Losses and Class 2 National Insurance

Class 2 National Insurance (NI) is payable by the self-employed at a flat-rate; regardless of profit levels. Class 2 NI counts towards your entitlement to certain benefits, like the basic State Pension, Maternity Allowance and Bereavement Benefit.

If you earn less than a certain limit (currently £5,725 for 2013/14) you can apply for a Certificate of Small Earnings Exception and not pay Class 2 NI.

However, unless you pay NI on other income such as employment income, you might decide to carry on paying them voluntarily to maintain your entitlement to the State Pension and other benefits.

Should you have any queries regarding this or any other matter, please feel free to contact your local TaxAssist Accountant.

Date published 1 Jun 2013

This article is intended to inform rather than advise and is based on legislation and practice at the time. Taxpayer’s circumstances do vary and if you feel that the information provided is beneficial it is important that you contact us before implementation. If you take, or do not take action as a result of reading this article, before receiving our written endorsement, we will accept no responsibility for any financial loss incurred.