven countries (through base erosion and profit shifting ). Legal and economic definitions of taxes differ, such that many transfers to governments are not considered taxes by economists. For example, some transfers to
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#17328519930472706-511: A single-rate form of taxation regardless of ability to pay (the Community Charge , but more popularly referred to as the Poll Tax), led to widespread refusal to pay and to incidents of civil unrest, known colloquially as the ' Poll Tax Riots '. Some types of taxes have been proposed but not actually adopted in any major jurisdiction. These include: An ad valorem tax is one where the tax base
2829-437: A tax on net worth (assets minus liabilities), as a percentage of the net worth, or a percentage of the net worth exceeding a certain level. The tax may be levied on " natural " or " legal persons. " A value-added tax (VAT), also known as Goods and Services Tax (GST), Single Business Tax, or Turnover Tax in some countries, applies the equivalent of a sales tax to every operation that creates value. To give an example, sheet steel
2952-572: A tax system in place to pay for public, common societal, or agreed national needs and for the functions of government. Some countries levy a flat percentage rate of taxation on personal annual income, but most scale taxes are progressive based on brackets of yearly income amounts. Most countries charge a tax on an individual's income and corporate income . Countries or sub-units often also impose wealth taxes , inheritance taxes , gift taxes , property taxes , sales taxes , use taxes , environmental taxes , payroll taxes , duties , or tariffs . It
3075-567: A value of £2.6 billion. In February 2010, HMRC encountered problems following the implementation of their taxes modernisation program called Modernising Pay-as-you-Earn Processes for Customers (MPPC). The IT system was launched in June 2009 and its first real test came in a period known as annual coding. Annual coding issues certain codes to tax payers on a yearly basis. The annual coding process sent out incorrect tax coding notices to some taxpayers and their employers meaning that they would pay too much tax
3198-430: A variety of economic thinkers. The concept of capital gain may be considered comparable with other key economic concepts such as profit and rate of return ; however, its distinguishing feature is that individuals, not just businesses, can accrue capital gains through everyday acquisition and disposal of assets. The history of capital gain in human development includes conceptualizations from pre-1865 slave capital in
3321-493: Is a per unit tax, where the tax base is the quantity of something, regardless of its price. An excise tax is an example. Consumption tax refers to any tax on non-investment spending and can be implemented by means of a sales tax, consumer value-added tax, or by modifying an income tax to allow for unlimited deductions for investment or savings. This includes natural resources consumption tax , greenhouse gas tax (i.e. carbon tax ), "sulfuric tax", and others. The stated purpose
3444-430: Is a distinction between an estate tax and an inheritance tax: the former taxes the personal representatives of the deceased, while the latter taxes the beneficiaries of the estate. However, this distinction does not apply in other jurisdictions; for example, if using this terminology UK inheritance tax would be an estate tax. An expatriation tax is a tax on individuals who renounce their citizenship or residence. The tax
3567-590: Is a full VAT. The province of Quebec collects the Quebec Sales Tax [QST] which is based on the GST with certain differences. Most businesses can claim back the GST, HST, and QST they pay, and so effectively it is the final consumer who pays the tax. An excise duty is an indirect tax imposed upon goods during the process of their manufacture, production or distribution, and is usually proportionate to their quantity or value. Excise duties were first introduced into England in
3690-442: Is a general tax levied periodically on residents who own personal property (personalty) within the jurisdiction. Vehicle and boat registration fees are subsets of this kind of tax. The tax is often designed with blanket coverage and large exceptions for things like food and clothing. Household goods are often exempt when kept or used within the household. Any otherwise non-exempt object can lose its exemption if regularly kept outside
3813-589: Is a tax on the consumption of carbon-based non-renewable fuels, such as petrol, diesel-fuel, jet fuels, and natural gas. The object is to reduce the release of carbon into the atmosphere. In the United Kingdom, vehicle excise duty is an annual tax on vehicle ownership. An import or export tariff (also called customs duty or impost) is a charge for the movement of goods through a political border. Tariffs discourage trade , and they may be used by governments to protect domestic industries. A proportion of tariff revenues
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3936-426: Is also possible to levy a tax on tax, as with a gross receipts tax . In economic terms ( circular flow of income ), taxation transfers wealth from households or businesses to the government. This affects economic growth and welfare , which can be increased (known as fiscal multiplier ) or decreased (known as excess burden of taxation ). Consequently, taxation is a highly debated topic by some, as although taxation
4059-440: Is an ad valorem tax levy on the value of a property that the owner of the property is required to pay to a government in which the property is situated. Multiple jurisdictions may tax the same property. There are three general varieties of property: land, improvements to land (immovable human-made things, e.g. buildings), and personal property (movable things). Real estate or realty is the combination of land and improvements to
