Budget 2015: Reactions to the chancellor’s statement March 18, 2015 THE BUSINESS GROUP Confederation of British Industry director generalJohn Cridland The Budget provides a clear plan for fiscal health and growth and will help businesses create jobs. “Stability and consistency are what businesses need to grow and prosper. This Budget sets the tone, providing a clear plan for fiscal health and growth. [...]
Budget 2015: George Osborne has discovered his mojo March 18, 2015 George Osborne has long been considered a cunning political strategist – in some circles, at least. Personally, for a long time, I found that argument difficult to accept. His first few Budgets hardly showed signs of high-level Westminster acumen. The debut of 2010 was inevitably tough, confirming an unpopular hike in VAT. The next prompted [...]
Budget 2015: Take-home pay set to increase for UK workers March 18, 2015 Britain's workers will take home more of their income from April onwards, when the personal allowance goes up to £10,600. The amount that can be earned before tax is applied will increase again, to £10,800, in 2016, and then go up to £11,000 in 2017. For those paying the higher rate of tax, at [...]
Budget 2015: Google Tax gets green light as Treasury aims to reap £3.1bn in new avoidance clampdown March 18, 2015 The government pledged another tax clampdown yesterday, with the implementation of a so-called “Google tax” taking centre stage. The Treasury expects to raise £3.1bn over the next five years through the various measures announced. There has been ongoing concern in many quarters over what is perceived to be an unfair diversion of taxes by multinationals [...]
What does the chancellor’s Budget mean for you? From the single parent to the startup founder March 18, 2015 THE SINGLE PARENT Catherine Gannon, 51Managing partner at law firm Gannons Gannons Commercial Law continues to do well, with profits and earnings up on last year. Catherine is commercially savvy and has restructured the business from an LLP to a limited company, illustrating that she is a smart operator in a segmented legal market. [...]
Budget 2015: George Osborne plays to the crowd with a populist plan March 18, 2015 Despite the chancellor promising not to pull a rabbit from the hat, there were in fact plenty of Budget bunnies to be seen this year. With the UK now growing ahead of its major international competitors and an General Election coming up so soon, it’s clear that George Osborne felt confident enough to splash out [...]
Federal Reserve policy statement: Rate rise could come as soon as June as FOMC drops “patient” March 18, 2015 The Federal Reserve could raise historically low interest rates as soon as June after the central bank revealed it was moving away from a pledge to be “patient”. “An increase in the target range for the federal funds rate remains unlikely at the April,” said the Federal Open Market Committee's meeting statement, but leaving the [...]
Budget 2015 Beer duty calculator: How much tax will you save on a pint this year after Osborne’s 1p cut? March 18, 2015 Penny off a pint? George Osborne knows how to keep the pub-going public happy. For the third year in a row, the chancellor has cut beer duty, keeping the good times rolling for the pub industry. A single penny cut may not sound much, but breweries and pubs are toasting the news. Along with the [...]
Budget 2015 interactive: Friends of the north? Unemployment mapped in every constituency March 18, 2015 On budget day, George Osborne offered a hand to the north of England. The Conservative party would, he said, build a Northern powerhouse, and, in fact they had already started. Employment and jobs the chancellor added, have grown faster in the north of England than the south. ONS tables comparing the three months to the [...]
Budget 2015: Here’s why the Help to Buy Isa is a terrible idea March 18, 2015 One of the more eye-catching announcements in George Osborne's Budget was the unveiling of a "Help to Buy" Isa. Not leaked beforehand, Osborne said first-time buyers will receive a helping hand from the government to get on the property ladder. For every £200 saved by first-time buyers, the taxpayer will chip in another £50. Those who [...]