The Week Ahead: March kicks off with the Budget, Aviva, Zoom and Vroom March 1, 2021 March has arrived and City A.M. looks at what the first week of this month has in store. First of all, of course, there is the Budget this Wednesday. It’s the most important week of the year for Chancellor Rishi Sunak as he outlines the outlook for the UK economy over the next few months. He [...]
Pound off to a good start ahead of this week’s Budget March 1, 2021 The pound has got off to a positive start ahead of this week’s budget as optimism over the vaccine rollout, which passed the 20m at the weekend, fostered hopes for an economic rebound that is likely to be much faster than its peers in Europe. Moreover, with the UK budget only two days away, mortgage [...]
Rishi Sunak should axe 20 UK taxes in Budget, says think tank March 1, 2021 The UK should axe inheritance tax, stamp duty, the TV licence fee and 18 other taxes to simplify the UK’s taxation regime post-Covid, according to a free market think tank. The Institute for Economic Affairs’ (IEA) pre-Budget release has called for Rishi Sunak to “simplify the tax system, reduce the overall burden of taxation, and [...]
Budget 2021: UK to spend extra £1.65bn on Covid vaccine rollout February 28, 2021 Rishi Sunak will boost the UK’s Covid vaccine rollout in Wednesday’s Budget by pledging to spend a further £1.65bn on the distribution of the two available jabs. The chancellor said last night that the programme had been “a great success” and that it was “essential we maintain this momentum” by providing more funding for the [...]
Budget: ‘Now not the time for harsh cleansing of the economy’, warns Brewin Dolphin’s chief strategist February 28, 2021 The UK government’s actions throughout the Covid pandemic, to protect the livelihoods of many., has led to a national debt pile not seen since World War 2. No wonder all eyes are now on next week’s Budget. With the vaccine rollout well under way, thoughts are slowly turning to how the UK can reduce its debt, [...]
Budget 2021: Sunak eyes tax on online deliveries and freelance workers February 28, 2021 Rishi Sunak is reportedly preparing to announce new taxes on online deliveries and freelance workers in Wednesday’s Budget to help pay off the UK’s Covid spending. The tax would likely target online firms like Amazon and Asos who have seen profits soar over the past year, after people spent much of 2020 in lockdown. It [...]
Budget 2021: Rishi Sunak hints at tax rises next week February 28, 2021 Rishi Sunak has hinted that he will raise taxes in the Budget on Wednesday, saying that he wanted to “level” with people about the fiscal challenges to come. He also suggested that he would extend Covid support schemes in his Budget, as expected, saying “we went big, we went early and there’s more to come”. [...]
Budget 2021: Sunak pledges £22bn for new infrastructure bank February 27, 2021 Rishi Sunak will use Wednesday’s Budget to announce billions of pounds of funding for the UK’s new infrastructure bank, which is due to launch in the spring. Announced as part of November’s spending review, the bank is part of Sunak’s pledge to provide “once in a generation” investment into the UK’s infrastructure. The Treasury said [...]
Budget 2021: Chancellor set to unveil mortgage guarantee scheme February 27, 2021 The Chancellor will use Wednesday’s Budget to unveil a new mortgage scheme aimed at getting tens of thousands of people onto the property ladder. Under the new programme, first time or current homeowners looking to buy a house of up to £600,000 will need a deposit of just five per cent to secure a mortgage. [...]
Sunak to crack down on Covid support fraudsters with new taskforce February 27, 2021 A new fraud taskforce to crack down on people who have exploited the government’s Covid-19 support schemes will be unveiled at next week’s Budget. The Treasury has announced that it will put £100m into a new Taxpayer Protection Taskforce to investigate those who fraudulently made use schemes such as furlough and the Self Employment Income Support [...]