4182-484: Is considered the most viable option to operate the government (instead of widespread state ownership of the means of production ), as taxation enables the government to generate revenue without heavily interfering with the market and private businesses; taxation preserves the efficiency and productivity of the private sector by allowing individuals and companies to make their own economic decisions, engage in flexible production , competition , and innovation as
4305-433: Is deemed necessary by consensus for society to function and grow in an orderly and equitable manner through the government provision of public goods and public services , others such as libertarians and anarcho-capitalists are anti-taxation and denounce taxation broadly or in its entirety, classifying taxation as theft or extortion through coercion along with the use of force . Within market economies, taxation
4428-464: Is economically justified, as it will not deter production, distort market mechanisms or otherwise create deadweight losses the way other taxes do. When real estate is held by a higher government unit or some other entity not subject to taxation by the local government, the taxing authority may receive a payment in lieu of taxes to compensate it for some or all of the foregone tax revenues. In many jurisdictions (including many American states), there
4551-495: Is generally a gain on sale of capital assets—that is, those assets not held for sale in the ordinary course of business. Capital assets include personal assets in many jurisdictions. Some jurisdictions provide preferential rates of tax or only partial taxation for capital gains. Some jurisdictions impose different rates or levels of capital-gains taxation based on the length of time the asset was held. Because tax rates are often much lower for capital gains than for ordinary income, there
4674-465: Is imported by a machine manufacturer. That manufacturer will pay the VAT on the purchase price, remitting that amount to the government. The manufacturer will then transform the steel into a machine, selling the machine for a higher price to a wholesale distributor. The manufacturer will collect the VAT on the higher price but will remit to the government only the excess related to the "value-added" (the price over
4797-537: Is named FairTax . In Canada, the federal sales tax is called the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and now stands at 5%. The provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island also have a provincial sales tax [PST]. The provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Ontario have harmonized their provincial sales taxes with the GST—Harmonized Sales Tax [HST], and thus
4920-579: Is not considered your primary dwelling, your main dwelling if it exceeds a certain size or has been used for business, any shares that are not in an individual savings account or personal equity plan, and any business assets. HMRC also lists certain assets which are exempt from accruing capital gains, including any gains made from individual savings accounts or personal equity plans, “UK government gilts and Premium Bonds”, and any winnings from lottery, betting or pools. HMRC states that only gains made above an individual's allowance are eligible to be taxed, and no tax
5043-528: Is often hypothecated to pay the government to maintain a navy or border police. The classic ways of cheating a tariff are smuggling or declaring a false value of goods. Tax, tariff and trade rules in modern times are usually set together because of their common impact on industrial policy , investment policy , and agricultural policy . A trade bloc is a group of allied countries agreeing to minimize or eliminate tariffs against trade with each other, and possibly to impose protective tariffs on imports from outside
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5166-526: Is often imposed based on a deemed disposition of all the individual's property. One example is the United States under the American Jobs Creation Act , where any individual who has a net worth of $ 2 million or an average income-tax liability of $ 127,000 who renounces his or her citizenship and leaves the country is automatically assumed to have done so for tax avoidance reasons and is subject to
5289-403: Is payable for individuals who accrue gains which are under their Capital Gains Tax allowance. In order to calculate an individual's capital gain, HMRC requires calculation of the gains for each asset in the relevant 12-month period, which are then summed together and finally reduced by the amount of allowable losses deduction. HMRC also states that when reporting a loss, “the amount is deducted from
5412-494: Is possible to reduce the risk from a large position in a stock by “costlessly short selling a perfect substitute”. A capital gain may be earned through the sale of physical assets such as houses, apartments or land. In most countries however, the sale of a primary dwelling or Primary residence is exempt from capital gains tax. For example, the Australian Taxation Office offers a full exemption of capital gains tax on
5535-486: Is sometimes called a net wealth tax . Recurrent property taxes may be imposed on immovable property (real property) and on some classes of movable property. In addition, recurrent taxes may be imposed on the net wealth of individuals or corporations. Many jurisdictions impose inheritance tax on property at time of inheritance or gift tax at the time of gift transfer. Some jurisdictions impose taxes on financial or capital transactions . A property tax (or millage tax)
5658-809: Is the financial secretary to the Treasury , Nigel Huddleston MP The chairman of HMRC was an executive role until 2008. Mike Clasper served as a non-executive chairman. From August 2012, the post was abolished with a 'lead non-executive director' chairing board meetings instead. The chief executive is also the first permanent secretary for HMRC and the accounting officer. Executive chair and permanent secretary Non-executive board members as of November 2019: Source: See civil service grading schemes for details. HMRC's Criminal Investigators and Mobile Enforcement Officers deployed within Fraud Investigation Service are uniformed officers. HMRC Officers have
