Self-Marketing Ideas: Search Engine Optimization

Umbrella Company Pension Schemes – What You Need to Know

Pension schemes help employees put money aside for retirement directly from their wage. The problem for self-employed professionals is that they need to manage this themselves,either by setting up a pension scheme or saving money from their income.

Fortunately,umbrella companies class contractors as employees,giving them all the benefits of employment. That includes a pension scheme,which now requires contribution from the umbrella company too. Let’s take a closer look at the statutory pension schemes available through umbrella companies.

Auto-enrolment pensions

In 2012,the UK Government decided that workers weren’t saving enough for their retirement. People were relying too much on the State Pension,which had not received adequate funding to match the continuing rise in life expectancy and an ageing population.

To combat this,they introduced automatic enrolment. The new system,rolled out from 2012 to 2018,requires employers to automatically enrol eligible employees onto a workplace pension scheme. Employers are also responsible for deducting contributions from their pre-tax income and making a minimum statutory contribution to the employee’s savings.

In October 2012,this minimum contribution was set to 1 percent for employees,which was matched by employers,rising in 2018:

• October 2012 to 5th April 2018: employers 1%,employees 1%
• 6th April 2018 to 5th April 2019: employers 2%,employees 3%
• 6th April 2019 onwards: employers 3%,employees 5%

However for anyone that doesn’t want to contribute to a pension once you’re enrolled you can still opt out.

Umbrella company pension scheme

Working through an umbrella company,contractors are classed as an employee. That means,yes,you are automatically enrolled onto the umbrella company’s pension scheme as long as you meet the following criteria:

• Your work is primarily UK-based
• You earn more than £10,000 per year
• You’re between 22 and the state pension age.

Until 5th April 2019,3% of your pre-tax salary will go directly into a pension fund,with the umbrella company contributing a further 2%. From 6th April 2019,5% of your pre-tax salary will go into the same pension fund,with your umbrella company contributing a further 3%.

The benefits of an umbrella company pension

Some contractors may worry that this will eat away at their wages. Don’t. Pension contributions are made before your wages are taxed. That means anything that goes from your wage into your pension fund is tax-free rather than being taxed at 20% or even 40%. So,instead of receiving 60% of your income,you receive 100% via a pension fund.

Let’s say you earn over £46,351 per year,which puts you in the higher rate band of income tax. Anything you earn beyond that £46,351 per year (roughly £3,863 per month) is taxed at a rate of 40%. You get just £60 for every £100 of income. Why not put the full £100 straight into the pension fund instead?

That’s why many people,especially those in the higher rate band of income tax,choose to put more than the minimum into their pension fund. And this is entirely possible. Contractors can contribute up to £40,000 to their pension scheme per year,comprising tax-free income and employer contributions. Currently,there is a lifetime allowance of £1,030,000 which can be contributed before incurring any tax.

Using your funds

With the increased earnings of contracting,it’s common for contractors to retire early. Alternatively,you might simply want to get some of the money out for a holiday,new car or home improvement. The good news is: you don’t have to wait until the state pension age to access the pension funds you’ve built up through your umbrella company pension.

Once you’re 55 or over,you can access up to 25% of your pension pot as a tax-free lump sum. Anything beyond the 25% will be taxed as an addition to the rest of your income that tax year – either 20% over £11,850,40% over £46,351 or £45% over £150,000,as things currently stand. That’s why most people choose to take their pension as regular income once they have retired,to minimise the amount of tax paid.

What about limited companies?

Contractors who operate as a limited company can still benefit from the tax relief of a pension scheme. However,as with most things relating to limited companies,this requires a lot more effort on their part. Firstly,they have to get the right balance between salary and dividend payments to increase the limit on their pension contributions.

Because employer contributions,such as pensions,count as a business expense,they are subject to tax relief. So,when you contribute to your pension scheme,as a director,the company could save money in corporation tax.

However,this has added complications because it needs to be fully compliant as an allowable expense. Any other employees,for example,should be given comparable packages to prove to HMRC that it is a genuine business expense.

On top of all that,using a limited company pension scheme means setting up and paying into the pension fund yourself. Along with all the other administrative work for limited company owners,it’s definitely worth seeking advice and assistant from a trusted accountant.

Get the right assistance

Whether you’re looking to compare umbrella companies or find the right accountant,you can make the right choice with -. Our online comparison tool lets you assess multiple companies in a matter of minutes. It couldn’t be easier to take the hassle out of contracting. Contact us today for more information.

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Among the common WordPress errors is the memory-exhausted error. However,it is easier to fix this error by increasing the PHP limit in your WordPress.

Are you experiencing this error in your WordPress website? This article will explain to you how to fix the error through increase of PHP memory.

