I always had trouble with “For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” Which is a shame, as George Osborne seems to have taken it as his inspiration for his final Budget as coalition chancellor.
If you have savings, well, you won’t have to declare the fourpence interest you get on them. If you have an ISA, you’ll be able to take money out of it when you’re broke and bung it back afterwards (take THAT, payday lenders!) If you have a mortgage, well, your house is going to carry on going up in value because, if you’re saving up for a house, the government is going to start bunging you a few quid towards the deposit. And if the entry level houses get harder to find and more expensive, then the others go up in value too, because, capitalism.
So if you’re a “hard-working family” (and dear god but I hate that phrase) who has managed to get ahead, even a little: if you’re a “hath”, then you’re going to feel a bit better for this Budget.
(We will draw a veil over the fact that most people with “savings” got them from inheritance or redundancy or early retirement. What used to be called, back in the sixties when they were taxed more heavily than earnings, “unearned income”)
If you can’t get ahead? If you live in a rented house because the you can’t afford the deposit, and the cost of your commute means you’ll never have any spare cash even to begin to save towards a deposit? If you’re struggling with your credit card bill and juggling a payday loan to pay for the groceries and the kids new shoes? Well you can just jolly well be grateful that
The government’s long-term economic plan is securing a sustained recovery and a more resilient economy. From April 2015, Corporation Tax will be cut to 20%, the joint lowest in the G20
Forty-nine days and counting.
tiintax 