5781-543: Is the indexation method, which allows individuals and firms to apply an index factor to increase the base cost of the asset, thereby decreasing the final capital gain value. The third is the ‘other’ method, and involves use of the general capital gain formula whereby the base costs of the asset are subtracted from its final sale price. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) includes several unique guidelines for calculating individual or business capital gain. The CRA states that individuals may exclude from their capital gains calculation
5904-439: Is the value of a good, service, or property. Sales taxes, tariffs, property taxes, inheritance taxes, and value-added taxes are different types of ad valorem tax. An ad valorem tax is typically imposed at the time of a transaction (sales tax or value-added tax (VAT)) but it may be imposed on an annual basis (property tax) or in connection with another significant event (inheritance tax or tariffs). In contrast to ad valorem taxation
6027-399: Is to reduce the environmental impact by repricing . Economists describe environmental impacts as negative externalities . As early as 1920, Arthur Pigou suggested a tax to deal with externalities (see also the section on Increased economic welfare below). The proper implementation of environmental taxes has been the subject of a long-lasting debate. An important feature of tax systems is
6150-412: Is widespread controversy and dispute about the proper definition of capital. Corporate tax refers to income tax, capital tax, net-worth tax, or other taxes imposed on corporations. Rates of tax and the taxable base for corporations may differ from those for individuals or for other taxable persons. Many countries provide publicly funded retirement or healthcare systems. In connection with these systems,
6273-519: The Home Office on 1 April 2008 and then to UK Border Force and the National Crime Agency in 2013; however, HMRC officers are also regularly deployed at the border to assist on operations. HMRC is also a law enforcement agency, responsible for investigating and tackling tax fraud, excise (tobacco & alcohol) fraud, smuggling, money laundering and a number of other types of offences against
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#17328519930476396-582: The National Audit Office indicated that the total number of calls answered by HMRC fell from 79% in 2013–14, to 72.5% in 2014–15; however, a subsequent report in May 2016 suggested that performance improved following the recruitment drive. In November 2024, HM Revenue and Customs began refunding several major British companies, including firms listed on the London Stock Exchange and ITV , following
6519-555: The PAYE system, which meant it would receive information on tax and employee earnings from employers each month, rather than at the end of a tax year. A trial of the new system began in April 2012, and all employers switched by October 2013. In 2012, Revenue Scotland was formed and on 1 April 2015 it took HMRC responsibility to collect devolved taxes in Scotland . In 2015 Welsh Revenue Authority
6642-550: The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 ) is to arrest anyone who has committed, or whom the officer has reasonable grounds to suspect has committed, any offence under the Customs and Excise Acts as well as related fraud offences. On 30 June 2006, under the authority of the new Labour home secretary , John Reid , extensive new powers were given to HMRC. Under chairman Sir David Varney, a new Criminal Taxes Unit of senior tax investigators
6765-525: The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) "to examine the belongings, emails, internet search records and phone calls of their own solicitor, Osita Mba, and the phone records of his then wife" to find if he had spoken to the investigations editor of The Guardian , David Leigh . MPs in the House of Commons public accounts committee praised Osita Mba and called for scrutiny into HMRC's use of RIPA powers in
6888-486: The Treasury , so that the Treasury became responsible for "strategy and tax policy development" and HMRC took responsibility for "policy maintenance". In addition, certain investigatory functions moved to the new Serious Organised Crime Agency , as well as prosecutions moving to the new Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office. A further programme of job cuts and office closures was announced on 16 November 2006. Whilst some of
7011-588: The UK Government responsible for the collection of taxes , the payment of some forms of state support , the administration of other regulatory regimes including the national minimum wage and the issuance of national insurance numbers. HMRC was formed by the merger of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise , which took effect on 18 April 2005. The department's logo is the Tudor Crown enclosed within
7134-472: The customs house , and revenue derived from that source is called excise revenue proper. The fundamental conception of the term is that of a tax on articles produced or manufactured in a country. In the taxation of such articles of luxury as spirits , beer, tobacco, and cigars, it has been the practice to place a certain duty on the importation of these articles (a customs duty ). Excises (or exemptions from them) are also used to modify consumption patterns of
7257-402: The elderly , unemployment benefits , transfer payments , subsidies and public transportation . Energy , water and waste management systems are also common public utilities . According to the proponents of the chartalist theory of money creation , taxes are not needed for government revenue, as long as the government in question is able to issue fiat money . According to this view,
