The 2026 tax year has started. Here’s what you need to know Personal Finance The tax year countdown has officially ended and a new year has begun on 6 April, bringing with it an ISA allowance reset and silent tax hikes. While many investors and savers will be breathing a sigh of relief, thinking they have completed their financial admin for at least a few months, being proactive at [...]
HSBC to cough up £230m over dividend tax-fraud claims Banking European banking juggernaut HSBC is set to cough up nearly £230m to settle an investigation relating to tax-fraud claims. The FTSE 100 titan was accused of helping foreign investors evade taxes on dividends through a sophisticated financial manoeuvre known as ‘cum-cum’ trading. This relates to a series of transactions between 2014 and 2019, which were [...]
UK investors spooked by tax hikes on dividends and savings Personal Finance Rachel Reeves’ Budget decisions have raised alarm bells among DIY investors after they were hit with tax hikes and cuts to incentives, despite the Chancellor’s aim to push more funds into public markets. Over 70 per cent of investors said they were concerned about the increased basic and higher rates of taxes on dividends, property [...]
Autumn Budget: Dividends set to be subject to tax hike November 26, 2025 Dividends are set for a tax hike next year, in a move that could potentially push people away from investing in the stock market. Individuals who take dividends from a company or who earn dividends from shares pay different tax rates according to the income tax band they fall under. From April 2026, a two [...]
Will the Budget push the economy off the cliff? November 13, 2025 Downing Street is in chaos and the economy has flatlined. Now, with just a couple of weeks to go until we find out what’s really in Rachel Reeves’ Budget, Britain’s bosses are getting restless. It used to be the case that Chancellor’s went quiet in the run-up to a Budget, keeping their powder dry and [...]
Brits don’t believe this is a country that rewards hard work November 12, 2025 What conversations are you having at work, at home, in the pub? There’s plenty to talk about, from Traitors (BBC good?) to trust in public broadcasting (BBC bad?) to say nothing of football, Remembrance Day, the weather and Christmas. Looking beyond these topics, is it possible to discern the national mood? Do we feel that [...]
Autumn Budget: How could Rachel Reeves change dividend tax rules? November 11, 2025 The Treasury has reportedly turned its attention to dividends as part of its efforts to fill up the public coffers in this month’s Budget. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering raising dividend taxes on 26 November, a move that could potentially raise £1.5bn according to the Resolution Foundation think tank. The speculation comes as the Treasury [...]
Watch: Are we on the brink of a financial crisis? August 28, 2025 This might be the calm before the storm; the final stretch of a summer holiday that we might look back on as heady days before things turned very nasty indeed. Yesterday I interviewed the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Business Secretary – all lined up in the City AM studio. The video will be [...]