Introduction: Boxed in by Labour’s manifesto pledges not to increase income tax, employee’s national insurance and VAT, Chancellor Rachel Reeves instead had to raid other taxes, like capital gains tax (CGT), inheritance tax (IHT), employer’s national insurance and to extend the tax threshold freeze to find the £40bn needed to balance the books.
While the tax rises came thick and fast, the Chancellor announced there would no longer be biannual fiscal events. The Budget will now only be in the autumn, while the Spring Statement will have no tax changes.
Reeves said the tax-and-spend Budget was necessary to reverse the dire state of the public finances the Government inherited and to “fix the foundations to deliver change”.
“This Government was given a mandate to restore stability to our economy and to begin a decade of national renewal, to fix the foundations and deliver change through responsible leadership in the national interest. That is our task. And I know that we can achieve it,” said Reeves at the start of her Budget statement.
Our report looks in detail at key business and personal changes as a result of the Autumn Budget 2024.
To read the full report, click this link: business-cover-autumn-budget-october2024 (2)