7380-776: The Customer Compliance Group (CCG) and the Fraud Investigation Service (FIS). The CCG, responsible for enforcing tax compliance and addressing issues such as tax evasion, saw its workforce grow from 25,656 full-time equivalent staff (FTE) in November 2021 to a peak of 28,617 in October 2022, before stabilizing at 26,841 in October 2023. The FIS, which conducts both civil and criminal investigations into serious fraud cases, also experienced growth, increasing from 4,244 FTE in November 2021 to 4,956 by October 2022, although it slightly decreased to 4,735 by October 2023. The financial commitment to
7503-498: The FIS is reflected in rising pay costs, which increased from £267.1 million in the 2021-2022 fiscal year to £288.8 million in 2022-2023, with an estimated expenditure of £286.2 million projected for 2023-2024. This investment underscores HMRC's ongoing dedication to protecting public revenue and ensuring tax compliance across the UK. Yves Laffont, Sector Lead for Financial Crime Consulting Services at FDM Group, noted that HMRC's efforts serve as
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#17328519930477626-742: The Inland Revenue and HM Customs & Excise was announced by then chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown in the budget on 17 March 2004. The name for the new department and its first executive chairman, David Varney , were announced on 9 May 2004. Varney joined the nascent department in September 2004, and staff started moving from Somerset House and New Kings Beam House into HMRC's new headquarters building at 100 Parliament Street in Whitehall on 21 November 2004. The planned new department
7749-402: The Inland Revenue's tax and National Insurance system from 1994 to 2004. In 2003, the launch of a new tax credit system led to over-payments of £2 billion to over two million people. EDS later paid £71.25 million in compensation for the disaster. In 2004, the contract was awarded to Capgemini . This contract, also with Fujitsu and BT , was one of the biggest ever IT outsourcing contracts, at
7872-614: The Treasury. The criminal investigation department is at the head of its Customer Compliance Group, known as Fraud Investigation Service (FIS). HMRC has a strong cadre of criminal investigators responsible for investigating Serious Organised Fiscal Crime. This includes all of the previous Customs criminal work (other than drug trafficking, but used to include this up until 2008) such as tobacco, alcohol, and oils smuggling. They have aligned their previous Customs and Excise powers to tackle previous Inland Revenue criminal offences. Fraud Investigation Service are responsible for seizing (or preventing
7995-399: The UK a more attractive headquarters for large international corporations. The European Commission initially contended that this exemption provided undue benefits to British companies, constituting illegal state aid, and required the UK to collect back taxes. However, the final appeal in 2024 sided with the UK, allowing HMRC to refund the affected companies and marking a significant moment in
8118-507: The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does consider profits from the redemption or sale of a bond as a capital gain. Bond capital gains are calculated in the same method as other capital gains, whereby “the difference between the adjusted basis in the asset and the amount you realized from the sale is a capital gain or a capital loss”. Tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on
8241-561: The United States, to the development of property rights in France in 1789, and even other developments much earlier. The official beginning of a practical application of capital gain occurred with the development of the Babylonian's financial system circa 2000 B.C. This system introduced treasuries where citizens could deposit silver and gold for safekeeping, and also transact with other members of
8364-489: The above states, only Alaska and New Hampshire do not levy a state sales tax. Additional information can be obtained at the Federation of Tax Administrators website. In the United States, there is a growing movement for the replacement of all federal payroll and income taxes (both corporate and personal) with a national retail sales tax and monthly tax rebate to households of citizens and legal resident aliens. The tax proposal
8487-460: The amount of approved reserve for the year. A capital gains deduction is the second form of capital gain calculation which the CRA offers. It is “a deduction that you can claim against taxable capital gains you realized from the disposition of certain capital properties”. Only residents from Canada throughout the previous year are eligible to claim the deduction, and only certain capital gains are eligible for
8610-485: The arts , public works , distribution , data collection and dissemination , public insurance , and the operation of government itself. A government's ability to raise taxes is called its fiscal capacity . When expenditures exceed tax revenue , a government accumulates government debt . A portion of taxes may be used to service past debts. Governments also use taxes to fund welfare and public services . These services can include education systems , pensions for
8733-541: The base asset for less than one year, while long term capital gains occur when the asset is held for over one year. Ownership dates are to be counted from the day after the date which the asset was acquired, through to the day which the asset is sold. There are typically significant differences in the taxation of capital gains earned by individuals and corporations, and the OECD recognizes three simple categories of individual capital income which are taxed by its member nations around
8856-412: The bloc. A customs union has a common external tariff , and the participating countries share the revenues from tariffs on goods entering the customs union. In some societies, tariffs also could be imposed by local authorities on the movement of goods between regions (or via specific internal gateways). A notable example is the likin , which became an important revenue source for local governments in
