As a piece of political theatre, this was an impressive Budget. The Chancellor’s upbeat delivery and ‘something for everyone’ approach made sure that few of us realised how deeply his fingers now dig into our pockets. Who would have thought that the tax burden will soon be the highest in over 70 years? There was a substantial windfall to allocate…
Rishi Sunak delivered a blockbuster Budget yesterday. Following the fiscal largess necessary over the previous 12 months, this is a Chancellor used to talking big numbers and he did not disappoint. Presentationally, this was a smooth and assured delivery and from the perspective of political theatre, will have done no harm to his future leadership prospects. His political master’s eyes…
If ever we needed a competent and reassuring performance from a UK Chancellor, it was yesterday and to his credit, Rishi Sunak delivered. In practical terms, this was two budgets in one – the first a series of measures to ease the escalating economic squeeze resulting from the coronavirus (Covid-19) and the second, a bold and expansionary plan to improve…
As Mark Twain once said, the only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin. So how do we ensure we can save our skins? With the end of the tax year looming fast, it is important to ensure that, if we have not done so already, we take the time to carry…
Delivered on Monday 29 October 2018, between key meetings in the Brexit negotiations and amidst turbulent times in Westminster, you could be forgiven for losing track of the 2018 Budget. Despite the disruption, the Chancellor’s statement brought more focus to the pledged ‘end to austerity’, along with details of an extra £20 billion in funding for the NHS. Whilst many…
Philip Hammond delivered his first Autumn Budget to Parliament on 22 November 2017. In the circumstances, his Budget was both politically adept and correctly balanced to deal with the deteriorating economic position forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility. He demonstrated the intent of Government to win back support from younger voters with his announcement that first time buyers will…
Philip Hammond delivered his first (and last) Spring Budget to Parliament on 8 March 2017 and demonstrated that he is a Chancellor capable of restraint. In addition to resisting the temptation to spend the windfall provided by the Office for Budget Responsibility’s higher forecast for economic growth, he reduced the often bewildering number of detailed tax rule changes from a…
Philip Hammond delivered his first Autumn Statement as Chancellor on 23 November 2016 and in facing the headwinds affecting the UK economy, has shown a pragmatic approach. Although the UK economy is set to be the fastest growing major economy in 2016, the Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast growth to slow and inflation to rise over the next two…
Simon Lewis, CEO at Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd considers how families might benefit from a soon to be introduced tax-break that could be worth up to £140,000. We are now less than six months away from the introduction of a new and very important tax break that will benefit many families; potentially by as much as £140,000 once it…