Summer 2004 Newsletter


Content

Still Good Company

You Cannot Be Serious!

Van For The Money

Double Joint Account

What's Final?

From Cradle...

...To Grave

Home Office

Property Perils

One Day At A Time

Two Into One Will Go

Home-A-Loan

Breaking The Code

Europe Expands

Personal Services

Civil Partnerships

His And Hers

Contract Time

E-Filing

Shop Yourself

Home-A-Loan


Can you remember when you got tax relief on your mortgage? It's a distant memory now - but, fortunately, interest rates have stayed fairly low since the tax relief was abolished. It was something worth having in the 1980s, where you could get 60% relief on the interest at high rates on a loan of £30,000 - which, in those days, could buy more of a house than it can now.

It's still possible to get interest relief for some borrowing - for business, or for buy-to-let renting. The tax relief effectively reduces the interest rate - if you are a 40% taxpayer and the loan costs 10% to the bank, in effect it's only 6% because you reduce your income tax. So a 10% business loan could be cheaper than a 6.5% mortgage on your house.

Whenever you are thinking of borrowing money for a big project, it's worth thinking about the tax relief that might be available. If you borrow for something not tax-deductible - for instance, your own home - it's much harder to move the borrowing around afterwards to attach it to business or rent.

So, if you have a business or a rental property, or you are thinking of acquiring one, it's worth considering the most tax-efficient way of funding the purchase. We will be pleased to advise you.

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