HMRC’s official rate of interest (ORI) will increase from 2.25% to 3.75% on 6 April 2025. This is the first increase to the ORI since 2023.

The ORI is used to calculate the taxable benefit in kind where an employee has a loan from their employer, or their employer provides them with living accommodation. There is no taxable benefit where the aggregate of all loans outstanding to an employee are less than £10,000 throughout the tax year. Above this amount, if a loan is provided to an employee interest free, or at a lower rate of interest than the ORI, the employee is taxed on the difference between the interest paid and the ORI. The situation can therefore be simplified by charging an employee at least the ORI on a loan. Employer provided living accommodation is perhaps less common, but the ORI is applied to the value of the property to determine the cash equivalent of the benefit.

From 6 April 2025, the ORI will be reviewed on a quarterly basis and updated if necessary to reflect changing interest rates.