July Budget 2015: Boris Johnson says cut top tax rate and introduce living wage July 6, 2015 Boris Johnson has said he thinks the government should cut the top rate of income tax from 45 pence and simultaneously make some of Britain's biggest companies pay the living wage. The London mayor argues only boosting the income of society's richest individuals is unfair, and should be matched with pay increases for low-paid employees [...]
July Budget 2015: Make investments easier through tax reforms to create “equity economy”, business leaders urge George Osborne July 5, 2015 George Osborne must make radical changes to the tax system to unlock the investment potential of millions of Brits and inject growth into the economy. The chancellor's Budget, due on Wednesday, should include ambitious reform of the tax system to encourage people to buy a stake in businesses and create an "equity economy", the Institute of [...]
July Budget 2015: Conservatives to announce end to inheritance tax on properties worth less than £1m July 4, 2015 The Budget will spell the end of inheritance tax on homes worth up to £1m. In the new budget on Wednesday George Osborne is expected to make the announcement, saying it is “only right” that the change be made. Read more: Is the government about to change how it taxes pensions? Exempting homes up to £1m [...]
George Osborne’s challenge: Will he make his mark as a tax reformer? July 2, 2015 Next week’s Budget is a big opportunity for George Osborne – now he’s able to shape public spending and tax policy free of the constraints of coalition politics. One of his Budget themes should be tax reform. In the 70 years since the end of the Second World War, there have been 22 chancellors of [...]
George Osborne’s marginal revolution: Why Britain’s top rate of tax is unsustainable July 1, 2015 The so-called marginal revolution in economics occurred in the nineteenth century. George Osborne’s marginal revolution in taxation needs to start next Wednesday, with decisive steps towards a more sensible tax system. In many ways, next week’s Budget will reveal the real Osborne. Freed from the shackles of coalition politics, will we see a markedly free [...]
Labour will stop pushing for 50p tax rate says shadow chancellor June 30, 2015 Labour is letting go of the 50p tax rate, the shadow chancellor has indicated. In the last government, former Labour leader Ed Miliband proposed raising the top rate of tax to 50p for people earning more than £150,000 per year. But in a speech in Canary Wharf yesterday, shadow chancellor Chris Leslie said that the party [...]
Think 45p taxpayers have it hard? The tax system crushes incentives at all levels June 29, 2015 Ahead of next week’s Budget, two former chancellors and 160 Tory MPs are calling for the 45 per cent income tax rate to be reduced to 40 per cent. But for all the political capital devoted to explaining the disincentive effects of a 45 per cent rate, the reality is that many people across the [...]
Stamp duty replaces mansion tax as Central London house buyers’ worst fear as sales of homes worth £1.1m plus fall June 29, 2015 Mansion tax is so pre-election, darling – these days, the UK's high earners are worrying about one thing: stamp duty. That's according to a new report by upmarket estate agent Knight Frank, which has found the new tax has dented sales of homes worth £1.1m plus. Read more: The average brick in Kensington and Chelsea [...]
Up to 160 Conservative MPs want to cut the top rate of income tax to 40 per cent June 29, 2015 Senior Conservatives have said up to 160 MPs want the top rate of income tax taken down to 40p in the next budget, due on 8 July. Read More: Think tank IFS says Labour cannot bank on 50p tax rate to bring in more money This mounts pressure on George Osborne ahead of his first truly Conservative [...]
Local authorities cracking down on those who don’t pay council tax June 28, 2015 Local authorities across England are cracking down on people who do not pay their council tax, as the national council tax debt rises to more than £2.5bn, according to research out today. A new report from the accountancy firm Moore Stephens found that 32 per cent of local authorities in Great Britain used bankruptcy [...]