Budget

A survey by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has captured the worries of the UK business community, which is seen as adding to an already complex tax system and lacking in direction to promote economic growth. The poll, drawing on feedback from finance professionals working

Equity funds are grappling with their deepest and most prolonged period of withdrawals on record, with investors removing over £10 billion in the past six months alone. According to data from the global funds network Calastone, November marked the second-worst month on record, with a net &poun

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

Three of the UK’s most influential business organisations have made a rare joint intervention, urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to abolish the Energy Profits Levy (EPL). The British Chambers of Commerce, Scottish Chambers of Commerce, and Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) have