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Just how much is tax disincentivising you? The latest Economic and Fiscal Outlook from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had some disconcerting words to share. Published alongside the Chancellor’s Spring Forecast in early March, the OBR provided a sober projection of gross domestic product (GDP): “The tax-to-GDP ratio is forecast to increase to a […]

Bricks and mortar are not always a sure-fire winner. From January 2016 to January 2026, did house prices grow faster than inflation? The answer is in the graph. Nationwide Building Society says the average UK house price in January 2016 was £196,829. Ten years later, it had risen to £270,873, a 37.6% increase. Over the […]

Were you born after 5 April 1960?  There can sometimes be a long period between when legislation becomes law and when it takes effect. The delay is often due to the legislation being only a broad framework to which a raft of detailed regulations is subsequently attached. However, there are instances where a protracted run-in […]

New research reveals that five million mid-lifers, aged 40–54, face a difficult retirement. The retirement landscape in the UK has changed significantly over the last 50 years: In 1978, the State pension moved from what was largely a flat rate benefit to a combination of flat rate and, for employees only, earnings-related State pensions. Over […]

A House of Lords committee has been highly critical of the government’s proposals on inheritance tax (IHT) and pensions.  Cynics might expect members of the House of Lords to have more than a passing interest in the Chancellor’s plans to bring unused pension funds within the scope of IHT. Whether or not that view is […]

The 6th April brought a variety of changes to the tax rules. The start of the tax year (Monday 6 April) heralded a variety of changes to tax and pension rules, few of them welcome. Dividend tax  The rate of tax on dividends will increase by two percentage points if you pay tax at basic […]