National Insurance Contributions (NICs)

As previously announced for 2011/12, the main and additional rates of NICs will increase by 1%.

		2011/12
Class 1 (not contracted out)		Employer	Employee
Payable on weekly earnings of:
Below £102 (lower earnings limit)		Nil	Nil
£102 - £136 (employers’ earnings threshold)		Nil	Nil
£136.01 - £139 (employees’ earnings threshold)		13.8%	Nil
£139.01 - £770 (upper accrual point)		13.8%	12%
£770.01 - £817 (upper earnings limit)		13.8%	12%
Over £817		13.8%	2%
Over state retirement age, the employee contribution is generally nil
Class 1A	on relevant benefits	13.8%	Nil
Class 2	Self employed	£2.50 per week
	Limit of net earnings for exception	£5,315 per annum
Class 3	Voluntary	£12.60 per week
Class 4*	Self employed on profits
	£7,225 - £42,475	9%
	Excess over £42,475	2%
*Exemption applies if state retirement age was reached by 6 April 2011

Changes to payment dates - Class 2 NICs

From April 2011, HMRC will issue just two payment requests in the year in October and April, showing payments due by 31 January and 31 July, respectively. This means that the due dates for payment of 2011/12 Class 2 NICs will be 31 January 2012 and 31 July 2012.