8979-480: The bond, the ATO states that this profit is “not treated as a capital gain” and that the profit should simply be included in the individual's tax return. Similarly, if an individual sells a bond to another individual for more than, or less than, the price they paid for the bond, the ATO states that “this profit is not treated as a capital gain” and that the profit should simply be included in the individual's tax return. However,
9102-409: The calculated capital gain value. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) lists three methods of calculating capital gain for Australian citizens and businesses, each one designed to lower the final resulting value of the eligible party's gain. The first is the discount method, whereby eligible individuals or super funds may reduce their stated capital gain value by 50% or 33.33% respectively. The second
9225-405: The combined headcount of Customs (then around 23,000) and Inland Revenue (then around 68,000). In addition, 2,500 staff would be redeployed to "front-line" activities. Estimates suggested this may save around £300 million in staff costs, out of a total annual budget of £4 billion. The total number of job losses included policy functions within the former Inland Revenue and Customs which moved into
9348-676: The corporate level, thus reducing their tax burden. The OECD average interest income tax rate is 27%, and almost all OECD countries excluding Chile, Estonia, Israel, and Mexico tax an individual's total nominal interest income. Capital gain can only be earned on the profitable sale of assets. A former Chief Accountant of the Securities Exchange Commission defined an asset as: “ Cash , contractual claims to cash or services, and items that can be sold separately for cash”. Practical applications of this definition primarily include stocks and real estate. A capital gain may be earned through
9471-404: The cost of the sheet steel). The wholesale distributor will then continue the process, charging the retail distributor the VAT on the entire price to the retailer, but remitting only the amount related to the distribution mark-up to the government. The last VAT amount is paid by the eventual retail customer who cannot recover any of the previously paid VAT. For a VAT and sales tax of identical rates,
9594-407: The country typically requires employers or employees to make compulsory payments. These payments are often computed by reference to wages or earnings from self-employment. Tax rates are generally fixed, but a different rate may be imposed on employers than on employees. Some systems provide an upper limit on earnings subject to the tax. A few systems provide that the tax is payable only on wages above
9717-539: The debtor's specific financial circumstances and the guidance notes that no "standard" Time to Pay arrangement exists. Interest is payable on a Time to Pay arrangement. In 2007–08 HMRC overpaid tax credits to the value of £1 billion; at the end of March 2009, HMRC had £4.4 billion of overpayments to be recovered. On 20 November 2007, the Chancellor of the Exchequer , Alistair Darling , announced that two discs that held
9840-590: The deduction to be applied. The German tax office levies different capital gains tax based on the asset you sold and the holding period. Taxpayers in Germany, pay a flat 25% (2024) capital gains tax on their profits from selling the stocks plus solidarity surcharge of 5.5% (2024). If the individual is a church member, they also pay church tax. In the end the total capital gains tax is 27.82% in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, and 27.99% in all other federal states. Taxes on
9963-603: The distribution of Child Benefit and some other forms of state support including the Child Trust Fund , payments of Tax Credits , enforcement of the National Minimum Wage , administering anti- money laundering registrations for Money Service Businesses and collection and publication of the trade-in-goods statistics. Responsibility for the protection of the UK's borders passed to the UK Border Agency within
10086-571: The economy. As such, this allowed the Babylonians to calculate costs, sale prices and profits, and hence capital gains. Capital gain is generally calculated through taking the sale price of an asset and subtracting its base cost and any incurred expenses. The resulting value will be the capital gain, or capital loss if negative. In reality, many governments provide supplementary methods of calculating capital gains for both individuals and businesses. These methods can provide taxation relief through lowering
10209-422: The effect of discouraging speculative purchases of assets by decreasing liquidity. In the United States , transfer tax is often charged by the state or local government and (in the case of real property transfers) can be tied to the recording of the deed or other transfer documents. Some countries' governments will require a declaration of the taxpayers' balance sheet (assets and liabilities), and from that exact
10332-460: The estates of the deceased. In contrast with a tax on real estate (land and buildings), a land-value tax (or LVT) is levied only on the unimproved value of the land ("land" in this instance may mean either the economic term, i.e., all-natural resources, or the natural resources associated with specific areas of the Earth's surface: "lots" or "land parcels"). Proponents of the land-value tax argue that it
10455-536: The first time, to have the same ability as customs officers to monitor suspects and arrest them. On 19 July 2006, the executive chairman of HMRC, Sir David Varney resigned. HMRC is also listed under parts of the British government which contribute to intelligence collection, analysis and assessment. Their prosecution cases may be co-ordinated with the police or the Crown Prosecution Service . The merger of
