In the dynamic landscape of business ownership, planning for the future is essential. One often-overlooked aspect of financial planning for business owners is corporate savings.
Corporate savings represent a valuable tool for business owners seeking to enhance financial resilience, optimize tax efficiency, and secure long-term prosperity. Only withdrawals, surrenders, maturities, assignments, events every eight years, and death trigger taxation on the investment growth. This allows the investment growth to compound without being reduced by annual taxes.
Establishing a corporate savings account not only provides a safety net for unforeseen expenses but also offers significant tax advantages. In this blog, we’ll delve into the benefits of corporate savings for Business Owners and Company Directors. We focus in particular, on the 25% tax option compared to the Standard Investment Exit Tax rate of 41% or Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) of 33% that they would otherwise face.
Traditionally, Irish companies have held cash reserves in deposit or current accounts to manage cash flow and savings needs. As interest rates fail to keep pace with inflation, this strategy may no longer suit funds not needed for short-term cash flow. In other words, low interest rates mean companies may be losing money on their cash reserves by keeping them in these accounts eroding the purchasing power of your company’s savings over time.
What’s the solution?
As a Business Owner/Company Director you need to look at how you can earn better returns for your surplus cash while also reducing the tax burden. Consider the following factors when deciding on what to do with the current surplus that your company holds and for future surplus cash flows that maybe generated;
- How much am I willing to invest?
- Access to funds – Cash flow planning is crucial to understand how much surplus cash your company has available for investment, along with your future expected earnings.
- Time horizon – How long are you looking to invest for
- Risk Profile – the level of risk your company is willing to take
Tax Efficiency
One of the most compelling reasons for business owners to prioritize corporate savings is the favourable tax treatment it offers. Unlike DIRT, which deducts tax at source, the 25% tax option allows businesses to defer tax payments until profits are realized. This improves cash flow management, providing greater flexibility in allocating resources according to business priorities.
The tax only applies to investment growth upon withdrawal, surrender, maturity, assignment, every eight years, or upon death; it does not reduce the investment growth each year by tax. This gives your company’s savings the potential to work hard and benefit from compounding. The longer you can leave your investment in place the better the potential for long term growth. It also provides:
- more flexible options for both short and medium term investments depending on your need for liquidity
- the option of varying the regular payments if required and to add a lump sum into your policy at the beginning
- the option to increase, decrease, start and stop your saving contributions to meet your cash flow requirements
- change the fund you are invested in any time without charge
Reduced Tax Liability: businesses can potentially lower their overall tax burden on investment returns. This means more retained earnings available for reinvestment, dividends, or other strategic initiatives.
Strategic Investment Opportunities: With a lower effective tax rate, businesses can allocate more capital towards productive investments, such as research and development, infrastructure upgrades, or market expansion. This fosters innovation and competitiveness, driving long-term growth and sustainability.
Building Financial Resilience
Corporate savings provide a financial cushion against economic downturns, unexpected expenses or challenges, and opportunities for expansion. Consistently setting aside funds helps mitigate risks and ensure stability, enabling continuity during transitions. Proactively building a reserve allows business owners to navigate uncertainties with confidence, safeguarding their enterprise’s value and minimizing disruptions to stakeholders.
Corporate Savings are a strategic cornerstone for financial success. By prioritizing a dedicated savings plan, business owners and company directors can unlock a multitude of benefits. The 25% tax option emerges as a powerful tool for maximizing returns, presenting significant advantages compared to traditional deposit accounts and their associated tax burdens.
In conclusion, a well-crafted corporate savings strategy goes beyond tax efficiency. It’s about building a robust financial safety net, fueling long-term growth through strategic investments, and ensuring business resilience. Take control of your company’s financial future now to navigate challenges with confidence, empower innovation, and pave the way for lasting prosperity.
Are you ready to unlock the power of corporate savings for your business? Talk to one of our Financial Planners to explore the options that better align with your specific goals and risk tolerance.
Warning: The value of your investment may go down as well as up.
Warning: These funds may be affected by changes in currency exchange rates.
Warning: If you invest in a particular product you may lose some or all of the money you invest.
This is for information purposes only and should not be used or interpreted as financial advice. You should always obtain your own independent financial, tax and legal advice based on your own particular circumstances, before entering into any financial contract.