Class 2 NI Not Abolished After All!

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The government announced the abolition of Class 2 NI last year.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-abolishing-class-2-national-insurance-and-introducing-a-contributory-benefit-test-to-class-4-national-insurance-for-the-self-employed/the-abolition-of-class-2-national-insurance-introducing-a-benefit-test-into-class-4-national-insurance-for-the-self-employed

However as is so often the case the law of unintended consequences kicked in and this week the government announced that Class 2 would not be abolished after all.

One of the consequences of this change was that people with self employed profits below £5965 (18-19 rate) would not receive a credit for that year towards their state pension. Currently a person needs 35 years of National Insurance credit to get the new flat rate state pension. https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-its-calculated

In this case a person would have to pay Class 3 National Insurance at a rate nearly 5 times the rate of Class 2! So for example if a person was starting a business and made losses in the first year they would either not get a credit towards their state pension or have to pay £761.80 (18-19 rate) in Class 3 contributions.

The U Turn has widely been reported as the reversal of a tax cut for the self employed https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/philip-hammond-tax-cut-self-employed-scrap-conservatives-national-insurance-contributions-nic-class-a8526236.html

However for low paid Self Employed workers paying Class 2 NICs is an essential method of ensuring they get the full state pension.

John McLaughlin Chartered Accountant Scotland

John McLaughlin

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
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