• Budget

After two full Budgets in 2017, this Spring Statement was a less dramatic affair, with no announcements of tax changes. These will no doubt come in the Autumn Budget.

The Chancellor launched a number of consultations and other papers about future proposals. The subjects ranged from ways to squeeze more tax from international digital businesses to a proposal for extending entrepreneurs’ relief to some shareholders whose holdings drop below the qualifying 5% level. He has also been mulling the possibility of lowering the VAT threshold.

Read more: Spring Statement 2018

• Budget

The Chancellor has announced a steady as you go Autumn Budget !.

The highlight of his mildly expansionary package was a new stamp duty land tax relief for first time home-buyers (outside Scotland). As long as the consideration for the property is no more than £500,000, first time buyers will pay no SDLT on the first £300,000 and above that they pay the normal rates.

It is worth noting that the Scottish Budget will be published on 14 December when their income tax plans for 2018/19 will be announced.

Read more: Summary of the Autumn Statement