Tax relief on bank loans for businesses

amysmum
amysmum Registered Posts: 11 Regular contributor ⭐ 😼 ⭐
Can anyone help please. I have been away from self assessment for some time. Am I right in thinking that if a small business borrows £15000 from a bank and uses for purchasing items (mainly stock for resale) they can only claim for the interest in the profit and loss. I know loans are a BS item and repayment of capital is reduced in the BS but how do I explain this to the client who is adamant that he should be able to claim for all the loan repayment and does not understand why he cant. Many thanks

Comments

  • Gem7321
    Gem7321 MAAT, AAT Licensed Accountant Posts: 1,438
    You are correct. You explain it to him exactly as you have here.
  • CeeJaySix
    CeeJaySix Registered Posts: 645
    Tell him he wasn't taxed on receipt of the loan as income.

    Therefore why on earth should there be any relief on repaying it? HMRC would essentially be paying [insert effective tax rate]% of the loan for you.
  • burg
    burg Moderator, FMAAT, AAT Licensed Accountant Posts: 1,441
    You could try explaining that he gets tax relief on what the loan is spent on i.e. the stock in this case.
    Regards,

    Burg
    Marti
  • amysmum
    amysmum Registered Posts: 11 Regular contributor ⭐ 😼 ⭐
    Thanks Everybody. I had tried all of the above and he is just not having it. Especially the comment from CeeJaySix, tried to get him to look at that logically but he is just not accepting it. I have referred him to the hmrc website!!!! Better still, told him to ring them if he has half an hour to spare while he waits to get through. :)
  • Marti
    Marti Registered Posts: 2 New contributor 🐸
    Maybe give him a hypothetical scenario where as a friend loans him £100, he then puts this £100 into his business bank account (though in the end he does not need to use it) and then pays this back to his friend a week later. Can he see that there are no tax implications ?. This way maybe in his mind he can separate the principle loan from the stock and interest aspects.
    Gem7321
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