Class 4 National Insurance Contributions (NIC) and carried forward losses

Where a self-employed person incurs a loss which is relieved for tax in the current or preceding year against total income, that relief is invariably therefore against income other than from self-employment.

Whilst this gives the impression that the losses have been utilised (as indeed they have for tax purposes) they are still available to carry forward for Class 4 NIC purposes against future trading profits. This fact is often overlooked and you should therefore keep separate loss carry forward records for tax purposes and for NIC purposes.