The Director's Loan Account | Everything you need to know ... |
 POSTED BY ROGER EDDOWES ON 05/11/2018 @ 8:00AM
I regularly get calls from clients who see a pot of money sitting in their company and want to get their hands on it. But extracting profit via the Director's Loan Account means there is a tax implication ...
You can extract money from your business using the Director's Loan Account! copyright: everythingpossible / 123rf
What happens if a director just wants to borrow some cash? Directors will be pleased to know that the Companies Act currently permits such loans, but there are a number of tax and company law considerations to bear in mind.
The general rule is that when a company makes a loan to a director, it must seek the approval of its shareholders, although when the total lending to a particular director is less than £10,000, this is not strictly necessary.
I do recommend that such loans are documented so that they are not caught as 'pay'. HMRC quote in their manuals:
"If an employer and employee make an agreement under which the employer lends the employee money and the employee agrees to repay it at a future date or dates, the amount in question is a loan, not a payment on account of earnings.
For example, the Civil Service removal scheme may allow a transferred member of staff to draw an advance of salary. Here the proper construction of the arrangement is that the employee is getting a loan that is repaid by instalments out of future salary payments. PAYE is applied when the salary is paid. It does not apply when the advance is made. "
The loan itself does not trigger a tax charge, but there are tax consequences for the period of time the loan is outstanding. A director will incur a benefit in kind charge on the loan (if it exceeds £10,000 at any time during the tax year), reportable on form P11D expenses and benefits.
A national interest charge is calculated using HMRC rates and the director pays tax on the resulting benefit in kind, and the company pays national insurance.
"However, to mitigate both the tax and national insurance, the director could pay interest to the company!"
In addition to the national insurance issues, the company will have a tax charge if the loan remains outstanding more than 9 months and 1 day after the end of the accounting period in which the loan is made.
Currently, the tax rate is 32.5%, but the good news is that if the director repays the loan this tax is repayable 9 months and 1 day after the end of the accounting period in which the loan is repaid. However, if a director decides not to repay the loan, the tax is not repayable.
A director may be minded to write the loan off under this scenario, but HMRC has specific anti-avoidance legislation to ensure that in this circumstance the director is charged tax as if it is a dividend and the company suffers an employer's national insurance charge.
"Would you like to know more?"
If you'd like to find out more about the Director's Loan Account then do give me a call on 01908 774320 or click here to ping me an email and let's see how I can help you.
Until next time ... 
ROGER EDDOWES
Business Godparent
More about Roger Eddowes ... |  | Roger trained at Edward Thomas Peirson & Sons in Market Harborough before working at Hartwell & Co, followed by Chancery, as a partner. He started Essendon Accounts and Tax with Helen Beaumont in 2014 as a general practitioner with a hands-on approach.
Roger loves getting his hands dirty, working with emerging, small-to-medium and family businesses to ensure they receive the best possible accountancy advice. Roger utilises an extensive network of business contacts to leverage the best guidance and practical solutions.
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