How inheritance tax is becoming a ‘bill for ordinary households’ September 22, 2026 Inheritance tax receipts have hit a new high as frozen thresholds and rising property values drag more households into the tax net. Inheritance tax (IHT) receipts have hit £3.8bn so far this financial year, surpassing the £3.7bn recorded at the same point last year, according to the latest data from HMRC. Total receipts reached £8.5bn [...]
Businesses welcome Tory pledge to restore tax-free shopping September 20, 2026 Top UK business leaders have welcomed Tory plans to bring back tax-free shopping for overseas visitors if they reenter government in a bid to end the tourism shopping slump. The Conservatives said it would restore VAT refunds for eligible visitors from outside the EU after the tax-break was stripped away in 2021 under former chancellor [...]
British tycoons raise the alarm over state of UK economy September 20, 2026 Two of Britain’s wealthiest business chiefs have launched fierce criticism against government policies and the health of the UK economy. Billionaire energy boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe and gambling entrepreneur Fred Done have separately warned about the state of the economy and direction of policy in the past 48 hours. In particular, the business chiefs claimed [...]
Labour mansion tax raid to hit homes worth £1.5m September 20, 2026 The government is considering plans to lower the mansion tax threshold to properties worth over £1.5m, a move that would hit nearly 300,000 homes. Labour originally announced the tax on properties worth more than £2m in last year’s Autumn Budget by former chancellor Rachel Reeves. Properties over this valuation are set to pay a £2,500 [...]
Tories consult senior barrister over ‘outrageous’ Wandsworth tax hike September 18, 2026 Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservative party has consulted a senior barrister to challenge the government over local funding cuts, following the recent controversy over looming tax hikes at Wandsworth Council. Wandsworth Council, which is Tory-run, has recently announced that taxes will rise by 94 per cent for ‘band D’ residents, resulting in taxpayers having [...]
Addison Lee founder defeated in £20m non-dom tax dispute September 18, 2026 The founder of premium minicab firm Addison Lee has failed to overturn a £20.5m tax bill from HMRC after arguing that he should be treated as a non-dom in spite of having lived in England for most of his life. Sir John Griffin, aged 84, who was born in England in 1942 to Irish parents [...]
Britain needs tax devolution, but beware of fiscal war September 17, 2026 Britain is an outlier for tax centralisation, but devolution can go badly wrong, says Tim Sarson Last week government front benchers and local leaders from across England got together at Number 10 North to discuss the details of a new Visitor Levy, or tourism tax. Quite a momentous moment in its own way, because this [...]
Costa del Court: City law firm follows wealthy Brits to Mallorca September 16, 2026 London-based family law firm AFP Bloom has opened an office in Mallorca to serve the growing number of British families relocating to the Spanish island. The law firm, known for its work with high-net-worth and international families, has opened a new Palma office, allowing clients to receive specialist English legal advice in-person on the island [...]
Wandsworth Council plans 94 per cent tax rise after Rayner’s cuts September 16, 2026 Wandsworth Council has announced taxes will rise by 94 per cent for Band D residents after local leaders hit out at the government for cutting funding by £84m a year. The local authority, regularly dubbed Margaret Thatcher’s favourite council because of its historically low-levels of council tax, will make Band D council taxpayers stump up [...]
PwC’s UK business grows but Iran conflict hits wider group September 16, 2026 Big Four giant PwC reported steady financial growth in its UK business, with revenue and profit per partner both increasing slightly from the previous year, despite group revenue slipping due to the Middle East conflict. For the year ended 30 June 2026, PwC’s UK business’s revenue grew to £4.365bn, up two per cent on the previous year. While [...]