Autumn Budget 2024 – 30 October Highlights

30 Oct 2024

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, delivered her Budget this afternoon, promising to fix the foundations and deliver change by investing in the country to produce a growing economy that puts more money in people’s pockets.

The Budget raises taxes by £40bn, and the tax changes include:

Personal tax

  • Non-UK domicile regime
    • Confirmation that this will be abolished from April 2025
    • Confirmation that the Government intends to “close the loopholes” in the previous Government’s plans – no further details provided in the Budget speech.
    • Extend temporary repatriation relief to three years
  • Capital Gains Tax (CGT)
    • Increase lower rate from 10% to 18% from today
    • Increase upper rate from 20% to 24% from today
    • Lifetime limit for BADR remaining at £1m
    • Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) rate of 10% remains for now, then 14% from April 2025 and 18% from April 2026
    • Carried interest rate will be 32% from April 2025
  • Income tax
    • Allowances and thresholds will increase by inflation from 2028

Employment tax

  • Employer’s NIC changes
    • Increase from 13.8% to 15.0% from April 2025
    • Reduce secondary threshold from £9,100 to £5,000
  • Employment allowance increasing from £5,000 to £10,500

Inheritance tax (IHT)

  • Nil Rate Band of £325,000 frozen until 2030
  • From April 2027 inherited pensions will be subject to IHT
  • Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief will be reformed from April 2026 – up to a combined £1m of assets will attract 100% relief, but for assets over £1m only 50% relief
  • 50% IHT relief for shares listed on AIM and similar markets

Property taxes

  • Intend to introduce lower rate for retail, hospitality and leisure properties from 2026/27
  • Business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties will benefit from 40% relief in 2025/26 – up to a maximum discount of £110,000 per business
  • Stamp Duty Land Tax higher rate for additional dwellings to rise by 2%, from 3% to 5%, from tomorrow

VAT

  • Confirmation that VAT will apply to private school fees from January 2025

Other

  • Investment will be made in technology and extra HMRC staff to reduce tax gap
  • Interest rates on unpaid tax will be increased
  • Fuel duty to remain frozen next year including 5p cut
  • Introduction of a flat rate duty on vaping liquid
  • Alcohol duty on draught drinks will be cut by 1.7%
  • Air passenger duty increasing by 50% on private jets

Further details to follow in our full summary, available on 31 October 2024.

Please contact Mark Baycroft, Partner with any queries.