Autumn Budget

A major VAT reform announced in the Budget will remove a longstanding tax charge that has discouraged businesses from donating surplus goods to charity, Greg McNally writes. The new relief, due to take effect from 1 April 2026, is designed to stop usable products being sent unnecessarily to landfill

Richard Hughes, chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), has taken the "unusual step" of publishing the evolution of the watchdog’s economic forecasts, confirming that Chancellor Rachel Reeves knew she had met her financial targets days before warning the public of a dire economic

Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Autumn Budget has drawn a sharp intake of breath from Scotland’s financial and business community.

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has said the UK government's Autumn Budget offers little meaningful support to unlock the growth potential of rural Scotland. Ahead of the Budget, SLE wrote to the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, urging targeted measures to ease pressures on rural businesses – i

Taxi and private hire fares are set to rise significantly as a result of changes in the Autumn Budget which will impose VAT at 20% on most taxi private vehicle hire fares from the start of 2026, writes Greg McNally. The change is expected to raise approximately £700 million a year. It effectiv

Leading figures in the Scotland's whisky industry have criticised Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to increase alcohol duty in the Autumn Budget, warning the move will stifle growth, cost jobs, and reduce government revenue. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) described the RPI inflation-lin

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her second Budget today under chaotic circumstances, as the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) accidentally released its economic forecasts before she had even taken to the despatch box. Reeves branded the breach "deeply disappointing" and a "serious error", co

On the eve of the Budget, pensions have emerged as the leading concern among Scots, according to analysis by wealth and asset manager Rathbones. The survey, which polled more than 3,000 UK adults found that 47% of Scots identified pensions as their top Budget issue. This was the highest of any categ

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to reduce the annual cash ISA limit to £12,000 in Wednesday’s Budget, cutting the allowance from its current level of £20,000. The move is part of a broader government strategy to divert household savings into the UK stock market, following a period

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has abandoned plans to raise income tax at the 26 November Budget, following improved economic forecasting from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Ms Reeves had previously hinted at tax rises or "deep cuts" to public investment to fill a significant gap in her spend

When Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers her Autumn Budget later this month, her primary focus will be on how to deliver on her pre-election promise of growing the UK’s economy, writes Jak Henderson. While much of the recent discussion has revolved around speculation as to whether she will break

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has joined six other leading UK drinks trade bodies in a united call on the Chancellor to freeze excise duty in the forthcoming Autumn Budget. The joint appeal was issued Wednesday evening, two weeks before the budget and following a collective meeting with the Ex

The UK government is facing a fresh internal row after Chancellor Rachel Reeves reportedly informed the fiscal watchdog of plans to raise income tax, breaking a key 2024 manifesto pledge.

People should brace themselves for a “nasty set of tax rises” in Rachel Reeves’ forthcoming Autumn Budget, according to leading economist and public policy expert Professor Paul Johnson CBE. Speaking at the ICAS Annual Conference 2025 in London on 5 November, Prof Johnson – P

Ross Stupart, regional managing partner for RSM Scotland, gives his view on what impact the UK budget could have on Scotland. With the UK budget fast approaching, the persistent deficit, underwhelming economic growth forecasts and a manifesto pledge not to raise taxes for working people, Rachel Reev