Budget 2016: Chancellor George Osborne’s plans are now hanging by a thread March 17, 2016 Budget day is full of tradition. Details will leak in the days leading up to it, the chancellor will pose with his red box, Sky News will launch a helicopter to film his short drive from the Treasury to Parliament and the devil will always be found in the detail. There’s another Budget tradition that [...]
Budget 2016: Lifetime Isa announced to stop younger people choosing between buying a house and saving for retirement March 16, 2016 Chancellor George Osborne has today announced a new lifetime Isa in his Budget speech to help under 40s who feel they have to make a choice between saving for a retirement or saving for a property. Similar to the help-to-buy Isa, government will boost the savers' pot, with the rate offered on the lifetime Isa being £1 [...]
This Big Six energy provider has become the first major supplier to promise a price freeze this winter November 18, 2016 Big Six energy provider SSE has become the first major supplier to promise a price freeze this winter, capping them at their current levels until "at least" next April. SSE supplies energy to more than 8m customers in Britain and Ireland. The group's statement on household gas and electricity prices follows recent speculation that the [...]
Osborne’s budget target leaves “limited fiscal flexibility”, says Fitch November 27, 2015 If economic growth or revenues underperform, the government will have "limited fiscal space" to manoeuvre and respond to the economic shocks, rating agency Fitch has warned. The government's Autumn Statement is consistent with its overall fiscal strategy and "with the revised fiscal mandate, but also shows limited fiscal space if growth or revenues underperform", Fitch said [...]
Lego “not planning any future promotional activity” with Daily Mail amid protests at recent coverage November 12, 2016 Lego is “not planning any future promotional activity” with the Daily Mail, in an apparent protest at its editorial content. Stop Funding Hate, a group campaigning for companies like John Lewis and Waitrose to pull advertising from certain tabloid newspapers, has claimed the move by Lego as a victory. DMGT, the owner of the Daily Mail, [...]
Budget 2016: Institute of Fiscal Studies’ Paul Johnson says budget cuts may not materialise March 14, 2016 Chancellor George Osborne has indicated he will announce more cuts in his Budget, but these cuts may never materialise, director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies Paul Johnson has said. Yesterday the chancellor indicated be may have to announce cuts worth up to £4bn by the end of this parliament when he delivers his Budget [...]
Budget 2016: The UK property industry’s wishlist for Chancellor George Osborne March 14, 2016 Stamp duty reform is at the top of the UK's property industry wishlist for when Chancellor George Osborne opens his red box to deliver the Budget on Wednesday. 1. Reversal of recent government stamp duty changes Recent UK stamp duty reforms are having a damaging impact on the housing market and should be reviewed. The Stamp [...]
New stamp duty land tax extra three per cent charge could hit parents who want to help their children get onto the property ladder, tax experts warn February 23, 2016 If you're currently saving to give your son or daughter a helping hand onto the property ladder, you might find you need to put aside a little bit more than you bargained for to cover tax charges. The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) yesterday cautioned that the additional three per cent charge on stamp duty [...]
We might be waiting a while longer for Article 50 to be triggered August 14, 2016 Anyone waiting for the government to fire the starting gun on Article 50 – the official trigger that will kick off crucial negotiations between Britain and the EU – get ready to wait a little longer. We already know it won't be triggered this year, but all eyes have been on the start of 2017 for triggering [...]
Pension Isa could see savings slashed by a sixth, says Association of British Insurers, which favours the flat rate of tax relief instead February 15, 2016 Introducing a pension Isa could lower contributions by around a sixth, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has warned today. Using research prepared by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), the ABI has calculated that a pension Isa system, where pensions contributions are taxed but withdrawals are exempt, would influence people to cut [...]