Configuration (Files)

Configuration files are files that can augment / improve the control you have over the functionality in the form beyond the settings.

Configuration files are generally in XML format and so please ensure the XML file is still valid are you finish your edits. You can check an XML file is valid using the following:

https://www.samltool.com/prettyprint.php

For the Self Employed function, there are 4 and these files are covered below:

businesscategories.xml

The purpose of this file is to enable a council to control the different type of businesses a person can indicate they are running. I.e. you can control the content of this drop down:

The following is the file format:

<BusinessCategories>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Author">Author / Writers / Translators</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Beauty">Beauty / Nail technician</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="BookKeeper">Book-keeper / Accountant</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Carpenter">Carpenter / Joiner</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Catering">Catering Services</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Construction">Construction and building trade</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Electrician">Electricians / Electrical fitter</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Gardener">Gardener / Landscape gardener</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Hairdresser">Hairdressers / Barbers</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="BusinessAnalyst">Management consultant / Business analysts</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Medical">Medical practitioner</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Decorator">Painter / Decorators</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Photographer">Photographer / AV and broadcasting</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Plumber">Plumber / Heating / Ventilation engineer</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Property">Property / Estate manager</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Shopkeeper">Shopkeepers / Retail / Wholesale</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="TaxiDriver">Taxi driver / Cab drivers / Chauffeur</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Teacher">Teacher / Tutor</BusinessCategory>
  <BusinessCategory Value="Other">Other</BusinessCategory>
</BusinessCategories>

So basically each row of the drop down is filled by a row in the above file. The Value is purely to guide a person as to what could go inside the category. E.g. Beauty is the Value below but what the customer sees in the drop down is Beauty / Nail technician.

<BusinessCategory Value="Beauty">Beauty / Nail technician</BusinessCategory>

A new category can be added by simply copying this content and pasting it above or below an existing Business Category row. E.g

<BusinessCategory Value="Sports">Footballer / Tiddlewinks Player</BusinessCategory>

selfemployedexpenses.xml

The purpose of this file is to enable the list of expenses a person can select to be customised:

This file also enables a council to indicate whether the amount of the expense should be taken in full, partly or not all in terms of calculating the amount of profit they have.

The following is an excerpt from the file, as it is long:

<Expenses>
  <Expense>
    <Id>BusinessRates</Id>
    <Name>Business Rates</Name>
    <Description>Charges applied by the Local Authority for business properties depending on it's size, facilities and use.</Description>
    <Allowable>1.0</Allowable>
    <Type>Income</Type>
  </Expense>
  <Expense>
    <Id>BusinessRent</Id>
    <Name>Business Rent</Name>
    <Description>The charge for renting a property to run your business from. Note: You can choose to run your business from home and the business rent will be an allowable expense once compared to comercial sector rents, but the amount used will also be added to your income.</Description>
    <Allowable>1.0</Allowable>
    <Type>Income</Type>
  </Expense>
    <Expense>
    <Id>Depreciation</Id>
    <Name>Depreciation of capital asset</Name>
    <Description>The amount of money you lose because the value of your capital asset has gone down over time</Description>
    <Allowable>0.5</Allowable>
    <Type>Capital</Type>
  </Expense>
  <Expense>
    <Id>BusinessDebt</Id>
    <Name>Debt of the current business</Name>
    <Description>Money you owe which is not part of any allowable expenses.</Description>
    <Allowable>0.0</Allowable>
    <Type>Income</Type>
  </Expense>
</Expenses>

Within the file example we can see from the <Id> field that there are four distinct expenses. Business Rates, Business Rent, Depreciation and Business Debt.

• The Name element is that is presented to customers in the form is the <Name>Business Rent</Name> element.

• The Description element is what is automatically added as help text.

• The Allowable part is key. This controls whether:

  • 100% of it will be taken into account - 1.0

  • 50% of it will be taken into account - 0.5

  • 0% of it will be taken into account - 0.0

You can add a new expense type, with its own help and set whether it is allowable and to what degree as a result.

The Type element is for information for those updating these. It has no bearing on the calculation.

taxandnirates.xml

The purpose of this file is to hold the rates of income tax and national insurance for the purposes of self employed people.

The file holds sections for Income Tax and National Insurance.

In the Income Tax section it holds the threshold and rate (as a %) for these:

• Personal Allowance

• Basic Tax Rate

• Higher Tax Rate

• Additional Rate

In the National Insurance section it holds the threshold and rate (as a %) for these:

• Class 2 lower start point

• Class 2 higher start point

• Class 4 lower start point

• Class 4 higher start point

File Example

<Taxes>
  <Tax name="Income Tax">
    <band name="Personal Allowance">
      <threshold>0</threshold>
      <ratePercent>0</ratePercent>
    </band>
    <band name="Basic Rate">
      <threshold>11500</threshold>
      <ratePercent>20</ratePercent>
    </band>
    <band name="Higher Rate">
      <threshold>45000</threshold>
      <ratePercent>40</ratePercent>
    </band>
    <band name="Additional Rate">
      <threshold>150000</threshold>
      <ratePercent>45</ratePercent>
    </band>
  </Tax>
  <Tax name="National Insurance">
    <band name="Class 2 Contributions">
      <threshold>0</threshold>
      <ratePercent>0</ratePercent>
    </band>
    <band name="Class 2 Contributions">
      <threshold>6025</threshold>
      <ratePerWeek>2.85</ratePerWeek>
    </band>
    <band name="Class 4 Contributions">
      <threshold>8164</threshold>
      <ratePercent>9</ratePercent>
    </band>
    <band name="Class 4 Contributions">
      <threshold>45000</threshold>
      <ratePercent>2</ratePercent>
    </band>
  </Tax>
</Taxes>

taxandnirateslastyear.xml

The purpose of this file is to hold the tax rates for the financial year before this. This is to cater for people completing the form where there is some income/expenses in last year and some in this.

The file format is identical to the taxandnirates.xml file.