{"id":28772,"date":"2026-03-23T12:48:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T12:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moorethompson.co.uk\/?p=28772"},"modified":"2026-03-23T12:48:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T12:48:55","slug":"are-national-insurance-mistakes-costing-your-business-more-than-you-realise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moorethompson.co.uk\/mt-pay\/payroll-press-articles\/are-national-insurance-mistakes-costing-your-business-more-than-you-realise\/","title":{"rendered":"Are National Insurance mistakes costing your business more than you realise?"},"content":{"rendered":"

National Insurance Contributions (NICs) are a significant cost for UK businesses and the risks of getting it wrong are often underestimated.<\/p>\n

NICs are essential for helping fund public services, but they can also bring compliance risks for employers.<\/p>\n

The changes to National Insurance in April 2025 have brought new responsibilities for employers and getting this wrong could result in HMRC penalties or unhappy employees.<\/p>\n

Businesses must be sure their payroll services are operating compliantly and be aware of the most common mistakes they could be making.<\/p>\n

What are the most common National Insurance mistakes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the most frequent National Insurance errors is incorrect employee classification.<\/p>\n

Reduced NIC rates apply to employees under 21 and apprentices under 25, yet many payroll systems are not updated when staff reach qualifying ages or change status.<\/p>\n

Businesses may also be misapplying earning thresholds.<\/p>\n

NICs rely on multiple limits, including the Lower Earnings Limit, Primary Threshold, Secondary Threshold and Upper Earnings Limit.<\/p>\n

When these thresholds are applied incorrectly, businesses can either overpay or underpay NICs, which can create problems.<\/p>\n

If you have recently given your employee a pay rise, a bonus or changed their hours, you may have failed to adjust their contributions.<\/p>\n

Over time, commission and Benefit in Kind must be included in NIC calculations and are often overlooked.<\/p>\n

Directors\u2019 National Insurance can also be mistaken, as directors are assessed on an annual earnings basis and many businesses may apply the standard payroll rules incorrectly.<\/p>\n

Mistakes can frequently arise around IR35 and salary sacrifice schemes and misunderstandings can lead to lost savings and HMRC scrutiny.<\/p>\n

How can we help you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

National Insurance errors rarely announce themselves until HMRC intervenes or costs rise unexpectedly.<\/p>\n

Our professional team can help manage your NICs by reviewing your payroll structures and ensuring the correct rates and thresholds are applied.<\/p>\n

We can also assess your ongoing compliance with the April 2025 National Insurance changes and understand how higher employer rates and lower thresholds affect your cash flow.<\/p>\n

With the right guidance on your payroll, your business can manage costs effectively and help prevent costly HMRC corrections.<\/p>\n

Make sure your payroll is not affected by NICs and contact our team today<\/a> for further support and guidance.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

National Insurance Contributions (NICs) are a significant cost for UK businesses and the risks of getting it wrong are often … Are National Insurance mistakes costing your business more than you realise?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28773,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-payroll-press-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAre National Insurance mistakes costing your business more than you realise? - MT Pay<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.moorethompson.co.uk\/mt-pay\/payroll-press-articles\/are-national-insurance-mistakes-costing-your-business-more-than-you-realise\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Are National Insurance mistakes costing your business more than you realise? - MT Pay\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"National Insurance Contributions (NICs) are a significant cost for UK businesses and the risks of getting it wrong are often ... 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