Hiking VAT would have ‘serious negative impact’, economists warn Reeves October 10, 2025 A hike to VAT would “have a serious negative impact” on the UK, leading economists have warned, as the chancellor weighs which taxes to put up at next month’s Budget to plug a £30bn shortfall. An increase in the sales levy would have the biggest negative impact of any major tax rise, leading to a [...]
Rare reprieve for Reeves as ONS says data error cuts borrowing by £3bn October 8, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been handed a rare reprieve ahead of the Budget after a data error reported by the UK’s statistics authority reduced expected public borrowing by £3bn. A mistake in the counting of value added tax receipts by tax collector HMRC was identified in an update by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). [...]
Mel Stride: I would raise income tax in Rachel Reeves’ position October 7, 2025 Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has said he would raise income taxes if he were in Rachel Reeves’ position, facing a £30bn black hole in the public finances. Speaking at a fringe event at the Tory party conference in Manchester, Stride said raising income taxes was the “cleanest” tax hike option available. His comments will likely [...]
London’s Hippodrome Casino VAT recovery hopes dashed by Tribunal October 6, 2025 London’s Hippodrome Casino has failed to overturn a ruling on the method used to calculate the tax recovery for residual input tax. The 24-hour casino, located in the heart of Leicester Square, also features restaurants, bars, and a theatre, where Magic Mike Live has been performing since 2018. While most people attend the Hippodrome for [...]
Instead of a taxi tax, Reeves should fix the absurd VAT system September 29, 2025 Reeves’ tax grab on taxis highlights the absurdity of the VAT system and raises the question of whether VAT should be levied more consistently across goods and services, says Ben Ramanauskas It has been reported that Rachel Reeves will announce at the Budget that taxi journeys will be subject to VAT. This has drawn criticism [...]
Labour say manifesto stands ‘today’ as Reeves ducks VAT hike September 29, 2025 The Chancellor would not rule out fresh rises to VAT ahead of her speech to Labour Party Conference later today, when pressed on the issue by LBC’s Nick Ferrari this morning. Asked whether Brits could face increases to the retail levy, Reeves said: “You’ll know we made those commitments in our manifesto, and those commitments [...]
Starmer refuses to rule out VAT rise September 28, 2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused to rule out any potential rises to VAT as he reinforced his commitment to Labour’s manifesto pledges in a new interview. In an interview with BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, after being pressed on potential changes to VAT, Starmer said: “The manifesto stands. We made commitment in that manifesto and the [...]
Rachel Reeves urged to reconsider Labour manifesto tax pledges September 24, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that tweaking small levies and relying on the wealthy to contribute to the state would hinder growth as another prominent report has called for Labour manifesto commitments to be reversed. In a report by the Institute for Government (IfG), Labour strategists were criticised for the party’s “original sin” of [...]
Backlash grows as Reeves eyes VAT raid on cabs September 21, 2025 Rachel Reeves is facing a mounting backlash over plans to impose VAT on taxi fares, with campaigners warning the move will hammer rural residents, make it harder for disabled people to attend medical appointments, and heap pressure on the NHS budget. The chancellor is weighing proposals to introduce a 20 per cent levy on all [...]
Bolt: Uber rival’s profit almost wiped out as legal battles drag on September 18, 2025 Profit at the UK arm of Uber rival Bolt was almost wiped out during its latest financial year as it diverted considerable resources to its on-going legal battles. The online taxi firm has reported a pre-tax profit of £133,355 for 2024, down from the £8.2m it achieved in 2023. The business had previously made a [...]