10578-493: The following types of donations: “shares in the capital stock of a mutual fund corporation… prescribed debt obligations that are not linked notes, ecologically sensitive land… (or) a share, debt obligation, or right listed on a designated stock exchange”. Note that for the exclusion to be approved the donation must be to a qualified donee, and also that capital losses arising from such donations are not eligible to be excluded from an individual's reporting. The CRA states that following
10701-493: The following year. In August 2010, seven HMRC staff were sacked for deliberately underpaying benefits to ethnic-minority claimants. Dave Hartnett, permanent secretary for tax at HMRC, said the department operates a zero-tolerance policy on racial discrimination. The whistleblower Osita Mba revealed to The Guardian that HMRC entered a deal with Goldman Sachs which allowed Goldman Sachs to escape paying £10 million interest on unpaid tax. Following this HMRC used powers under
10824-410: The gains you made in the same tax year”. The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) also provides guidelines on calculating capital gains. The IRS defines a capital gain or loss as “the difference between the adjusted basis in the asset and the amount you realized from the sale”. Capital gains are also further defined as either short term or long term. Short term capital gains occur when you hold
10947-756: The government expenditure of taxes raised is often highly debated in politics and economics . Tax collection is performed by a government agency such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States , His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the United Kingdom , the Canada Revenue Agency or the Australian Taxation Office . When taxes are not fully paid, the state may impose civil penalties (such as fines or forfeiture ) or criminal penalties (such as incarceration ) on
11070-506: The household. Thus, tax collectors often monitor newspaper articles for stories about wealthy people who have lent art to museums for public display, because the artworks have then become subject to personal property tax. If an artwork had to be sent to another state for some touch-ups, it may have become subject to personal property tax in that state as well. Inheritance tax, also called estate tax, are taxes that arise for inheritance or inherited income. In United States tax law , there
11193-411: The individual characteristics of the taxpayer, whereas indirect taxes are levied on transactions irrespective of the circumstances of buyer or seller." According to this definition, for example, income tax is "direct", and sales tax is "indirect". HM Revenue and Customs His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (commonly HM Revenue and Customs , or HMRC ) is a non-ministerial department of
11316-512: The jurisdiction, which tax-law principles in the jurisdiction may modify or replace. The incidence of taxation varies by system, and some systems may be viewed as progressive or regressive . Rates of tax may vary or be constant (flat) by income level. Many systems allow individuals certain personal allowances and other non-business reductions to taxable income, although business deductions tend to be favored over personal deductions. Tax-collection agencies often collect personal income tax on
11439-681: The land. Property taxes are usually charged on a recurrent basis (e.g., yearly). A common type of property tax is an annual charge on the ownership of real estate , where the tax base is the estimated value of the property. For a period of over 150 years from 1695, the government of England levied a window tax , with the result that one can still see listed buildings with windows bricked up in order to save their owner's money. A similar tax on hearths existed in France and elsewhere, with similar results. The two most common types of event-driven property taxes are stamp duty , charged upon change of ownership, and inheritance tax , which many countries impose on
11562-504: The late Qing China . Occupational taxes or license fees may be imposed on businesses or individuals engaged in certain businesses. Many jurisdictions impose a tax on vehicles. A poll tax, also called a per capita tax , or capitation tax , is a tax that levies a set amount per individual. It is an example of the concept of fixed tax . One of the earliest taxes mentioned in the Bible of a half-shekel per annum from each adult Jew (Ex. 30:11–16)
11685-535: The legal landscape for UK tax and state aid policy. Revenue and Customs Digital Technology Services (RCDTS) is a subsidiary of HMRC established in 2015 to provide technical and digital services. The company works exclusively for HMRC and its employees are not civil servants . On 17 January 2022, HMRC announced its intention to wind up the company. HMRC has made a substantial investment of nearly £300 million to enhance its compliance and fraud investigation efforts. This funding has led to an increase in staffing within
11808-550: The loss of) billions of stolen pounds of HMG 's revenue. Their skills and resources include the full range of intrusive and covert surveillance and they are a senior partner in the Organised Crime Partnership Board. HMRC's criminal investigation department is Fraud Investigation Service (FIS). Officers deployed in their criminal investigation teams have the same powers as police officers, and have wide-ranging powers of arrest, entry, search and detention. HMRC have
11931-475: The loss, such that business losses can only be deducted against business income tax by carrying forward the loss to later tax years. In economics, a negative income tax (abbreviated NIT) is a progressive income tax system where people earning below a certain amount receive supplemental payment from the government instead of paying taxes to the government. Most jurisdictions imposing an income tax treat capital gains as part of income subject to tax. Capital gain
12054-586: The non-paying entity or individual. The levying of taxes aims to raise revenue to fund governing , to alter prices in order to affect demand , or to regulate some form of cost or benefit . States and their functional equivalents throughout history have used the money provided by taxation to carry out many functions. Some of these include expenditures on economic infrastructure ( roads , public transportation , sanitation , legal systems , public security , public education , public health systems ), military , scientific research & development , culture and
