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Main capital allowances

Assets will be dealt with either in a main rate pool, a special rate pool or a single asset pool.

  Allowance Note
Main rate pool (plant and machinery and cars emitting not more than 130g/km C02):    
New expenditure up to £250,000 (not cars) 100% 2
Unrelieved expenditure brought forward - writing down allowance 18%  
Special rate pool (long life assets, integral features and cars emitting more than 130g/km C02):    
New expenditure up to £250,000 (not cars) 100% 2
New expenditure over £250,000 8% 3 & 5
Unrelieved expenditure brought forward - writing down allowance 8%  
Enterprise zones  100%  
Energy efficient and environmentally beneficial technologies (ECA) 100% 4
Motor cars    
New cars emitting not more than 95g/km CO2 100%  5
Acquired before April 2009: On reducing balance (max £3,000 p.a. per car) 18%  5
Writing down allowance - cars    
96g/km - 130g/km 18%  
Over 130g/km 8%  
Research and development relief 130% or 225% 6
Commercial/industrial buildings in an enterprise zone (EZA) 100% of building cost 7
Business premises renovation allowance 100%  
  1. Capital allowances allow the cost of capital assets to be written off against taxable profits. They replace the charge for depreciation in the business accounts, which is not allowable for tax relief.
  2. Where a business has a chargeable period of less than a year the maximum allowance is reduced or increased pro-rata. The limit of £250,000 applies to a period between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2015, but the exact amount of allowance depends on the accounting period of the business. Contact us if you are planning major items of expenditure so that we can advise you on the best timing.
  3. When the value of the main and special pools before writing down allowance is given are less than £1,000 they may be fully written off.
  4. A loss attributable to the enhanced capital allowance on ECA's may be surrendered for a cash payment of 19% of the loss surrendered, but limited to the greater of the companies PAYE and NIC liabilities for the period or £250,000
  5. The capital allowance treatment of business cars is: Expenditure on cars with CO2 emissions above 130g/km are included in the special rate pool and attract an 8% writing down allowance (wda) and expenditure on cars with CO2 emissions of 130g/km or below attract a 18% wda as part of the main pool. Cars purchased before 6 April 2009 will remain within the old rules attracting 18% wda up to a maximum of £3,000 per annum. Cars with private use remain in single asset pools subject to the appropriate rate of wda according to their emissions. Cars purchased before 1 April 2013 are allocated to the main or special rate pool based on emissions below or above 160g/km respectively.
  6. The rate of relief for large companies is 130% of qualifying R&D expenditure. In the case of SME R&D tax credit scheme, the rate of relief will increase to 225% for companies claiming enhanced deductions against profits.
  7. This rate applies to enterprise zones designated to October 1996 and lasts for 20 years from designation. Enhanced capital allowances will also be available for some new enterprise zones.

Enhanced capital allowances (ECAs) in Enterprise Zones

100% capital allowances will be available on plant and machinery investment made in designated areas of the London Royal Docks Enterprise Zone, three Scottish Enterprise Zones in Irvine, Nigg and Dundee, and Deeside in North Wales. This follows announcements regarding ECA's in English Enterprise Zones in 2011, and the additional zone in Humber announced in February 2012. These allowances are available, but there are some restrictions on which businesses may claim them, to ensure that the allowance is targeted at new economic activity for which new additional plant and machinery is purchased.