Blog

On 12 May, MPs considered an e-petition which calls on the government to increase the income tax personal allowance to £20,000. Rejecting the proposal, the minister said it would cost £50 billion and require huge cuts to public spending.

The Senedd (Welsh Parliament) has rejected a Conservative motion calling for cuts in income tax and business rates, with a government minister accusing the Conservatives of proposing £660 million in unfunded tax cuts.

In this guest blog, James Browne and Isabel Atkinson of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change discuss how the UK can foster economic growth through strategic business tax reforms.

A new report from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) suggests growing concerns over HMRC's rising tax administration costs, declining trust among taxpayers, outdated IT systems and reduced compliance productivity.

The National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill has gained Royal Assent, following agreement between the two Houses of Parliament. MPs and peers had been battling over whether some groups, including the health and social care sector, should be excluded from the increases to employers’ national insurance.

The Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill received Royal Assent on 3 April, following both Houses agreeing on the text of the bill. This followed a number of rounds of 'ping pong' during which MPs and peers argued over whether the bill should be amended to enable lower business rates for healthcare providers and ‘anchor stores’ as well as whether there should be a separate use class for fulfilment centres.

The Treasury Committee convened a series of hearings on April 1 and 2 to scrutinise the Spring Statement. These sessions featured evidence from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), economic experts and the Chancellor herself. While the main topics were OBR forecasts and the government’s fiscal headroom, questions were also asked about potential future tax changes and the frequency of fiscal events, among other things.

The Senedd has agreed on the general principles of the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) bill, despite opposition concerns about its impact on small businesses and Welsh tourism. The government also proposed to exempt under-18s in lower-rated accommodation, while slightly increasing the base levy for others.

In this guest blog, Professor Susan Himmelweit and Ignacia Pinto, Senior Research and Policy Officer at the Women’s Budget Group, discuss the importance of progressive taxation in tackling gender inequalities in the UK.

The House of Lords debated Finance Bill 2024-25 on Wednesday, with peers expressing concern about the potential impact of measures including the abolition of non-dom tax status.