Autumn Budget update

hm treasury

First budgets of a new parliament are traditionally the dramatic ones in which the Chancellor dispenses the unpalatable medicine of tax increases, because they are at the furthest point from the next election.

However, for a variety of reasons, Mr Hammond did not follow the norm. Far from increasing the Exchequer’s income, the Budget Red Book reveals a net tax giveaway of just under £1.6 billion in the coming tax year.

His main headline-grabbing move was to give first time buyers an exemption from stamp duty land tax on the first £300,000 of consideration for properties worth up to £500,000. Some move on this front had been widely expected, and it accounts for over a third of the giveaway.

The Chancellor was less generous on the income tax front, increasing both the personal allowance and the higher rate threshold by 3% – the standard infl ation-linked increase. He gave nothing away to individual savings account (ISA) investors, freezing the main ISA and lifetime ISA investment limits.

Pension savers were luckier, with an increase in the lifetime allowance – the first since 2010 – and no changes to the annual allowance.

Venture capital schemes* were again in the fi ring line, with a raft of measures designed to  ntroduce a greater emphasis on risk investment  to venture capital trusts*, enterprise investment schemes* and seed enterprise investment schemes*.

However, he took no action on inheritance tax business relief*, which had been expected in some quarters.

If commentators suggest that this was a dull Budget, Mr Hammond will probably be pleased. After his national insurance U-turn following his March Budget, a steady-as-she-goes, broadly neutral Budget was likely to be his goal.

Meet the article author...

Get in touch with our financial advisers

Medical Family Finance is your helping hand through life’s challenging financial landscape.

Get in touch with our team to find out how we can help you by using this contact form, or by phoning 020 7252 5765