12177-450: The offices closed were in bigger cities where other offices already exist, many were in local, rural areas, where there is no other HMRC presence. Initial proposals indicated that up to 200 offices would close and a further 12,500 jobs lost from 2008 to 2011. In May 2009, staff morale in HMRC was the lowest of 11 government departments surveyed. In 2013, HMRC began to introduce an update to
12300-428: The optimism regarding future capital gains in a particular stock will often be the cause of the eventual increase in the stock's price. The lock-in effect proposes that rather than realize capital gains on stocks, investors should instead revert to short-selling substitute securities. Provided that “tax-exempt perfect substitute securities exist”, investors should never realize their capital gains on stocks because it
12423-417: The percentage of the tax burden as it relates to income or consumption. The terms progressive, regressive, and proportional are used to describe the way the rate progresses from low to high, from high to low, or proportionally. The terms describe a distribution effect, which can be applied to any type of tax system (income or consumption) that meets the definition. The terms can also be used to apply meaning to
12546-497: The personal details of all families in the United Kingdom claiming child benefit had gone missing. This is thought to affect approximately 25 million individuals and 7.5 million families in the UK. The missing discs include personal details such as name, date of birth, National Insurance number, and bank details. The then chancellor stated that there was no indication that the details had fallen into criminal hands; however, he urged people to monitor their bank accounts. EDS ran
12669-520: The power to apply for orders requiring information to be produced; apply for and execute search warrants; make arrests; search suspects and premises following arrest; and recover criminal assets through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. They also have extensive surveillance powers that authorised criminal investigation officers are trained to utilise. The main power, under section 138 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (as amended by section 114 of
12792-458: The public sector are comparable to prices. Examples include tuition at public universities and fees for utilities provided by local governments. Governments also obtain resources by "creating" money and coins (for example, by printing bills and by minting coins), through voluntary gifts (for example, contributions to public universities and museums), by imposing penalties (such as traffic fines ), by borrowing and confiscating criminal proceeds. From
12915-440: The purpose of taxation is to maintain the stability of the currency, express public policy regarding the distribution of wealth, subsidizing certain industries or population groups or isolating the costs of certain benefits, such as highways or social security. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publishes an analysis of the tax systems of member countries. As part of such analysis, OECD has developed
13038-416: The sale of a primary home, provided the individual or couple meets certain eligibility criteria. The interlink between psychology and capital gain is also frequently seen in stocks, a concept which is similarly explored by Dusansky & Koç. Since houses are not only consumption but often investment expenditures for families, expectations of capital gains through investing in the house as an asset rather than
13161-456: The sale of financial assets such as stocks . When one sells a stock, they would subtract the cost price from the sale price to calculate their capital gain or loss. The disposition effect is a theory which links human psychology to capital gain in stocks and examines how humans make choices under the threat of a potential capital loss. It reveals a pattern of irrationality within human behaviour, in which stocks which have potential to accrue
13284-597: The sale of real estate are completely different from that of stocks. If you hold the property for more than ten years, you can sell it tax-free in Germany. Similarly, you can sell the property tax-free if you lived in it yourself for at least two years. However, you pay taxes based on your personal tax rate if you don't meet any of the tax-free criteria. The United Kingdom HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office lists certain assets which are eligible to be considered as capital gains. These include “most personal possessions worth £6,000 or more, apart from your car”, property that
13407-441: The same powers as police officers, but their equivalent police ranks are at a higher grade (see table below): & Chief inspector HMRC collected £660 billion for the Treasury in 2018/19. It estimated that total theoretical tax liabilities in that year were £629 billion, but £31 billion was not collected due to the " tax gap ", made up of money lost to tax evasion , tax avoidance , error and unpaid tax debts. This equates to
13530-401: The selling price of the bond is higher than the cost price, and the capital loss would occur if the selling price of the bond is lower than the cost price. Some government departments, such as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) do not classify gains arising from the profitable sale of a bond as a capital gain. If an individual redeems a bond for more than, or less than, the price they paid for
13653-410: The supply of people is in fact not fixed over time: on average, couples will choose to have fewer children if a poll tax is imposed. The introduction of a poll tax in medieval England was the primary cause of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt . Scotland was the first to be used to test the new poll tax in 1989 with England and Wales in 1990. The change from progressive local taxation based on property values to
