No inheritance tax on homes worth less than £1m March 17, 2015 No one will have to pay inheritance tax on properties worth less than £1m, under plans being drawn up by the chancellor. Although the plans are unlikely to be announced as part of tomorrow's Budget, it's thought they'll be included in the Conservative manifesto. According to an "insider" who spoke to the Sunday Express, options [...]
Budget 2015: George Osborne has failed to face up to Britain’s long-term fiscal challenges March 16, 2015 We know a lot about tomorrow’s Budget from George Osborne’s TV appearances over the weekend. He will announce “a Budget for the long term” that will “raise living standards”. It will be a balanced Budget that avoids the problems of the previous government, which “got itself into trouble with unfunded promises”. To satisfy the chancellor’s [...]
George Osborne likes to think the unthinkable: Now he should abolish the Budget March 16, 2015 It’s a well-known saying that “turkeys don’t vote for Christmas”. So calling for George Osborne to take to the despatch box tomorrow and announce that he’s abolishing future Budgets – in turn, greatly diminishing the Treasury’s power – might seem a fanciful plea. In truth, it’s about as likely as Ed Miliband offering journalists the [...]
George Osborne Budget 2015: Here’s everything we already know March 16, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne is busily putting the finishing touches to his final Budget speech for this parliament, and while he's been keen to stress fiscal constraints mean it's going to be rather light on the ground, here's a quick round-up of what people think he'll pull out of the red box tomorrow: "No giveaways, no [...]
Retailers call on rates review to save the high street March 16, 2015 Retailers today called for a radical shake-up of the UK’s 400 year-old business rates system and for greater support of the ailing high street as the government launches its biggest review into the controversial tax “in a generation”. Business rates, which are charged on commercial properties including shops and warehouses, deliver around £25bn to the [...]
Budget 2015: New pensions changes to allow savers to cash in annuities March 16, 2015 George Osborne’s crunch pre-election Budget will give savers who already own an annuity the power to cash it out. This new loosening of pensions rules builds on changes in last year’s Budget, and was confirmed by the Treasury yesterday. The Treasury says that it will give greater flexibility to five million pensioners who already own [...]
Should chancellor George Osborne use the Budget to deliver a pre-election giveaway? March 15, 2015 John Longworth, director-general at the British Chambers of Commerce, says Yes. The current situation in the UK lends itself well to the chancellor being able to deliver a pre-election giveaway. Public finances have improved in recent months, the outlook for the economy is relatively positive, as highlighted in our recent economic forecast, and the OBR [...]
Budget 2015: Business rates could get a major overhaul in the budget as George Osborne reveals reform review plans March 15, 2015 A long-overdue review of how business rates are calculated could be in the chancellor’s package of budget promises designed to woo businesses in the run up to the General Election. George Osborne pleased British businesses by initially pledging that a review would take place in his Autumn Statement last year. Now further plans are set [...]
Budget 2015: Six things we expect to see in Wednesday’s announcement from George Osborne March 15, 2015 There will be no giveaways in the 2015 Budget, George Osborne has said. The Budget will be aimed at those who have worked hard all their lives, the chancellor said. But with no giveaways on the menu, what can we expect? Osborne told the BBC there would be “no giveaways, no gimmicks”. “Everything we do [...]
Pensions shake-up: George Osborne mulls further change to annuity rules March 12, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne is considering including a further shake-up of pensions rules in his crucial pre-election Budget next week, to allow pensioners to sell their existing annuities for cash. From next month those over 55 years old will be able to cash in their pension pot instead of buying an annuity to be paid out [...]