IFS backs death tax on ‘flawed’ capital gains to boost growth October 6, 2024 The “whole design of capital gains tax is flawed,” the Institute for Fiscal Studies has claimed, advocating for a complete overhaul of the tax rather than simply raising it. The influential think tank has advocated for scrapping the tax break of capital gains at death today, arguing that it creates a large incentive for people [...]
Labour MP defends Chancellor’s decision to rule out wealth tax October 5, 2024 One of the rising stars of the new intake of Labour MPs has defended Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to rule out a wealth tax against the richest. Torsten Bell, a former Treasury official and chief executive of the economic think tank Resolution Foundation, said a wealth tax would not raise “significant revenues”. Reeves has previously [...]
Reeves promises ‘guardrails’ around extra borrowing in budget October 5, 2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she will introduce “guardrails” to ensure that extra borrowing for investment in her first budget is not excessive as she seeks to reassure investors about an expected rise in public debt. “It’s about making prudent, sensible investments in the long term and we need guardrails around that”, Reeves told the [...]
Fiddling with pensions is fine. Changing the overall model is not, though October 5, 2024 Most Chancellors tinker with pensions allowances - but it's important to remember that none have changed the underpinning model of pensions tax relief - for good reason
Rightmove warns almost £25bn needed to insulate 2.9m UK homes by 2030 October 4, 2024 There are 2.9 million houses that will require £23.4bn in improvements to meet the government’s energy performance certificate (EPC) standards by 2030, according to Rightmove. New analysis from the property portal found that an average of £8,074 will have to be spent on rental homes to upgrade them to a C rating by EPC standards. [...]
Why West Ham co-owner David Sullivan is selling his London mansion for a loss October 4, 2024 David Sullivan, the co-owner and chairman of Premier League side West Ham United, is selling his London mansion for a loss after slashing the asking price by £10m. The businessman, who is the majority shareholder in the London Stadium club, is selling the Marylebone property through Knight Frank for £65m. The mansion includes 10 bedrooms [...]
Online discounting gives retail a boost but puts margins under pressure October 4, 2024 Widespread retail discounting boosted online sales growth in September, but has continued to squeeze their already-tight profit margins, according to fresh data. Total retail sales grew by 4.7 per cent compared to September last year and online sales were up by 11.6 per cent, accountancy and business advisory firm BDO’s high street sales tracker found. However, [...]
Luxury retail might be struggling globally, but it’s thriving in London October 4, 2024 It’s somewhat surprisingly that luxury retail in London is doing so well, particularly given eye-catching figures about a wider downturn in the luxury market, the effect of the tourist tax, and the potential exodus of high-net-worth non doms from the capital. But while these “handicaps” – particularly the tourist tax – have hampered demand somewhat, [...]
How Manchester hopes to influence Rachel Reeves to boost UK productivity October 3, 2024 A new think tank has been launched in Manchester hoping to influence Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the new Labour government’s efforts to boost productivity across the UK. The Productivity Institute, which is based at the University of Manchester, has set up a policy unit with the aim of ‘informing and influencing’ the likes of Reeves. [...]
Labour capital gains hike would probably cost Treasury money, experts warn October 3, 2024 As the budget approaches, speculation is mounting that Chancellor Rachel Reeves is planning to reform CGT to help fill an alleged £22bn blackhole in the public finances.