All-round Budget thread

[longfingernails]

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[molemesseskilledIpom]

As far as I know and aware of, they havent mentioned Tax credits or other benefits Mario.

[happiestblonde]

Quite... why would that possibly be necessary?

[claig]

GastonTheLadybird , I think quite a few will be joining you

[meditrina]

No change to previous announcements on tax credits etc.

Justine was on the ITV news (cautious welcome -is that a fair summary? - no nasty surprises, but still concerned about squeezed middle), also Laura Tennison (JoJo Maman BeBe founder), very welcoming - thought it great for small business.

[claig]

this technical university thing sounds good. Is it significant or a drop in the ocean?

[longfingernails]

If a 16 year old (obviously ignoring issues around SN etc) can't look after themselves for a couple of hours after school, then there really is no hope.

[matana]

I may not be able to afford to put food on my family's table, but at least i won't have to endure those pesky potholes on my way to the grocery store. God bless George Osborne. He certainly has his priorities right.

[BeenBeta]

Disappointed that there wasn't a LOT more simplification of taxes. To be honest what I heard makes it more complex. I want a tax code that is 18 pages long not 18000 pages as it curently is.

Good on fuel duty but the carbon tax floor makes for yet another complex energy tax on things like gas and electric which no doubt householders wil pay but not business.

Good on small business tax reliefs, EIS and entrepreneurs reliefs to encourage new businesses but could have made it a lot simpler with a single low tax rate up to £200k profit.

I dont think big business should have had lowercorporation tax but good he prevented banks getting the lower rate by raisng the bankng levy and he is introducing measures to stop very highy paid bankers getting round paying income tax and avoiding stamp duty on high value property.

He should have equalised duty on a per unit alcohol basis too which would have played into cutting the binge drinking issue.

I just wish he had been a LOT more radical really.

[claig]

carbon price floor. Hmmm, not very good

[Cicatrice]

Depressing.

[gallicgirl]

I hope all the incentives for private businesses actually create jobs rather than just create more profit for the businesses. Trouble is, these measures will take a few years to take effect but the public sector is making thousands of people redundant right now.

As much as the cut in fuel duty is welcome, I hope the other changes to fuel duty for the producers, doesn't mean they raise prices in order to protect their profits. I didn't quite understand that bit in all fairness. I was trying to feed the baby so couldn't give Grotty George my full attention.

Oh, and it looks like any benefit of the increase in the personal tax allowance will be offset by an increase in my pension contributions. Excellent news. :(

[Chil1234]

For people asking about tax credits. Tax credit changes were announced last October in the emergency budget and will apply from April.

I was pleased to see him lower the growth forecasts. After all those times when Brown based his plans on ambitiously over-egged growth forecasts it's nice to see a little genuine caution.

Still not convinced the next budget will, what was it, 'screw us over' (nice)? It all depends on how the economy is performing what will happen next.

[MrsOtter]

All round misery for the average family then ... Suprising how many times he managed to mention the word 'families' when he is doing nothing to help them

[NigellaPawson]

I'd say raising the tax threshold was doing a fair bit for families.

Although reinstating the 10% tax band Labour abolished would go further, I'll grant you.

[MrsOtter]

Oh yes I'm already planning how I will spend the extra £45 a year the £600 allowance will give me - Oh wait, it will be eaten up by the VAT rise - damm!

[byrel]

I think its quite a good budget, the raise in the personal allowance for income tax is very welcome as is the cut in corporation tax. Cutting fuel duty should help to try and control inflation which is too high. The simplification of the tax system and the exempting of small companies from new regulations should give them a boost which they need.

[matana]

Yes, MrsOtter 'family values' are clearly a top priority for this government. Incidentally, was i the only one who fell off my chair last night when it was revealed that one missile aimed at Libya costs £800,000? They fired 115 of the buggers in one night alone. Honestly, is Col Gaddaffi the only evil despot controlling a cruel regime worth bothering about in today's world? I suppose had Sierra Leone been the 5th largest producer of oil in the world our government might have seen fit to become involved in their civil war....

[PhillipeFlop]

I'm giong to spend my 86p per day on electricity. Yes. Maybe gas, who knows? It's all so exciting!

[PhillipeFlop]

86p PER WEEK. Sorry, god, getting totally carried away.

imagine 86p per day. wow.

[GooseyLoosey]

There are some sneaky things in there - in particular, there is a suggestion that state pension might rise automatically in the future in line with increases to longevity. I don't want to work until 75.

[MrsOtter]

I want clarification on the tax credits issue - I'm sure we will be losing most of ours next april (earn over £30k, 2 children and no childcare costs) but would be nice if George could clarify - that's if he even knows

[MrsOtter]

Phillipe I did wonder how you were lucky enough to qualify for 86 a day!

[meditrina]

There are no changes to the earlier announcements on tax credits.

[MrsOtter]

Its the earlier announcements I want clarification on

[adamschic]

Flexible working for 16-18 yr olds, what is that all about, thought flexible working was for children under 5 .

Not much in this budget for ordinary people to be jumping for joy about except that he doesn't appear to have announced screwing us over this time around.