Corporation Tax is not Calculated on Net Profit

Operating and Pe-Tax Profit

The Figurewizard pre-tax profit forecast includes the profit exclusively from core trading (operating profit) plus "exceptional" gains or losses such as from a profit arising from the sale of a fixed asset.

The net pre tax profit does not represent the taxable profit though. To arrive at that, a number of adjustments have to be made.

Taxable Profit - Allowances

The first change concerns depreciation which is added back to profit to be substituted for by capital allowances, These are especially generous in the first year of acquisition with the first £200,000 (the first £1 million from 2020) of most general fixed assets attracting a 100% first year allowance. 

It is likely therefore that most SMEs can set all expenditure for new plant and machinery, fixtures and fittings, equipment, computers and commercial vehicles off against the year's profit.

None of this applies to to property or company cars though, which attract much less generous capital allowances.

Taxable Profit - On non-Deductible Expenditure

Some expenditure however will be written back to taxable profit.

That will include non-allowable expenses regarded as not being wholly and exclusively for the purpose of trade. These will include entertainment expenses or travel to or from the place of work and home. 

Provisions, such as for bad debts are also written back as these are notional charges with which expenditure is absent. However once a bad debt is deemed to have become irrecoverable, usually after a period of six months or more, it then becomes a valid deductible charge to profit. 

How to Calculate Your Corporation Tax Forecast

The link below takes you to a working example showing how Figurewizard will calculate your taxable profit and corporation tax forecasts to arrive a forecast taxable profit and corporation tax payable.