Please note that if you want to get professional help with this problem on your WordPress site,contact us here: -

Before we get to guide,let us start by understanding this error.

What Is A WordPress Memory Exhausted Error?

WordPress is written in PHP programming language,a server-side language. For effective functioning of each website,it requires a WordPress hosting server.

Similar to computers,web servers require memory for simultaneous running of many apps in an effective manner. However,server administrators give defined memory size to various apps,which includes PHP.

You receive this error whenever your WordPress code needs more memory than the given memory.

Therefore,WordPress memory exhausted error is a standard error that occurs in any website,if the given memory limit to a code or script is less than needed memory. If the PHP memory is less than 64MB,WordPress works naturally to expand the memory. Nonetheless,64MB is in most cases not sufficient.

Often,most website owners experience this error if they have many apps,theme or plugins files operating simultaneously on their blog.

How To Fix A WordPress Memory Exhausted Error

Method 1 – Using FTP

This method needs you to implement changes on your WordPress website files. In addition,you should backup your website before you start this process. Here is how to fix this error using FTP client:

Step 1 – Find Your wp-config.php File

Among the core WordPress files is wp-config.php. This file stores vital information regarding your website settings. Your website cannot function without this file. Furthermore,to increase the allocated memory to your site,you need to edit this file.

You should use FTP (File Transfer Protocol) like FileZilla to edit wp-config.php. FileZilla is ideal for use as it is an open-source tool and it is compatible with all main Operating Systems.

You need a particular set of credentials to connect to your site through FTP. To login to your FileZilla,enter your username and password. Once it establishes connection,you will see some folders in the lower-right side.

Click on the public_html folder. It is the root folder of your WordPress,storing all files of your site. Find the wp-config.php file in this folder.

The public_html has many folders and files. However,you should avoid making changes if you are uncertain about the changes.

Step 2 – Edit The wp-config.php File

The FTP client allows you to implement changes on your website files. Right-click on your wp-config.php file,and then choose the View/Edit option to start editing. In turn,this option downloads a copy of your wp-config.php file,and opens it through your default text editor.

Although this copy contains any codes,it should not concern you,as you just need to add this line of code:

define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’,’256M’ );

Paste this code before the line reading “That’s all,stop editing! Happy blogging.” It instructs WordPress to increase your PHP memory limit to the stated size. For example,the line above states 256MB.

After that,save your changes and then close the editor. As a result,FileZilla will ask if you would like to substitute the file version in your server with the edited one. Answer “Yes” for your edited wp-config.php file to upload back on your server.

Now,visit your WordPress site to check if the WordPress memory exhausted error is gone. This method should fix the error. However,if the error still exists,then it means your hosting provider prohibits manual increase of PHP memory limit. In such a case,you should contact them for assistance.

If this is getting a bit to technical for you,reach out to us on Social Media,and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

Method 2 – Using The Command Line To Fix The Memory Exhausted Error

An alternative method to the famous FTP solution. Besides that,only a few users apply this method. Although FTP is an important option for implementing changes on your website files,it is not effective like the use of a command line.

If you use Windows,click on the Start menu >> type cmd >> click Enter to see the command line. You will see a black box in your command line,which allows you to instruct your computer.

Although different systems have different commands,each OS allows you to implement changes on it through the command line. Likewise,you can access your site and edit the wp-config.php file through a series of commands.

In comparison to use of FTP,this process is faster. However,many shared hosting providers lack SSH (Secure Shell Access),a connection that you need to instruct your server through command line. If you have a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or any plan that allows you to have complete access to your server,then you can use the command line.

For a SSH connection,you need to use a client such as FTP. However,it is advisable to use Hostinger,as it does not have limitations,and it supports SSH connections for shared plans.

Once you login to your Hostinger panel,go to Advanced section>>SSH Access tab>>SSH Access Information. Here,choose your connection type as SSH,and then click the Enter button.

In turn,a command line shows up,requesting your username and password. Once you login,it is easier to edit your wp-config.php file. A single command is enough to find and open this file in your WordPress root directory.

Once your editor opens the wp-config.php file,add this text like in method one:

define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’,’256M’ );

Ensure you add this line before the line saying “That’s all,stop editing! Happy blogging.” Once you are done,close your editor,and save the changes. Remember to visit your website to check if the error is gone.

Note:

In some cases,the command line does not take you directly to your WordPress root folder. Thus,you need to find it by yourself. To know if you landed on the root folder,you need to type Is in the command line.

This should show WordPress folders like wp-content and wp-admin. If this is not the case,go manually to the folder.

Conclusion

For effective functioning of any website,it needs a web-hosting provider and many resources to run. However,the more memory your website gets,the better it performs.

If you have any questions about how to fix a WordPress memory exhausted error,please reach out to us at this link: -