13776-516: The taxation of select consumption, such as a tax on luxury goods and the exemption of basic necessities may be described as having progressive effects as it increases a tax burden on high end consumption and decreases a tax burden on low end consumption. Taxes are sometimes referred to as "direct taxes" or "indirect taxes". The meaning of these terms can vary in different contexts, which can sometimes lead to confusion. An economic definition, by Atkinson, states that "...direct taxes may be adjusted to
13899-405: The total payroll. These taxes may be imposed in both the country and sub-country levels. A wealth tax is levied on the total value of personal assets, including: bank deposits, real estate, assets in insurance and pension plans, ownership of unincorporated businesses , financial securities , and personal trusts. Liabilities (primarily mortgages and other loans) are typically deducted, hence it
14022-672: The total tax paid is the same, but it is paid at differing points in the process. VAT is usually administrated by requiring the company to complete a VAT return, giving details of VAT it has been charged (referred to as input tax) and VAT it has charged to others (referred to as output tax). The difference between output tax and input tax is payable to the Local Tax Authority. Many tax authorities have introduced automated VAT which has increased accountability and auditability , by utilizing computer systems, thereby also enabling anti-cybercrime offices as well. Sales taxes are levied when
14145-443: The view of economists, a tax is a non-penal, yet compulsory transfer of resources from the private to the public sector , levied on a basis of predetermined criteria and without reference to specific benefits received. In modern taxation systems, governments levy taxes in money; but in-kind and corvée taxation are characteristic of traditional or pre- capitalist states and their functional equivalents. The method of taxation and
14268-495: The world. These include dividend income , interest income , and capital gains realized through property and shares . The OECD average dividend tax rate is 41.8%, whereby dividends are often taxed at both the corporate and individual level and categorized as corporate income first and personal income second. However, certain countries such as Australia, Chile, Mexico, and New Zealand employ imputation tax systems which allow corporations to redeem imputation credits for tax paid at
14391-509: The year 1643, as part of a scheme of revenue and taxation devised by parliamentarian John Pym and approved by the Long Parliament . These duties consisted of charges on beer, ale, cider, cherry wine, and tobacco, to which list were afterward added paper, soap, candles, malt, hops, and sweets. The basic principle of excise duties was that they were taxes on the production, manufacture, or distribution of articles which could not be taxed through
14514-443: Was a form of the poll tax. Poll taxes are administratively cheap because they are easy to compute and collect and difficult to cheat. Economists have considered poll taxes economically efficient because people are presumed to be in fixed supply and poll taxes, therefore, do not lead to economic distortions. However, poll taxes are very unpopular because poorer people pay a higher proportion of their income than richer people. In addition,
14637-773: Was announced formally in the Queen's Speech of 2004 and a bill , the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Bill, was introduced into the House of Commons on 24 September 2004, and received royal assent as the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 on 7 April 2005. The Act also creates a Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) responsible for the prosecution of all Revenue and Customs cases. The old Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise departments had very different historical bases, internal cultures and legal powers. The merger
14760-492: Was created to target suspected fraudsters and criminal gangs. To disrupt and clamp down on criminal activity. This HMRC/CTU would pursue suspects in the same way the US Internal Revenue Service caught out Al Capone on tax evasion . These new powers included the ability to impose penalties without needing to prove the guilt of suspected criminals; extra powers to use sophisticated surveillance techniques, and for
14883-631: Was described by the Financial Times on 9 July 2004, as "mating the C&;E terrier with the IR retriever". For an interim period officers of HMRC are empowered to use existing Inland Revenue powers in relation to matters within the remit of the old Inland Revenue (such as income tax , stamp duty and tax credits ) and existing Customs powers in relation to matters within the remit of the old Customs & Excise (such as value added tax and excise duties ). However,
15006-591: Was formed and on 1 April 2018 it took HMRC responsibility to collect devolved taxes in Wales. On 12 November 2015, HMRC proposed to replace local offices with 13 regional centres by 2027. The board is composed of members of the executive committee and non-executive directors . Its main role is to develop and approve HMRC's overall strategy, approve final business plans and advise the chief executive on key appointments. It also performs an assurance role and advises on best practice. The Treasury minister responsible for HMRC
15129-470: Was published after the 2005 budget on 24 March 2005. Legislation to introduce new information and inspection powers was included in the Finance Act 2008 (Schedule 36). The new consolidated penalty regime was introduced via the Finance Act 2007 (Schedule 24). As part of the spending review on 12 July 2004, Gordon Brown estimated that 12,500 jobs would be lost as result of the merger by March 2008, around 14% of
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