UNISON NEWS
New
tax year (09/10). The good and
the bad
The
2009/10 tax year began on
Monday, and it's all change.
Bizarrely though, this year’s
Budget is
after
the
start of the tax year, so
changes then may be backdated
(last year's figures in
brackets).
The
boosts to income ...
·
Personal allowance UP!
Every man, woman and child can
now earn £6,475 (£6,035)
before paying income tax. For
those aged 65-74, it’s £9,490
(£9,030),
and for over-75s, £9,640
(£9,180).
·
Basic rate tax threshold UP.
You
now pay 20% tax on the first
£37,400
(£34,800)
over
the personal allowance, meaning
under 65s hit the higher 40%
rate at £43,875
(£40,835).
·
National insurance start point
UP.
You
now need to earn
£110 per week
(£105),
before paying for NI, usually
11%.
·
State pension UP. It's £95.25
(£90.70)
a week for a single person.
·
Pension credit UP.
The minimum guaranteed income's
now £130 for single pensioners
(£124.05),
and £198.45 for couples
(£189.35).
See the
State Pension
guide.
·
New
Health in Pregnancy Grant.
All
pregnant women will get a
non-means-tested £190 in their
25th week. More in the
Pregnancy Grant
discussion.
·
Inheritance tax threshold UP.
You
can leave
£325,000
(£312,000)
tax-free.
See the
Inheritance Tax
guide.
And
the hits ...
·
Fiscal drag. This
isn’t Alistair Darling in
women’s clothes, it’s when
increased allowances aren’t as
generous as they seem. If wages
and/or inflation increase by
more than the allowances,
effectively the government gets
more tax revenue anyway, and the
real value of the increase is
less.
·
National insurance
upper earnings UP.
You
will pay 11% NI on earnings up
to £43,888 a year (£40,040) and
1% above that.
·
ISA
limits. No change.
Yet
again, the amount savable
tax-free hasn’t increased with
inflation or earnings. See the
Top Cash ISAs
guide.
·
Child Tax Credit family element.
No change. Many
families get this, and the
freeze at £545 is an effective
cut. Yet the means-tested
element has increased to £2,235.
See the
Benefits Check-Up
guide.
UNISON wins dental nurse fee
deal
UNISON
achieved a major breakthrough in
its campaign to win registration
payments for all dental nurses
when NHS Direct agreed to pay
Band 4 dental nurses £38 towards
the cost of their £96 annual
registration fee to the General
Dental Council.
The deal
brings such nurses in line with
the arrangements put in place
for dental nurses on Band 5 or
above through the multi-year pay
deal, which was agreed following
a ballot of members in 2008.
UNISON will
be looking to build on this
agreement with NHS Direct by
pursuing payment of professional
clinical registration allowances
for the entire dental nurse
workforce across the health
service through negotiations at
the NHS Staff Council.
Pathways to the Professions day
- Social Work, Nursing and
Education - 24th March
UNISONplus
Health
&
Dental Plans
0800 037 0753
Claim your
discount by calling
our Freephone
Customer Helpline
or by applying
online at
www.youbenefit.co.uk
Discount valid
for first 12 months and
applicable to all new family
members added to the plan during
March 2010. Discount is
terminated in the event of the
primary applicant and/or the
family member
ceasing to remain a policyholder
and is not transferable to the
main policyholder.
20
%OFF
The cost to add ANY
new family
member to your plan
You can add as
many family members
onto the plan as
you wish.
Family members
include your spouse/partner,
children,
parents grandparents, in-laws,
aunts/
uncles, niece/nephews.
| |
Tax relief
|
 |
| |
|
|
Tax relief on subscriptions for qualifying health professionals.
If you are a member of UNISON and work in healthcare, you may be
entitled to claim tax relief on your UNISON subscriptions.
After a 12 year campaign, UNISON has reached agreement with Her
Majesty's Revenue and Customs to bring us into line with members of
other professional organisations like the Royal Colleges of Nursing,
Midwives and Surgeons whose members are able to claim tax relief on
their subscriptions
This new agreement applies to members of the UNISON healthcare
sectors below:
- Nursing sector
- Ambulance sector
- Voluntary sector
- Professional and Technical 'A' sector
- Professional and Technical 'B' sector
- Senior and General Manager sector
If you are a member, or have been a member, of any of these sectors at
any time since 6 April 2004, you can claim tax relief on 70% of your
annual UNISON subscription. Members of the Administrative and Clerical
and the Ancillary and Maintenance sectors do not qualify for this tax
relief, but UNISON is seeking further talks with Her Majesty's Revenue
and Customs about these sectors.
How to claim
Download your claim form for annual
subscription - Section 344 ITEPA 2003
25 April 2007
|
 Claim
form [PDF]
|
You may be eligible to claim tax relief on your UNISON subscriptions. To
help you find out if you qualify we have compiled a series of
'frequently asked questions'.
**Important**
We recommend that you look at questions three
and four to see if you can claim, then you are advised to read question
five before you fill in the claim form. |
